IIT Madras, SBI Foundation Launch Sports Scholarships

• IIT Madras, SBI Foundation launch scholarship for 100 para-athletes .
• Program offers scientific training, mentorship for para-sport excellence, including Paralympics.
• Acrophase-led initiative fosters inclusive sports ecosystem, talent growth.

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has partnered with the SBI Foundation to launch an innovative Para-Athlete Sports Scholarship Program that will support 100 para-athletes across India. This initiative will provide each selected athlete with a monthly grant of INR 40,000 to advance their ability to compete nationally and internationally. Athletes will have the opportunity to undergo advanced scientific training to also enhance their overall performance.

The new program aims to provide financial support combined with advanced training to give para-athletes the relevant tools, data, and direction to compete at elite levels of competition. The initiative will also develop a budding sports ecosystem in India that is inclusive for para resources, and grow talent for both the Paralympics and para-sport globally.

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The launch event included attendees Sanjay Prakash, Managing Director and CEO, SBI Foundation and several other dignitaries. Technical delivery for the program is provided by Acrophase, IIT Madras' Centre of Excellence for Human Performance, under the stewardship of Prof. Mohanasankar Sivaprakasam.

Sanjay Prakash, MD and CEO, SBI Foundation, said with excitement about the initiative, “At SBI Foundation, we are motivated by the amazing determination, skill and resilience of India’s para-athletes, and through the SBIF PASS (Para Athletes Sports Scholarship), we want to empower para athletes to realize their dreams and make us all proud.”

Degrees of mobility can be improved with scholarship opportunities for athletes with disabilities. - Prof. Ashwin Mahalingam, Dean (Alumni and Corporate Relations) IIT Madras, said, "This collaboration with SBI Foundation is rooted in both organizations' beliefs and practices surrounding diversity and inclusion in sports. The scholarship program enables opportunities for para-athletes to dream big and participate in sporting opportunities both nationally and globally, which is an equal opportunity for them."