RCB Cares Expands Grassroots Push into Hockey, Athletics & Shooting

The expansion marks an evolution of RCB's long-term commitment to strengthening India's sporting ecosystem from the grassroots up, in alignment with the Government's broader vision for sport-led growth.

By diversifying into hockey, athletics and shooting, RCB Cares is reinforcing its belief that meaningful change begins with access, structure and sustained investment. The initiative is designed to create clear athlete pathways, unlock quality coaching and training environments, and ensure consistent competition exposure, combining ambition with measurable, on-ground execution.

Rajesh Menon, CEO, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, said, "At RCB, we believe the future of Indian sport will be shaped not only by elite success, but by the strength of its grassroots foundations. Through RCB Cares, our ambition is to build structured, sustainable talent pathways that connect community sport with high-performance ecosystems. Supporting hockey, athletics and shooting reflect our long-term commitment to nurturing multi-sport excellence in Karnataka, aligned with India's broader vision of becoming a global sporting nation. This is about investing in systems, partnerships and accountability that can create measurable impact for years to come."

Through its partnership with Ashwini's Sports Foundation (ASF), RCB Cares will strengthen training and competition pathways for high-potential athletes in athletics and shooting. The collaboration will improve access to quality coaching and specialist support, including sports psychologist sessions, while reducing financial barriers through assistance for kits, equipment, pellets, shoes and competition participation.

Ashwini Nachappa, a former Indian track and field athlete and Arjuna awardee added, "This partnership with RCB Cares has been a transformative milestone for us as a foundation, athletes and coaches. It enables a holistic and professional approach to nurturing our athletics and shooting teams by integrating cutting-edge technology in coaching, emphasising sports psychology, enhancing equipment quality, and expanding competition exposure. Together we are strengthening every layer of the athlete development pathway."

RCB Cares will also extend support to Yes For Hockey (YFH), a grassroots organisation working with government schools in Karnataka, to build a structured hockey pathway for children from underserved communities. The intervention will strengthen coaching support, enable access to artificial turf facilities and transportation for regular training, and provide nutrition, playing kits and essential equipment. Under the YFH programme, teams will compete in the Karnataka State Hockey Association C Division League and school tournaments, while technology-enabled tracking will support monitoring and talent identification.

"For children in Karnataka government schools, access and right opportunity is the biggest barrier. With RCB Cares' support and Yes for Hockey initiative we can now provide structured turf training, nutrition, league participation and consistent performance tracking, significantly strengthening grassroots hockey," Sandeep Somesh -Former International Hockey Athlete and Coach from Yes For Hockey added.

This expansion also builds on RCB Cares' continued commitment to Bridges of Sports, the programme which engages over 400 children from the Siddhi community, through a two-tier league, with 24 junior athletes receiving 300 structured training sessions for state and national competition readiness. Two exceptional athletes out of these 24 athletes will further benefit from advanced performance training under elite coaches and therapists associated with Olympic medalists, as part of the Bridges of Sports Foundation's UK performance pathway.

With additional CSR funds enabling the inclusion of two added beneficiaries this financial year 2025-26, all partnerships are supported through compliance and governance screening, with ongoing monitoring and reporting. GoSports Foundation continues to serve as the strategic implementation partner, ensuring professional execution and measurable impact.

Nandan Kamath, Managing Trustee, GoSports Foundation, said, "The RCB Cares programme aims to build strong linkages between community sport projects and high-performance pathways in Karnataka. It is a pioneering talent pathway programme and we look forward to enabling these organisations from across Karnataka to build their communities and create environments in which deserving talent gets the space to excel and progress with clarity and confidence."

With this strategic expansion, RCB Cares reinforces its commitment to building a resilient, inclusive and performance-driven sporting ecosystem in India.

- ANI