"One Dream, One Lakshya" program launched to support future Indian Olympians

Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar winner Lakshya Institute on Friday launched the "One Dream, One Lakshya" program to support seven promising athletes with Olympic prospects across five sports.

The program, launched in partnership with Dream Sports Foundation (DSF) --the philanthropic arm of Dream Sports, is designed to identify and provide holistic and comprehensive support to potential Olympians through quality coaching, financial aid, training equipment, national and international tournament exposures. The program was inaugurated in the presence of Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association Secretary Sunder Iyer and Chief Policy Officer at Dream Sports and Head at DSF Kiran Vivekananda.

Through the program athletes will be provided intensive training for the Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028 Olympics among the five sports disciplines -- shooting, boxing, wrestling, badminton and table tennis. "We hope that this long-term vision will surely see many more Indian players achieve their best and win medals for the country in the 2024 and 2028 Olympics. I'm sure we will be able to support many more players under this partnership in the coming years," said Swastik Sirsikar, Vice President, Lakshya Foundation.

"Our program, ODOL, will provide the necessary support to help promising young athletes to reach their full potential and represent India on a global stage," said Kiran Vivekananda, Chief Policy Officer at Dream Sports & Head at DSF. Recently, DSF partnered with Mary Kom Regional Boxing Foundation and Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools to support talented and budding athletes in training, educational and financial assistance.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, DSF also supported over 3500 beneficiaries from the sports industry impacted by the crisis as part of the ongoing 'Back on Track' initiative. Since its inception, DSF has reached over 6000 sports beneficiaries in India.