Identified promising talent among underserved youth from 14 states
News Desk
AGARTALA, August 04, 2025: HCLFoundation, which drives the corporate social responsibility agenda of global technology company HCLTech in India, today announced the commencement of the 7th edition of the Sports for Change (SFC) National Finals 2025, held at Sri Sivasubramaniya Nadar College, Chennai. The event was graced by Padma Shri Achanta Sharath Kamal, Former Indian Table Tennis player and Vice-Chairperson of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Athletes' Commission.
This year’s edition of Sports for Change Competition (hclfoundation.org/sports-for-change) brought together 12,256 young athletes from across India, selected through a rigorous process involving training camps and multi-tier qualifiers at the district, state, and zonal levels. The event culminated in the participation of 758 top-performing children from 14 states, including Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Nagaland, Sikkim, Assam, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala.
As part of the event, a significant milestone in promoting inclusive sports was achieved with the distribution of 131 basketball wheelchairs to five State Federations—Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh—underscoring HCLFoundation’s commitment to accessibility and empowerment through sports.
“The 2025 edition featured 45 District Competitions, 9 State Championships, and 3 Zonal Competitions, culminating in the national finals. It covers a wide range of sports, including team games like football, volleyball, Kabadi, basketball, cricket, Touch Rugby, Kho-Kho, Handball, and Hockey; track and field events such as sprints, hurdles, jumps, shotput, javelin, and relay races; and individual games like Badminton, Table Tennis, Archery, Chess, and Carrom.
At HCLFoundation, we believe in the transformative power of sports to unlock potential and uplift young lives, especially among underserved children and youth. Through our Sports for Change (SFC) initiative, we are dedicated to bridging the access gap and advocating for every child's right to play. "By nurturing grassroots participation and linking sports with key developmental outcomes, we are cultivating an environment where talent flourishes, dreams are realized, and future leaders emerge as role models from within their communities," said Dr. Nidhi Pundhir, SVP, Global CSR, HCLTech and Director, HCLFoundation.
Launched in 2017, Sports for Change is a unique initiative that integrates sports into holistic education and empowers underserved youth. The program has produced sporting talent who has gone on to represent India at major international tournaments and bring home medals. To date, the initiative has positively impacted over 64,000 young athletes.
The impact in FY 2024–25 alone has been remarkable: three athletes represented India on international platforms, while eight girls from Delhi competed at the National Games 2025, showcasing the growing reach and effectiveness of the program. Among the many success stories are Lekha Shere and Dhana Priya, who secured jobs at Ernst & Young after gaining admission to Reva University, Bengaluru, through sports quotas.
Furthermore, the initiative has cultivated a strong community leadership pipeline, with 72 alum athletes becoming community coaches, including 24 certified by national sports federations.
https://indigenousherald.com/