Tokyo Paralympic bronze medalist and Indian shuttler Manoj Sarkar developed a lower limb condition when he was just a year old. When his mother, the sole bread earner, fell ill, Sarkar had to paint houses to make ends meet. Financial and physical hurdles couldn’t overshadow his love for badminton. But only up to a point.
Sarkar missed out on the French Para Badminton Tournament in 2011 due to financial constraints.
He then reached out to GoSports for assistance. After clearing their rigorous parameters, he was onboarded, and the next year, the foundation funded him for the same tournament. Since then, Sarkar has been unstoppable, earning 79 international medals, including a Paralympic bronze in Tokyo 2020 games.
“A child who didn’t have money to even eat food, is buying expensive rackets and shoes today. That’s the impact of Go Sports,” Sarkar said, calling the foundation his “backbone.”
Sarkar is part of India’s 179-member contingent at Paris games, the largest ever in the nation’s Paralympic history, featuring 84 athletes in 12 different sports. Of this, 16 para-athletes, including gold medalist Sumit Antil, Manoj Sarkar, Suhas LY, Rakshita Raju, Mohd Yasser, and Sakshi Kasana are backed by GoSports. This revolution in India’s Olympic sports that is visible from Tokyo to Paris is being propelled by a bunch of self-confessed “failed athletes” who gave up their cushy, high-paying jobs to return to their first love – sports. In their second innings, they are playing their game from outside the arena and using their corporate expertise to benefit India’s sporting talent. And apart from taking the CSR route, these not for profits have undertaken innovative means to raise the money —from auctioning Rahul Dravid’s signed bat to Roger Federer’s racket.
This Bengaluru-based foundation has been working toward spotting and nurturing talent in sports since 2008. They provide financial assistance to athletes with respect to equipment, training, travelling for competitions and more. But Go Sports isn’t alone. Former captain of Indian hockey team Viren Rasquinha’s Mumbai-based Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ) has been supporting the sporting cause since 2001 and has helped athletes such as PV Sindhu, Mary Kom, Saina Nehwal, Ravi Kumar, and Lakshay Sen.
“The sporting scenario in India is huge. We need 100 OGQs and Go Sports, therefore, there isn’t any form of competition. In fact, in the last Olympic cycle, it has been a joint and collaborative effort,” said Rasquinha.
Also read: NGT’s golden era was over long ago. Then came the age of delays, fines, committee raj
Story of three best friends
Nandan Kamath was working in a law firm; Hakimuddin Habibulla, a former Olympic swimmer, was employed as an IT analyst, and Joseph Ollapally was associated with infrastructure development and education sector. In 2006, the best friends decided to restart their careers and launched GoSports.
The trio, who are now trustees, pooled in Rs 10 lakh from their savings to get the foundation started. The first sportsman they signed was swimmer Virdhawal Khade, who participated in the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
For the first five years, GoSports was kept afloat through personal contributions from friends and families. But, in 2013, an auction turned the tables.
“Instead of a financial donation, the founders requested a signed bat from Rahul Dravid, who joined GoSports as an advisor and is currently the brand ambassador, along with ace shuttler and coach Pullela Gopichand,” said Deepthi Bopaiah, CEO, GoSports.
In January 2014, Rahul Dravid announced his association with the GoSports Foundation. The board of advisors at that time also featured 2008 Olympics gold medalist Abhinav Bindra.
When Dravid came on board, he established a ‘Rahul Dravid Athlete Mentorship’ programme that guides high-potential athletes through their career.
Around the same time, Roahn Bopanna, then touring secured a signed racquet from Roger Federer.
Instead of a financial donation, the GoSports founders requested a signed bat from Rahul Dravid, who joined GoSports as an advisor and is currently the brand ambassador, along with ace shuttler and coach Pullela Gopichand
— Deepthi Bopaiah, CEO, GoSports
These items, along with others, were auctioned off by GoSports to raise funds, and the proceeds alone provided enough money to sustain the organisation for two years.
“Things kept falling in place,” Bopiaha said, recounting how the central government made CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) mandatory for corporate houses around 2013-14. And, sports emerged as one fine medium.
GoSports received support from Infosys, Deloitte, Skechers, HDFC Bank, Sony Pictures Network, Aditya Birla Capital and Dream Sports Foundation under their CSR initiatives.
“80% of the collection comes from corporate firms like IndusInd bank and HDFC bank, under CSR. Rest are donations by individuals or family-run businesses,” said Bopiaha, who is in her late 30s.
Over the years, GoSports has supported athletes including former world number one shuttler Kidambi Srikanth, gymnast Dipa Karmakar, former India captain and hockey player Rani Rampal, badminton doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty among others.
Alongside the significant initiatives of GoSports, Satwik and Chirag applaud the “small intervention” the brand makes to help athletes.
“Initially, when we didn’t have the contract with Mathias Boe, GoSports stepped in, and it was just 2-3 weeks before we won the Thomas Cup 2022. Such backing helps athletes to focus only on the game, get big wins and medals instead of money and other things,” said Chirag, who has been associated with the foundation for the last ten years.
While Rasquinha’s OGQ has been working towards nurturing and supporting athletes since 2001, Bopiaha claims that GoSports were one of the first promoters in India putting in place a system for athletes with disabilities.
“Our para-champions programme has been running since 2013-14. It was only after the Rio Paralympics (2016) — where three out of the four medal winners were from GoSports — people realised the potential of para athletes as well,” she said.
India’s performance at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics was historic, as the nation secured 19 medals, marking its best-ever performance at the Paralympic Games.
Of the 54 para athletes that represented India in Tokyo, 21 were supported by Go Sports and they bagged a total of 8 medals.
This included Sarkar’s bronze, Antil’s gold in javelin and shooter Lekhara, who became the first Indian woman to win two Paralympic medals — a gold and a bronze.
Our para-champions programme has been running since 2013-14. It was only after the Rio Paralympics (2016) — where three out of the four medal winners were from GoSports — people realised the potential of para athletes as well
— Deepthi Bopaiah, CEO, GoSports
Also read: Lalbagh to Seattle—Bengaluru’s 100-yr-old MTR chain goes international like Saravana Bhavan
A collaborative effort
The sports development arena in India has many players in the game: GoSports, OGQ, Abhinav Bindra Foundation and CBM India Trust. But they are not competing. It’s more of a collaborative approach to benefit athletes.
The foundations have similar skeleton of functioning, raising money and nurturing talent.
But, Go Sports, additionally, also intends to create role models.
“We want to inspire our athletes to look beyond the wins and medals. We want them to be role models in their sports and create more such schools, foundations and organisations which work towards nurturing talent. That’s how an effective ecosystem can be formed,” Bopaiah said.
Unlike other sectors and industries, sport management isn’t a fiercely competitive landscape yet. Instead, it’s a collaborative effort.
Para athlete Rakshita Raju joined GoSports in 2019. The foundation helped her financially and honed her skills as an athlete. The support she gets includes coaching fees, nutrition advice, travel expenses to participate in tournaments, and even sporting gear.
However, when CBM India Trust — a Bengaluru-based NGO which has taken a lead in establishing a disability-inclusive environment — came across Raju’s talent last year, they wanted to offer her support.
CBM India reached out to Go Sports and expressed their desire to offer financial support to the athlete, and the latter accepted the request. This year as well, CBM India financially contributed to Raju’s Paris Paralympic stint.
“She is the first of the Para athletes we are sponsoring to be selected to participate in the Paralympics. However, the Para athletes we support have brought home medals from state, national, and international competitions,” said CBM India’s spokesperson over an email.
CBM India Trust, with over 55 years of experience, has promoted access to quality healthcare, education and livelihood for people with disabilities. Sports is one of their pillars. Today, they sponsor 17 athletes across India, providing everything from coaching fees to assistive devices.
On the other hand, OGQ has been a powerhouse. With a laser focus on nurturing talent for the Olympics, OGQ has mentored legends like PV Sindhu and Lakshay Sen. Their reach is vast, with 400 athletes under their wing—300 aiming for the Olympics and 100 Para athletes.
In the Paris Olympics, OGQ backed 40 athletes including Olympic medalists Manu Bhaker and Aman Sehrawat.
The United States of America took home 126 medals but we also have to see that they sent a 562-member contingent to participate. If we are aiming for medals, we must target to send as many athletes as possible
— Deepthi Bopaiah, CEO, GoSports
This year alone, 54 athletes from OGQ are competing in the Paris Paralympics, solidifying their reputation as a breeding ground for champions. Some of them have already registered victory in Paris, including double bronze medalist Preethi Pal, who got India its first Olympic win in track and field, badminton gold medalist Nitesh Kumar and Nishad Kumar, who won a silver in high jump T47 category.
In the Paris Paralympics, which is set to conclude on 8 September, India has surpassed its Tokyo tally of 19 medals – with a total of 21 medals so far.
However, Bopaiah believes India can do a lot better. But the pressure shouldn’t be not on the athletes, instead foundations like GoSports, SAI, Olympic Cell and the government. Bopaiah mentions that India needs to increase the number of athletes in its contingent to the Olympics and Paralympics.
“The United States of America took home 126 medals but we also have to see that they sent a 562-member contingent to participate. If we are aiming for medals, we must target to send as many athletes as possible,” Bopaiah said.
Also read: Rakshitha Raju found herself through sport. Now she wants to win gold at Paralympics 2024
Onboarding talent
GoSports takes at least 100 days to onboard one athlete. The financial assistance ranges between Rs 5 and Rs 7 lakh for emerging players, and Rs 10-12 lakh for elite players.
“It’s a very rigorous process,” said Arun Karthik, director, Programmes. GoSports has a three-part application process.
When the foundation processes applications to onboard athletes, they begin with a set of basic criteria, including the sport, age, and some national-level recognition. If this initial criteria is met, the next step is expert feedback.
“For each sport, we first connect with the relevant administrators to gather insights about the athlete. These administrators have a deep understanding of the sport’s ecosystem and the competitive landscape. They observe the athletes during training and share their perspective on the athlete’s performance in the context of upcoming competitions,” said Karthik.
Following this expert feedback, direct interactions are planned with the athlete. GoSports assembles a panel of experts who are well-versed with the sport’s ecosystem and the foundation’s work. During these interactions, GoSports assess the athlete based on several key parameters, such as resilience, confidence, potential, and drive, among others.
The last step is due diligence, which includes interacting with the athlete’s family, friends, peers, and coach to verify the accuracy of the information provided. Any red flags identified during this process are chucked out.
Following this expert feedback, direct interactions are planned with the athlete. GoSports assembles a panel of experts who are well-versed with the sport’s ecosystem and the foundation’s work. During these interactions, GoSports assess the athlete based on several key parameters, such as resilience, confidence, potential, and drive, among others
Subsequently, scores across all criterias are compiled, and athletes are selected based on their rankings, in accordance with the number of available spots in the program.
The foundation has a total of 12 programmes running in association with various corporate donors. The programmes are curated and tailored with respect to the donors and their respective CSR mandates and objectives that includes women empowerment, inclusivity, working for the specially-abled and more.
Karthik said, IndusInd Bank has been supporting para athletes under the para-champion programme, which has 40-45 spots, including all sports.
Sakshi Kasana, a para discus thrower, is one of the new beneficiaries of this programme.
Kasana, 27, was inclined towards sports during her school days, but her father feared she might end up having an injury. Therefore, Kasana always focused on studies and went on to complete a five-year undergraduate program of BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery). But, a car accident in 2017 left her paralysed. During her rehabilitation, a doctor introduced her to para-sports. In 2021, she took up discus throw as her discipline.
GoSports joined Kasana’s journey this year. The foundation assisted her with an advanced wheelchair, backed her in international competitions and even took care of her travel.
“Earlier, my family used to bear my sports-related costs, now GoSports does. I feel motivated to deliver more than my best,” said Kasana, who is also pursuing a Master’s degree in Social Work.
Paris Paralympic was the first international event Kasana participated in after getting associated with Go Sports. Unfortunately, the para athlete had a hard luck in the competition. She finished at the eighth place of the twelve with a discus throw of 21.49m.
Para athletes like Kasana are given all the assistance and training to participate in paralympics and other international sporting events.
“But there are also programmes, some of which are women-centric, where medals are not the target. The goal is to train emerging talent,” Karthik added.
There is a ‘Girls for Gold’ programme backed by Infosys, which is slightly different — instead of athletes, GoSports on boards sport academies.
The goal is to make the academies reach a benchmark that is world class. The foundation works towards infrastructure and also sport science, which is often an overlooked aspect.
“Physiotherapy, nutrition, psychology – these things come under sport science. We intend to put a structure to this particular wing. And, honestly, till 10 years ago, it was not even heard of,” said Karthik.
Also read: Rs 4,800 cr IPO bids are now making Delhi bike dealer nervous. Mountain of paperwork is next
A foundation on failures
Behind athletes’ shining medals at international competitions is a team of individuals whose destiny was shaped by their failures in the sporting arena.
Karthik gave up professional tennis after frequent injuries reminded him of his shortcomings. Later, he took the conventional path and completed his MBA.
“We call ourselves failed athletes,” said Karthik, who has represented India at tennis tournaments and recently, played for the country in Obstacle Course Racing (OCR) at the Asian Championship in 2019.
The NGO has been working towards fulfilling the dreams of Indian athletes — who come from both privileged and humble backgrounds. But, it isn’t just a job for them. Sport has been a passion for almost every employee at some point in their lives.
We call ourselves failed athletes–Arun Karthik, director, Programmes, GoSports
Bopaiah has been a state-level tennis player but couldn’t pursue a career because, as she puts it, “sport is an expensive affair.” Banking was the next best option.
Bopaiah worked in the banking sector for six years and saw sports as means to stay athletic but fate had different plans for her.
A year after serving as the vice president of a private sector bank, Bopaiah took a 70 per cent pay cut to join GoSports foundation as a marketing director. She has been serving as the CEO since 2016.
“There was always something missing. I asked myself: ‘What am I chasing?’ Everyone (family and then husband) supported my decision, so I just went ahead with it. The decision was very intuitive,” she said.
Karthik also chose to forgo a lucrative consultancy job , potentially worth several lakhs, in favor of to join IMG (International Management Group), a global sports and culture company known for organising a variety of sporting events.
But, he has no regrets.
“Sports is an emotion for us. There is nothing like building olympics and paralympics for the country. We are living our dreams vicariously through the athletes we support.” he said, with a generous enthusiasm in his voice and subtly numb eyes.
(Edited by Anurag Chaubey)