- The initiative is being co-led by India’s youngest sportscaster and former badminton athlete, Kiara Powar
- The goal of this initiative is to champion talent within Mumbai and Pune, while also encouraging people of all ages to play sports recreationally and adopt a more active lifestyle
As India forges ahead to make its long-held pipe dream of emerging as a sports superpower, the lack of available open space to build world-class sporting facilities and training complexes has emerged as a formidable challenge for Mumbai. To address this paucity, Kiran Powar – a former first-class cricketer, cricket coach, mentor and selector, and Kiara Powar – India’s youngest sportscaster and former badminton athlete, have announced an all-new world-class multi-sports facility strategically located only minutes away from both Mumbai and Pune. The facility is being launched under the aegis of Ignite Sports Foundation, together with YAK Public School.
Spread over 55 scenic acres, the upcoming facility will offer state-of-the-art infrastructure and top-tier coaching support for emerging athletes as well as recreational sports enthusiasts. The location, Khopoli, was carefully chosen by Ignite Sports Foundation co-founder Kiran Powar, a first-class cricketer and coach, to offer convenient accessibility to fitness and sports lovers in Mumbai and Pune. This facility is a bold first move towards Ignite Sport Foundation’s long-term goal of building these two cities into global sports capitals. At present, a competitive-grade badminton court complex, an Olympic-sized swimming pool and a skating rink are completely operational. Ignite Sports Foundation is in the process of setting up a cricket ground, which will be launched in July-August this year, as well as a plethora of other facilities that include top-of-the-line padel and squash courts and an athletics track. These will be complemented by an open-air gym that offers sweeping views of the vistas.
Indoor sports aren’t left out of the conversation, with plans underway to include table tennis and chess facilities. In the midterm, Ignite Sports Foundation will also unveil a gymkhana and resort at the venue to cater to weekend visitors and families who want to swap sedentary staycations with active getaways. Although ambitious, the initiative has deeply personal roots for Ignite Sports Foundation’s co-founder, Kiara Powar. Now a celebrated personality as India’s youngest sportscaster, Kiara began her journey as an aspiring professional badminton player.
“As a child, I had to travel across the length and breadth of my city to reach my courts, juggling my training with my studies. I would often eat my meals in the car and study while en route to my training sessions. Just having these facilities present under one roof can be a boon to other up-and-coming athletes and give them a trusted platform to hone their skills and receive the right coaching they need to achieve athletic excellence. Even for non-professional players, just having all these facilities present under one roof can give them the motivation they need to play more frequently and elevate their game. I hope that this measure will help promote a more active lifestyle in our metros and give people an avenue to upgrade their fitness levels,” said Kiara Powar.
Kiran Powar, a professional cricket coach and mentor, says this foray marks the end of a decade-long search for the perfect location. “As Kiara’s father, I saw the great lengths to which she had to go to seek quality coaching. I also witnessed many of my students experience the same dilemma. To this day, many aspiring sportspeople travel for several hours each day in order to further their sports careers. This facility is my effort to bring world-class sports infrastructure and coaching to deserving athletes. I am proud to collaborate with YAK Public School, a supportive and like-minded partner, and take this facility to new heights.”
“The collaboration with Ignite Sports Foundation will create an ecosystem that will help to bridge the colossal gap that we currently see between academics and professional sports. Our aim is to empower Mumbai and Pune with their first-ever state-of-the-art sports facility in Phase I and an accompanying residential school as Phase II of our plan. The combination of elite coaching, qualitative education and competition-grade sports infrastructure will nurture holistic growth in our children,” said DS Yadav, founder of YAK Public School.
The sports facilities will be supported by well-appointed residential amenities, which are still under construction. Also in the works is India’s first sports-orientated residential school that will support athletes in building a strong academic foundation while pursuing their sports careers.
