Bengaluru, July 14 (Agency) Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) on Thursday announced a long-term partnership to enable the holistic growth of Athletics in India. Reliance Foundation has been a dedicated partner to AFI over the years and now the partnership is set to deepen the engagement between the two organizations, RIL Director and IOC Member Nita Ambani said in a statement. 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, she said In line with the larger vision of the organization, the partnership will have a special focus on girl athletes and aim to bridge the gender divide and enable them to achieve their dreams, Ambani 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, she stated.
“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 am sure we will see many more of our young athletes on victory stands around the world. This partnership is also an important step towards our dream of strengthening the Olympic Movement in India,” Ambani said. AFI President Adille Sumariwalla said with a committed partner in Reliance Industries, the body is sure of an increase in participation and international success across multiple disciplines. “The partnership will focus on holistic development, building a strong talent pool and potential medal winners who will make India proud in the years to come,” he said. Since 2017, Reliance Foundation has invested in the development of athletics through the Reliance Foundation Youth Sports program, reaching more than 5,500 educational institutes in 50+ districts across the country, Ambani said.
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, she said Recently, Jyothi Yarraji (representing India in CWG 2022) and Amlan Borgohain from the HPC broke long-standing national records, Ambani said. RF 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. Ambani has been leading India’s Olympic Movement and has been deeply committed to providing sporting opportunities for the next generation in India. Her role as an IOC member since 2016, has enabled her to bring valuable international exposure to India’s efforts to transform sports and engage with the Olympic Movement, and led the India delegation that won the bid to host the 140th IOC session 2023 in Mumbai.