JSW Group today announced the launch of a long term plan to lift Indian sports for which it claims to have started building infrastructure for five disciplines at its steel plant in Bellary, Karnataka.
JSW Sports Excellence Programme encompasses the sporting disciplines of judo, wrestling, boxing, athletics and swimming and will be overseen directly by Parth Jindal, son of JSW Group's Chairman and MD, Sajjan Jundal.
"JSW has embarked on a very ambitious journey to make our mark on Indian sports. We are setting up world class facilities in Karnataka in our steel plant in Bellary," said Jindal at a media conference today.
JSW has taken under its wings 28 sports men and women, including 12 who are part of the Indian contingent for the July 23-August 3 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.
"We are currently supporting 28 athletes in five disciplines who will all be training at our state of the art facility at Bellary from May next year. We have talked to all the respective sports federations, Sports Authority of India and the sports ministry who are all supportive of the project," said Jindal.
Jindal reiterated that JSW was in it for long term - 30-40-50 years - and not with any short term focus.
"JSW is in this for a very long term... 30-40-50 years. We will continue to make investments into Indian sports. Hopefully one day our Sports Excellence Programme will contribute to Indian sports," said Jindal.
JSW Sports Private Limited's CEO and former tennis player Mustafa Ghouse said they had worked over the last 12 months to get the programme up and running.
"We have helped our 12 athletes get ready for the Commonwealth Games. Among them judokas Avtar Singh and Garima Chaudhary are leaving for Glasgow tonight," he said.
The other ten JSW-supported athletes bound for CGW are: Siddhanth Thingalaya (athletics), Sushila Devi, Sunibala Devi (both Judo), Amit Kumar, Bajrang, Pawan Kumar, Babita Kumari, Vinesh, Sakshi Malik and Navjot Kaur (all wrestling).
