Background

We often assume we understand our world until one moment quietly proves how little we do. This moment happened for me when I was nine years old. I stood at the starting line of a zonal sprinting competition in Ahmedabad district, nervously tightening my shoelaces, trying to calm my nerves, and confused as to why there was no proper track but just an open field! No markings or lanes, just uneven ground. 

As I tried to forget about the track, the other girls lined up next to me; I noticed that all of them were barefoot. My heart raced again with bewilderment; I was the only one in shoes! For a moment, I felt completely out of place. The race began. I ran with full might, but the other girls swiftly ran past me. They won, despite running without shoes.

Looking at their feet that day made me realize two things. First, I had prepared to participate in a system of equality, which didn’t exist in reality, and secondly, those talented girls had adapted to the lack of basic infrastructure. They were made to succeed by adjusting to the absence of basics, despite never getting a level playing field or being fully prepared. Everything seemed unfair, and a voice from within said, “No child should have to adapt to inequality.” This became a motto that led to the resolution of making sports infrastructure, training, and education more accessible for girls, becoming a reality in the form of Girls Game India’s Gain. 

Sports are key to better health, confidence, and equality, yet significant barriers limit the participation of women and persons with physical disabilities, especially in culturally diverse regions like Gujarat.

Even though many female and para athletes from the state have excelled nationally, they still face:

• • Limited training spaces and basic infrastructure

  • Inadequate physical education at the school level

  • Low representation in coaching and leadership roles

Lack of diversity in decision-making bodies acts as a barrier to inclusive training and equipment reaching the grassroots.

These gaps are reflected in the well-being of young people:

• • A large share (40%) of Gujarat’s adolescents are not physically active enough

  • Girls and students with disabilities face added social, economic, and cultural barriers

This results in making them highly vulnerable to issues related to fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being

Girls Game India’s Gain (GGIG) understands that equal access to adequate sporting infrastructure and opportunities becomes a cornerstone of collective responsibility and seeks to close these gaps by improving access, training, and opportunities for students from underserved groups