Help Build India’s First Sprint Capital — Support Tribal Youth to Chase Olympic Dreams

The Race Begins Where the Roads End

In the remote villages of North Karnataka—where kids chase life, barefoot and a muddy patch of land becomes a playground—something extraordinary is happening. Kids who once ran barefoot, are now sprinting towards Olympic dreams.

The Untapped Potential of India's Tribal Communities

Deep within the forests of North Karnataka, communities like the Siddis, Gowli, and Lambani possess a rich heritage and an often-overlooked reservoir of athletic talent. Despite their natural prowess, these communities have historically faced systemic barriers—limited access to quality coaching, inadequate facilities, and socio-economic challenges—that have hindered their potential to shine on national and international stages.

Established in 2016, Bridges of Sports Foundation is a nonprofit dedicated to identifying and nurturing athletic talent within marginalized communities. Our mission is to build the first sprint capital of India, based in Uttra Kannada district in Karnataka.

Our solution: transforming potential into podium finishers

At Bridges of Sports Foundation, we believe that talent is universal, but opportunity is not. Our mission is to bridge this gap by creating a comprehensive, community-driven ecosystem that nurtures young athletes and is encapsulated in four key pillars:

Identify: Unearthing Hidden Talent

We begin by embedding ourselves within tribal communities, such as the Siddis, Gowli, and Lambani, to scout for natural athletic prowess. Through our in-house designed Minchu Series—an engaging obstacle course—we identify children aged 7–12 who exhibit exceptional speed, agility, and coordination. This grassroots talent identification ensures that we reach children who might otherwise remain unnoticed by traditional scouting methods.

Train: Development and Performance program

We’ve built the BoSprint model for the development program (age 12-19) on this principle—aligning training with an athlete’s physical maturation to ensure long-term success. BoSprint adresses this by starting at the right age, focusing first on building strong foundations before gradually introducing elite performance demands.

• The development program is based in the community and supports athletes until the age of 19 to become the fastest junior athletes in India. Currently 25 athletes are part of development program.

• The performance program is based in United Kingdom with a group of world class coaches to train athletes at senior level to represent India at Asian Games and Olympics. Currently 2 athletes are part of performance program and 10 more will join in next 3 years.

Support: Holistic Care for Sustained Excellence

Across both development and performance programs - we provide 100% support to address the multifaceted needs of our athletes:

• Nutrition: Individualised diets tailored to support intense training regimens.
• Education: Excellent education from their primary schooling until their graduation in sports science/management.
• Healthcare: Regular medical check-ups and access to physiotherapy.
• Psychosocial Support: Counseling services to address mental health and emotional well-being.

This 360-degree support system along with support in areas of technology, training gear and travel to competitions - ensures that our athletes are well-equipped to handle the demands of competitive sports and life beyond the track.

Grow: Empowering Communities through Athletic Achievement

Success on the track translates into empowerment off the track. As our athletes achieve regional and national recognition, they become role models within their communities, inspiring younger generations to pursue sports and education. We invest in - World-Class Infrastructure in Their Own Backyard

We’ve built what was once unimaginable - A 2,500 sq. ft. gym, with Olympic lifting platforms, recovery tools, plyo boxes, and squat cages. An indoor synthetic sprint track, designed for safe, year-round high-speed training. This is supplemented by an outdoor 100m synthetic track - providing the community access to a comprehensive training infrastructure.

This cyclical model ensures that the impact of our work reverberates throughout the community, creating a sustainable ecosystem of growth and development.

"When one athlete rises, the entire community ascends with them"

Our Track Record (Stats & Achievements)

• 10,000+ children trained
• 500+ medals won at state & national level
• State, national, university records broken
• International medal at Asian Junior Athletics Championships.

Future Plans: Scaling the Sprint Capital of India

The journey has just begun. What started with a handful of children running barefoot is evolving into a nation-building sprint revolution—rooted in community and powered by science.

Here’s where we’re headed next:

1. Minchu Series — From 25 to 120 Villages

"Every village deserves a starting line" - The Minchu series is our grassroots sprinting movement, where we host village-based events to identify raw talent and build a local culture of athletics.

Current : 25 villages | Goal : 120 villages across the region

Vision : Train and empower 10 community coaches to run their own micro-academies, making sprinting accessible in every hamlet.

2. Development Program — The First BoSprint School

We’ve seen what 25 well-supported athletes can do. Now, we’re ready to scale that into a full-fledged BoSprint School—a high-performance school, rooted in sprint and education excellence.

Current : 25 athletes | Goal : 150 athletes

Vision : Produce junior national medalists every year (vs. every 3 years currently)

3. Performance Program — From Pioneers to Podium Contenders

Our first 2 athletes have already made it to the global stage. Now, we’re building the next generation of Olympic-ready sprinters who will also complete their bachelor degrees in Sports Science / Management

Current : 2 athletes training in the UKGoal: 15 elite athletes by 2028

Vision : Indian representation at every Asian Games and Olympics from 2028 onwards

Call to Action

Your support can help us expand this transformative model into community's own BoSprint school which they can call home and which will transform lives of 150 athletes from the region by providing them excellent training and educational facilities.