Empower girls in rural India to be Champions

During the quarter, Mann Deshi Champions continued to strengthen grassroots sports development through regular athletic training, coaching programmes, competitions, and educational activities. Alongside improving sporting skills and physical fitness, the programme focused on building discipline, teamwork, confidence, and leadership among children and young athletes. Engagement with parents, teachers, and schools remained an important part of supporting the holistic development of young people.

July 2026

• Athlete Training: Conducted 24 training days, reaching over 90 athletes through regular sports practice and structured training sessions.
• Heritage and Educational Learning: Organised educational activities to help students understand Maharashtra’s history, cultural heritage, the Maratha Empire, and the importance of preserving historical monuments and forts.
• Advanced Coaching for Teachers: Conducted a 10-day Travel Coach Advanced Programme for 40 teachers from Dantewada, Raigarh, Jashpur, and Kolhapur. Sessions covered coaching techniques, nutrition, sports science, athletics, wrestling, and Kabaddi. The programme also included a trek and a sports competition for over 200 children.
• Grassroots Sports Development: Continued daily sports practice in Dantewada, with approximately 300–400 children participating regularly. Training across different sports helped strengthen physical fitness, discipline, confidence, and teamwork.

August 2026

• Athlete Training and Achievements: Conducted 20 training days, reaching over 150 athletes. Athletes won six medals at the district-level athletics competition and one medal at a state-level athletics competition.
• Sports Day and Environmental Awareness: Organised a Sports Day workshop focusing on discipline, teamwork, and self-confidence. A ground-cleaning drive was also conducted to encourage cleanliness, responsible waste management, and environmental awareness.
• Interactive Educational Activities: Arranged an educational show for schoolchildren to encourage curiosity, imagination, and interest in learning through an engaging and interactive experience.
• Parent Engagement: Conducted parent meetings to discuss students’ academic progress, sporting achievements, and overall development. Parents were encouraged to support their children’s participation in both education and extracurricular activities.
• Travel Coach Programme: Successfully completed a five-day basic coaching programme in Nandurbar, bringing together 53 sports teachers from eight talukas. Led by three expert coaches, the programme combined theory, practical sessions, and case studies covering coaching philosophy, nutrition, fundamental sports skills, warm-up and recovery, Kabaddi, Kho-Kho, and athletics.
• Regular Sports Practice: Continued daily sports sessions in Dantewada, with children receiving training in Kabaddi, Kho-Kho, and athletics to improve fitness, technical skills, discipline, and teamwork.
• Athletic Achievement: Ashwini won a silver medal in the Under-16 80-metre hurdles, demonstrating her dedication and competitive spirit.

September 2026

• Athlete Training and Achievements: Conducted 21 training days, reaching over 120 athletes. Athletes won five medals at a district-level boxing competition and ten medals at the Taluka Level School Wrestling Competition.
• Educational and Physical Fitness Exposure: Organised an educational visit for schoolchildren, introducing them to astronomy and providing exposure to swimming and gymnasium facilities. The activity encouraged scientific curiosity and greater awareness of physical fitness.
• Parent Participation and Engagement: Organised parent meetings and competitions to strengthen relationships between parents, coaches, and students. Discussions focused on academic progress, sports performance, and children’s overall development.
• Wrestling Competitions: Organised a taluka-level freestyle wrestling competition, providing wrestlers with an opportunity to demonstrate their strength, technical ability, and sportsmanship.
• Athletics Development: Conducted track-and-field competitions featuring shot put, discus throw, sprinting, middle-distance running, long jump, long-distance running, and race walking. These events encouraged participation and helped young athletes demonstrate their abilities.
• Women’s Participation in Sports: Organised the Taluka Level Women’s Kabaddi Competition, providing women athletes with a platform to showcase their skills, teamwork, and competitive spirit.
• School-Level Kabaddi: Conducted a district-level school Kabaddi competition, enabling students from various schools to demonstrate their sporting abilities and teamwork.
• Large-Scale School Athletics: Organised an athletics competition for approximately 1,300 students, promoting physical fitness, sportsmanship, and active participation in outdoor sports.
• Talent Identification: Conducted district-level Kabaddi selection trials to identify promising players for district representation.
• Continued Training in Dantewada: Maintained regular morning and evening practice sessions, encouraging athletes to improve their performance through consistent effort and disciplined training.
• Girls’ Wrestling Achievements: Female wrestlers delivered outstanding performances at the Mann Taluka School Wrestling Competition, winning ten gold medals across the Under-14 and Under-17 categories. The achievements reflect the growing participation and competitive potential of young female athletes.

Links:

• https://www.instagram.com/manndeshichampions/?hl=en
• https://www.youtube.com/@MannDeshi
• https://manndeshifoundation.org/