Most of our foundational physical and mental growth happens during our primitive years. Hence, it is best to have children involved in sports that challenge their bodies and minds to shape them into better individuals. Sportsmanship, leadership, teamwork, perseverance, etc are among the few life-enhancing lessons that sports teach a player.
Despite the endless benefits, many schools in India often lack adequate infrastructure and proper guidance for sports, hindering the exposure for the children. The situation gets worse as we go down the income ladder. Quality primary education is barely accessible for children from low-income backgrounds, and sports are a far-fetched dream for this young population.
The Giving for Good Foundation actively vouches and works for the importance of sports and collaborated with Khelshala in their initiative of ‘Empowering children through Sports.’ GfG assisted Khelshala in implementing a water management system at the Khelshala facility in 2017. The aim was to build a system that avoids flooding during monsoons on the athletic track. In 2022, GfG and the Khelshala joined hands again to work on a redevelopment project for the athletic track.
Khelshala is a non-profit organization based in Attawa and Majra, Punjab. It was launched by Satinder Bajwa, a former Harvard Director of Squash, in 2009. Khelshala works with children from low-income backgrounds to embed skills in sports like Tennis and Squash, amongst others. Through their unique program, S.A.Y, Sport (S), Academics (A), and Yoga (Y) for well-being, Khelshala has touched the lives of over 300 children. A student spends their after-school hours where they are provided all-around support and exposure to athletics, academics, and leadership skills through the S.A.Y program.
GfG provided funding for repairing and resurfacing the 200-meter athletic track at their facility. A fully functional track has re-introduced both competitive and fitness-related activities which had come to a halt earlier. The coaches have now commenced teaching the students about cross-training (X-Training) techniques that will help them improve their Squash & Tennis fitness levels.
With this project, GfG and Khelshala have merged their visions to welcome young talent in the promising world of sports and provide them with the best quality guidance and training. We believe it is all about doing our part and giving what is best for the students because that makes it all worthwhile.