VIJAYAWADA: In a significant stride towards empowering underprivileged children through a grassroots basketball programme in India, the Hi5 Youth Foundation has partnered with the Sachin Tendulkar Foundation (STF) to construct a basketball court in Andhra Pradesh.
The two foundations have been collaborating since 2020 to build sports infrastructure in schools and have earlier constructed a basketball court in Arunachal Pradesh.
For the project in Andhra Pradesh, APSWR School, also known as Dr BR Ambedkar Gurukulam School, in Chittoor city has been chosen. The all-girls school has around 400 students studying Classes V to X and is managed by the social welfare department in the State.
This marks Hi5’s second school programme in the State in partnership with APSBA (Andhra Pradesh State Basketball Association), which conducts camps and prepares teams for national tournaments.
Speaking about the collaboration, retired cricketer Sachin Tendulkar expressed, “Sports is a powerful tool that not only keeps children physically fit, but also builds their character, self-esteem and confidence. It empowers children from marginalised backgrounds with the required skills that can help them win in all fields of life.” He added, “The expansion of our association with the Hi5 Youth Foundation to develop two more basketball courts for children in the tribal communities and girls in particular is one more step towards our vision to transform India from a sports-watching nation to a sports-playing one.”
Usha Sundar, founder of Hi5 Youth Foundation, said, “STF is currently supporting 300 children at our Tribal Centres in Maharashtra, has built two half courts and one full court in a remote village in Gujarat.”