Announces partnership with GoSports Foundation on the ‘Equal Hue Cricket Excellence Programme’
Bengaluru, July 25th, 2022: Brigade Foundation, a not-for-profit trust established by the Brigade Group, announced today that it will support the ‘Equal Hue Cricket Excellence Programme’ for aspiring women cricketers. Brigade Foundation will be an Associate Partner for a three-year term to the programme being implemented by GoSports Foundation and will sponsor a sum of Rs. 50,00,000/- per year.
The programme has been conceptualised to support and empower young women from across the country aspiring to make professional careers in cricket. Its design is based on the learnings from the Equal Hue cricket survey and report, authored by Snehal Pradhan, former India pacer turned cricket commentator; alongside Karunya Keshav, and the late Sidhanta Patnaik, co-authors of the book ‘The Fire Burns Blue’ on the history of women’s cricket in India.
The Equal Hue programme will provide an annual scholarship, access to sports science expertise, support in procuring apparel, equipment, and gear, financing travel and accommodation expenses during competitions, and high-performance training for a carefully selected cohort of the most talented emerging young cricketers in the country.
The programme is inviting applications from state-and-national level women cricketers of high potential, and will aim to provide the chosen cricketers holistic bridging support that will enable them to focus on their game, sustain their performance, and take the next steps in the growing women’s cricket ecosystem.
“Our focus at Brigade Foundation is to reach out to discerning individuals from all strata of society and improve the quality of life. Sports, especially cricket has had a huge impact not only on society but also on the economy and the entertainment industry. By associating with GoSports Foundation, we believe that we can make a difference by creating inclusivity and contributing to the sporting ecosystem of our country. In the process, we will also be providing an opportunity for aspiring young women cricketers to make a career for themselves on a global stage.” Said H. Shashidhar, CEO, Brigade Foundation.
Speaking about the programme, Snehal Pradhan, former India pacer and the Programme Director of the programme said, “Through the Equal Hue Cricket Excellence Programme, our intention has been to make a meaningful impact on the Indian women’s cricket ecosystem. The first step was to identify and document the ground realities through the Equal Hue report. Having done so, we move into the action and implementation phase with this unique scholarship programme that aims to empower women through the sport of cricket. With major international tournaments on the horizon, the players currently in the under-16 age group must be provided special attention. Having nearly quit the sport before securing a job with the Indian Railways, I understand the importance of supporting players financially and expanding pathways for progress. We look forward to making a difference with the help of GoSports Foundation.”
GoSports Foundation, which will implement the programme, is a National Sports Award (Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar) winning not-for-profit trust established in 2008, working towards the development of some of India’s most talented emerging and elite athletes across a plethora of sporting disciplines. The Foundation has thus far supported 16 Olympians and 27 Paralympians, including 10 Paralympic medalists.
Deepthi Bopaiah, CEO GoSports Foundation, said: “Having supported many of the country’s most promising emerging athletes across multiple scholarship programmes, we are beyond excited to be doing the same for emerging women cricketers, through the Equal Hue Cricket Excellence Programme. We would also like to express our gratitude to the Brigade Group for the faith shown towards the Equal Hue Cricket Excellence Programme and are thrilled to welcome the Brigade Foundation on board as Associate Partners to the programme. Cricket as a sport has its presence felt all over India and it would be supremely fulfilling to watch it transform into a vehicle for social, cultural, and economic change for women in India.”
