Pullela Gopichand often narrates a story that he says changed his life as a coach. He was once in a coaching clinic with young aspirants and was throwing them some shuttles to get them used to it. When he threw a shuttle to a very young girl, around 9-10 years old, she couldn’t catch it. Gopi threw one more time and when the girl failed to catch it again, he moved on to the next child. When the drill got over, the girl who had failed, came up to Gopi and said: “Sir, I have never done this in my life. Never have I played sport or have been asked to catch anything. Will you teach me please?”
Gopi’s world changed with those words. What would have happened if the child had played sport and caught the ball that was given to her? We just assume that these things happen. That our kids don’t play sport anymore or don’t have the facilities to play is something we all need to come to terms with. And that’s what brings me to the importance of community sport. It is not just about elite high performance sport. Can never be. For a country to be a healthier country, it is always about sport for all.
That’s why community housing projects have become more and more relevant with time. Each of these new projects have sport well integrated within them and if you are part of the community, you automatically have access. Be it cricket, football, badminton, swimming and more, things are all out there for you to experience and enjoy. The new Shapoorji Pallonji project in Howrah is one such example. Having checked on the details, the one thing that struck me was the planning. Sport is central to the effort and it will surely result in a lifestyle change for the community that will have access to the facility.
It is precisely with this view that Shapoorji Pallonji and RevSportz have decided to partner for the Trailblazers Conclave 2026, to speak more about the need for physical literacy and community sport. The need for a healthier lifestyle and how businesses can make a perceptible change in this regard.
Speaking on the partnership, Sriram Mahadevan, CEO Shapoorji Pallonji, said: “When we plan a development, we plan on giving a lot of emphasis on various outdoor sports facilities within the complex, catering to men and women of all ages. We want kids to live their childhood wholesomely and not stay restricted to their units with either mobile or any other gadget in their hand. It’s in the outdoors that young champions of tomorrow will get their formative skills built.”
As far as I am concerned, the Conclave can’t be restricted to discussions on elite high performance sport. The very idea behind India hosting a CWG or an Olympic Games has to be societal change. To become a better and more healthier society, and such efforts can start at the base level from where we live in. In middle-class India, a home is still the first craving and if the housing complex has good facilities for sport, it can make a sea change to lifestyle, which makes me say I am delighted with this partnership for Trailblazers 2026.
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