Chennai, August 04, 2025: HCLFoundation, the CSR arm of global technology company HCLTech, announced the commencement of the 7th edition of the Sports for Change (SFC) National Finals 2025 at Sri Sivasubramaniya Nadar College, Chennai. The event was attended by Padma Shri awardee Mr. Achanta Sharath Kamal, former Indian Table Tennis player and Vice-Chairperson of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Athletes' Commission.
This year’s edition witnessed the participation of 12,256 young athletes from across India. The selection was made through an extensive process involving district, state, and zonal qualifiers. A total of 758 top-performing children from 14 states—Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Nagaland, Sikkim, Assam, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala—qualified for the national finals.
In a move to promote inclusivity in sports, 131 basketball wheelchairs were distributed to five state federations—Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh. The initiative highlights HCLFoundation’s commitment to accessibility and sports empowerment.
The 2025 event featured 45 district competitions, 9 state championships, and 3 zonal competitions. Sports covered included team games such as Football, Volleyball, Kabaddi, Basketball, Cricket, Touch Rugby, Kho-Kho, Handball, and Hockey; athletics including sprints, hurdles, jumps, shot put, javelin, and relay races; and individual sports such as Badminton, Table Tennis, Archery, Chess, and Carrom.
Dr. Nidhi Pundhir, SVP, Global CSR, HCLTech and Director, HCLFoundation, said, “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.”
Launched in 2017, the Sports for Change initiative integrates sports into holistic education for underserved youth. Since its inception, the program has impacted over 64,000 young athletes, many of whom have gone on to represent India in international competitions.
In FY 2024–25 alone, three athletes from the program represented India on global platforms. Eight girls from Delhi competed in the National Games 2025. The program also supported students like Lekha Shree and Dhana Priya, who secured employment with Ernst & Young after receiving sports-based admissions to Reva University, Bengaluru.
Additionally, the initiative has fostered community leadership, with 72 former participants now serving as community coaches—24 of whom are certified by national sports federations.
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