Two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra has announced that he is now the co-owner of UBS Athletics Kids Cup, reiterating his commitment to grassroots sports. This comes after having already served as the programme's ambassador for the last two season.
The UBS Athletics Kids Cup is one of India's largest grassroots initiatives, designed to introduce children to sports through fun, inclusive and accessible competition. It has rapidly grown into one of India's leading grassroots sports programmes, creating opportunities for children to participate in fun, inclusive and accessible events. Nearly 50% all participants have been girls, underlining the initiative's focus on making sport accessible to every child. It has engaged more than 250,000 children across 2,500+ schools in five cities.
Since its launch, the programme has reached more than 250,000 children across over 2,500 schools in five cities, with girls accounting for 46 percent of all participants. The next phase of the initiative aims to reach one million children and build one of the world's largest grassroots sports movements.
"Over the last two seasons, I have seen the impact that UBS Athletics Kids Cup has created for children across schools. Every child deserves an opportunity to discover and showcase their talent, and becoming Co-owner felt like the natural next step because I truly believe in the vision we're building together. Our ambition is to reach one million children and inspire many more youngsters to embrace sport. I look forward to sharing my own experiences with the kids, teachers and schools, because the more children play, the greater the chance of creating future champions,” Neeraj Chopra said in a statement.
With Chopra joining the initiative as co-owner, the programme now enters its next phase of growth with an ambition to reach one million children across India. Beyond introducing young people to sports, the initiative aims to encourage confidence, discipline and lifelong participation in sport, helping build a stronger sporting culture from the grassroots up.
Daniel Schenker, CEO of Dspowerparts and Co-Founder of the initiative, said, "The strongest validation any programme can receive is when someone who knows the field better than anyone else chooses to invest personally in its future. Neeraj has seen the impact, met the children and understands the vision. His decision to become a Partner is a powerful signal of what we can achieve together in the years ahead."