Reliance to help support Indian athletes

Reliance Industries Ltd on Thursday said it will partner with Athletics Federation of India (AFI) to support the development of Indian athletes and grow the country's Olympic movement.

"Reliance Foundation (the company's philanthory arm) has been a dedicated partner to AFI over the years and now the partnership is set to deepen the engagement between the two organisations," the company said in a statement.

The statement, however, did not give details of the finances that are being extended to AFI.

The partnership aims to discover, nurture and develop Indian athletes from across the country and provide them with world-class facilities, coaching and sports science and medicine support by leveraging the Reliance Foundation ecosystem, including the Odisha Reliance Foundation Athletics High-Performance Center and Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital.

"In line with the larger vision of the organisation, this partnership will have a special focus on girl athletes and aim to bridge the gender divide and enable them to achieve their dreams," it said.

As AFI's principal partner, the Reliance brand will appear across the national team's jerseys and training kits at key national, international competitions and training camps.

Nita M Ambani, IOC Member, and Director, Reliance said, "Athletics is one of the most popular disciplines in global sport, and this association aims to accelerate the growth of Indian athletics by providing opportunities and world-class facilities to our young talent, with a special focus on girls. With access to the right infrastructure, training, and support, I'm sure we will see many more of our young athletes on victory stands around the world."

This partnership is also an important step towards dream of strengthening the Olympic Movement in India, she added.

"We have seen our athletics contingent grow at international events, and with a committed partner in Reliance Industries, we are very sure that, soon, we will see an increase in participation and international success across multiple disciplines," Adille Sumariwalla, President, AFI said.

Since 2017, Reliance Foundation has invested in the development of athletics, reaching more than 5,500 educational institutes in 50+ districts across the country.

In 2018, Reliance Foundation set up Odisha Reliance Foundation Athletics HPC, a high-performance centre in partnership with the Government of Odisha, from where multiple national and international medalists and national record holders have been shaped.

It has also been supporting the AFI with sports science and medicine support, with physiotherapists from Reliance Foundation accompanying the Indian contingent to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

"Reliance Foundation has been working closely with multiple partners, including the AFI to establish, encourage and enable India's next champions and enable the ecosystem of Indian sports through improvements in infrastructure, skill development, digital empowerment, and creating sporting heroes," the statement added.