Siddhartha Upadhyay is founder-secretary general of the Delhi-based not-for-profit organisation STAIRS (Society for Transformation, Inclusion and Recognition through Sports, estb.2005), which has promoted 400 free-of-charge sports training centres in over 4,000 rural habitations countrywide under its Khelo India (‘Play India’) initiative. The centres are accessed daily by over 300,000 children who receive training in 40 diverse sports such as hockey, wrestling, football, cricket, volleyball and a South-east Asian game named sepak takraw (‘kick volleyball’). 

STAIRS’ contribution towards promoting sports among hitherto unreached rural youth is being increasingly appreciated. In 2015, FICCI conferred its Best NGO Award for Promoting Sports to STAIRS. More recently in August 2016, STAIRS was one of four organisations to receive the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar Award of the Union ministry of sports and youth affairs. 

Newspeg. The Gujarat State Football Association together with STAIRS has undertaken a national scouting mission to identify football stars of the future by expanding the STAIRS School Football League (SSFL). The fourth edition, which will start this month (April), is expected to attract an estimated 3,000 teams. 

Genesis. STAIRS began modestly in 2000 with Upadhyay — a commerce graduate of Delhi University who played cricket for DU until a back injury prevented him from further play — organising informal cricket and football games for 20-25 children from the slums of Dilshad Garden in East Delhi. Encouraged by the natural enthusiasm of underprivileged children for rudimentary sports and games, Upadhyay roped in former school and college coaches to provide training and mentoring to slum children even as he used their influence to connect with the Delhi government’s ministry of education and Sports Authority of India. Since then STAIRS has grown by leaps and bounds, with its main sponsor — Uflex Ltd (a Noida-based packaging company, annual revenue Rs.61,440 crore) adopting various programmes including SSFL under its corporate social responsibility programme.

Direct speech. “The United Nations International Charter of Physical Education, Physical Activity and Sport, adopted way back in 1978, mandates that physical activity and sports education is a fundamental right of all children. Despite India being a charter signatory, sports education is a privilege of the few who can afford expensive schools. Our objective is to realise the fundamental right of all children to sports education and access to sports equipment and facilities. Simultaneously, we are scouting countrywide for exceptionally talented children who can be nurtured into world champions through our special coaching and mentoring programmes,” says Upadhyay. 

Future plans. Upadhyay believes India has a huge pool of untapped sports talent — especially football talent. “From this year on, we will be focussing on rigorous training in Olympic disciplines such as wrestling, volleyball, hockey, tennis, and building a dream football team. Our mission is to touch one billion lives and contribute to making India a sports-champion nation,” he says. 

A consummation to be devoutly wished.

Swati Roy (Delhi)