Asian Hockey Federation announces partnership with JSW Foundation to drive women’s empowerment initiatives

Ranchi, 5th November 2023 : With a vision to revolutionise hockey by empowering young and aspiring women in India and the rest of Asia, the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) today announced a unique partnership with JSW Foundation, the social development arm of the JSW Group – one of India’s leading business houses with a rich legacy of empowering rural communities to enrich their lives over the past three decades.

“This is an important milestone in our endeavour to bring more women into the sport of hockey. This association with JSW Foundation promises to inspire change by empowering aspiring women who wish to get into the sport of hockey, not just as players but also as umpires, technical officials among many other roles. This initiative embodies FIH’s ‘Equally Amazing’ motto. With their vast knowledge and experience in social development, I believe this association with JSW Foundation will prove to be vital across India and Asian countries,” *expressed Dato Tayyab Ikram, President, of FIH.

Speaking about this unique partnership with the Asian Hockey Federation, Mrs. Sangita Jindal, Chairperson of JSW Foundation reaches out to over 1 million individuals annually across the country, through various interventions. With this program, today, I believe that at the JSW Foundation, we are not merely starting a program; We are igniting a movement—a movement aimed at rewriting the narrative of women’s empowerment and leadership in sports. Our mission is clear: to champion gender equality, to empower women in the world of hockey across India and 30 Asian Countries, and to redefine what’s possible both on and off the field.”

While JSW Foundation’s focus areas range from education, health and nutrition, skill development, environment and water, art, and heritage; sports has been one of the strong focus points for JSW Foundation who believe that sport has the power to eliminate social discrimination and gender biases. Through JSW Sports, they promote sporting excellence and run multiple programs and platforms to aid India’s vision of achieving the status of global powerhouse in sports. Their robust sports ecosystem has paved the way for 17 of the 107 medals at the recent Hangzhou Asian Games.

Fumio Ogura, President, AHF, welcomed the JSW Foundation and called them, ‘champions of change.’ He said, “JSW Group has been at the forefront of ringing in a new era of sports in India with their ambitious JSW Sports initiative that supports several leading athletes in the country and have successfully created an ecosystem that promises to contribute to India’s vision of becoming a global sporting powerhouse. We, at AHF, are privileged to receive their generous support in our efforts to bring more women into the sport. With their reach across India, through their several community-based initiatives, we believe we can take hockey far and wide in India as well as in rest of Asia.”

Reflecting Mrs. Jindal’s views and deep-rooted passion for sports, Mr Parth Jindal, Founder of JSW Sports and Inspire Institute of Sport said, “The JSW Women’s Empowerment and Youth Leadership Program is a reflection of our commitment to fostering leadership, gender equality, and diversity, not just in hockey but in society as a whole. It’s about empowering the women who are not just representing a team but also representing hope, inspiration, and the future of Indian sports.

“When Mr. Tayyab Ikram spoke to us regarding this event and the launch of the JSW Women’s Empowerment and Youth Leadership Program, we didn’t have to think twice. At JSW, we have always been a Group that focuses on development and growth.
I’d like to express my gratitude to everyone here and the Asian Hockey Federation for this partnership.”