Sportz Village Foundation, ISCA Launch ‘Girls in Sport’ Campaign to Expand Grassroots Participation

Bengaluru, August 31, 2026: Sportz Village Foundation, the nonprofit arm of Sportz Village, and the International Sport and Culture Association (ISCA) have launched the ‘Girls in Sport’ campaign, with a goal of engaging more than one million girls in sports across India over the next five years.

The campaign was launched at the #SportForChange Roundtable held in Bengaluru under the theme “Truly Grassroots Global – Building a Global Coalition for India’s #SportForChange Movement.” The event was organised by Sportz Village Foundation with ISCA as the knowledge partner and The International Platform on Sport and Development (sportanddev) as the global communications partner.

The roundtable brought together representatives from the corporate, state and development sectors to discuss the role of grassroots sport in addressing youth physical inactivity and supporting outcomes in health, education and inclusion.

A key focus of the discussions was the need to expand access to sport beyond programmes centred primarily on competitive achievements and medals. Participants discussed how grassroots sports programmes can reach larger numbers of children and contribute to their overall development.

The discussions also explored ways for state governments, CSR leaders, foundations and sports organisations to collaborate in developing accessible and sustainable grassroots sports ecosystems. Participants exchanged international approaches and considered how these practices could be adapted to India’s local context.

Mr. Parminder Gill, Co-founder & Head of Foundation, Sportz Village, said, “Medals are an important measure of sporting excellence, but the foundation for those achievements is built much earlier, at the grassroots level. By giving children access to quality physical education, exposure to different sports and the right opportunities to develop their potential, we can create a stronger pipeline of athletes while also ensuring that sport contributes to their overall development. With India’s young population, expanding these opportunities, particularly for girls, can help build a more inclusive and sustainable sporting ecosystem.”

Mr. Mogens Kirkeby, President, ISCA (International Sport and Culture Association), said, “Physical inactivity among young people is a global challenge, and movement through sport is one of the most accessible solutions we have. India, with its young population, is positioned to demonstrate what that looks like at scale. Bringing global experience into this conversation lets us exchange what's working across countries and adapt it to India's context — that kind of collaboration is how grassroots sport moves from isolated efforts to real, lasting impact.”

The ‘Girls in Sport’ campaign will focus on increasing opportunities for girls to participate in sport, with the five-year target intended to support broader gender equity in grassroots sporting programmes.

The initiative forms part of the organisations’ wider focus on using sport as a tool for development and increasing access to structured sporting opportunities for children and young people.