The ‘Girls for Gold’ program has been launched by the Infosys Foundation in collaboration with the GoSports Foundation as a high-performance excellence program for young and emerging female athletes. This was announced by the philanthropic and CSR arm of Infosys on 2 May 2023.
This initiative will collaborate with high-potential academies and coaches of India to support the development of Indian women athletes between the ages of 13 and 19. This program will have a span of the initial term of four years which will offer coaching, admission to the academies, and recognition for the performances.
The initiative will include three-pronged strategies:
- It will develop a strong group of female athletes who will be prepared to compete internationally, support them in establishing long-lasting careers, and also develop them into role models for the next generation.
- It will make a group of experienced coaches who will help the athletes to cherish their goals and create an environment of long-lasting sporting excellence.
- It will also help the academies to be technologically advanced and make them world-class training centers.
Shooting, boxing, weightlifting, table tennis, and badminton are among the five games that will be supported in the first cohort. The academies identified as the inaugural beneficiaries of the program are:
- Lakshya Shooting Club
- Mary Kom Regional Boxing Foundation
- Raman TT High-Performance Centre
- Sathish Sivalingam Weightlifting Foundation
- Yadav Pro Badminton Academy
As the initiative tightens its roots, more academies might be considered for support. MC Mary Kom, a former amateur boxing champion, and Padma Vibhushan awardee, Suma Shirur who is a former Indian shooter and Arjuna awardee, and B Bhuvaneshwari, former national table tennis champion will comprise the Champions Advisory Board.
