Support for high-performance sports academies and creation of integrated ecosystems of excellence with best-in-class coaching, conditioning, and infrastructure for athletes
BENGALURU (India CSR): Infosys Foundation, the philanthropic and CSR arm of Infosys, today announced the expansion of its strategic collaboration with GoSports Foundation. Together, they aim to transform the high-performance initiative ‘Girls for Gold,’ into the broader and more inclusive ‘Gear for Gold.’ Program. This expanded scope extends support to a wider spectrum of promising talent – including male, female, and para-athletes – creating a holistic model for talent development through collaborations with leading sports academies.
The ‘Gear for Gold’ program will focus on six sporting disciplines: badminton, table tennis, weightlifting, boxing, athletics, and shooting. With an academy-first approach, support will include upgrading infrastructure, implementing modern sports science practices, and providing access to advanced equipment, and technologies. Athletes training at these academies will also receive comprehensive assistance including scholarships, advanced coaching, support to participate in competitions, along with nutrition and injury management guidance. Capability building for athletes, coaches, and staff will be strengthened through conclaves, workshops, certifications and global exposure. In addition, robust systems for monitoring, reporting, and due diligence will ensure transparency and measurable impact.
Since their collaboration in 2022, Infosys Foundation and GoSports Foundation have supported five academies across India, including Lakshya Shooting Club, Mary Kom Regional Boxing Foundation, Raman TT High Performance Center, Sathish Sivalingam Sports Foundation (weightlifting), and Yadav Pro Badminton Academy. From this year, the expanded Gear for Gold program will support three new academies: the Usha School of Athletics, the Karnam Malleswari Foundation (weightlifting), and the Malik Badminton Academy. These academies have benefited from major interventions—including sustained support for coaches and key technical/non-technical staff to strengthen training programs and operations, upgraded infrastructure, and implementation of modern sports science practices. This focused approach has enabled young athletes to achieve 15 international and 58 national medals across various sporting events.
Some of these standout athletes include:
- Ojasvi Thakur: Gold medalist at the ISSF Junior World Cup 2025 in New Delhi, India; and Silver medalist at the ISSF Junior World Cup 2025 in Suhl, Germany (shooting)
- Isha Taksale: Gold medalist at the ISSF Junior World Cup 2025 in New Delhi, India (10m Air Rifle Mixed Team Junior category); and Gold medalist at ISSF Junior World Cup 2024 in Granada, Spain in 10m Air Rifle Women Junior category
- Ahona Ray: Gold and Bronze medalist in two WTT Youth Contender international table tennis events (Berlin and Helsingborg respectively) in the U13 Girls singles category
- Hithaishree L Rajaiah: Silver medalist at the 2025 All India Sub-Junior Ranking Badminton tournament in the Girls Singles category
- Anjali PV: Bronze medalist in the 4×100 relay and placed sixth in the long jump at the Khelo India Youth Games
Sumit Virmani, Trustee, Infosys Foundation, said, “Our collaboration with GoSports Foundation has been instrumental in supporting promising young athletes and advancing sporting talent in India. Through ‘Gear for Gold’, Infosys Foundation expands its commitment to holistic and inclusive development of athletes. This program aligns with our broader vision to promote equitable opportunities and nurture sporting excellence through scholarships, advanced training, and world-class coaching infrastructure.”
Nandan Kamath, Founder & Managing Trustee, GoSports Foundation, said, “The expansion of the program marks a pivotal shift in our approach to talent development programs. ‘Gear for Gold’ now gives us the opportunity to go deeper into talent pools, identify athletes from across India, and enable them to train, grow, and thrive in nurturing environments that are powered by sports sciences. We are privileged to work alongside Infosys Foundation and jointly contribute to the development of Indian sport.”
(India CSR)
