Sports is an essential activity for human development. Playing Sports has been known to promote good health, social interaction and healthy competition. Sports also benefit the children in improving their ability to work in teams and enhancing their leadership abilities.

Sports for development is the approach for the Kriti Sports Program – Project Champion. It is based on the belief that play or sport is not just an end in itself but also an effective way to help achieve larger developmental goals.

Objectives of Project Champion

• Improve development of coordination and other physical skills, as well as some understanding of how to maintain fitness of the body.
• Improve self-esteem/ leadership/ team-work of the children.
• Mental Wellbeing of the child – Sports increases the child’s interest and enthusiasm to come to school.
• Participation in inter-school events enabling the talented children to prove their mettle and increase their exposure.

Kriti is collaborating with Hyderabad Runners (www.hyderabadrunners.org), a non-profit organization that promotes running for healthy living. The program will conduct the sports in government schools in Hyderabad. The pilot program will begin in 5 government primary and High schools in the Shaikpet Mandal. These schools are primary and high school in Shaikpet, Primary and high school in NBT nagar and MG Nagar Primary School. The program will impact over 2000 children in 2023-24.

A graded skills curriculum has been developed in collaboration with Hyderabad Runners and the child's progress is mapped year or year.. The curriculum varies for younger children with focus on the key developmental areas of physical, emotional, social, cognitive and moral. For middle and high school students, along with the focus on the key development areas, the children will also learn various types of sports. One of the main intents of the sports program is to not just enhance students' interest in sports but also to foster a sporting ethos in the school.

Project Champion aims to ensure that each child gets at least 45 minutes of sports periods, two to three days a week. A trained instructor conducts the class which includes a mix of exercise and games. In some of the schools, a sports area or ground was available (at the school itself or in nearby GHMC grounds), but in others, we have helped to create the space on the roof.

All the required sports equipment such as skipping ropes, cones, balls, tennikoit rings etc are also provided as part of this program. Inter and Intra school activities are conducted during the school year to keep up the morale and enthusiasm high.