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Tag: women athletes

  • Britannia Marie Gold & IIS launch ‘HerSpark’ to ignite women’s sports careers

    Britannia Marie Gold & IIS launch ‘HerSpark’ to ignite women’s sports careers

    MUMBAI: Some sparks start wildfires, and Britannia Marie Gold, in partnership with the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS), has just ignited one with ‘HerSpark’—a groundbreaking sports scholarship programme exclusively for women athletes in India. Designed to scout, train, and propel future champions, this initiative provides a fully funded three year scholarship worth Rs 45 lakh to young women eager to break barriers in boxing, swimming, judo, athletics, and parasports.

    Through this initiative, female athletes across India will gain access to world-class training, coaching, lodging, nutrition, and educational opportunities. And it gets even better—athletes will train under legendary Olympians and Continental champions, including Mamuka Kizilashvili (Judo) and Yoandris Betanzos Francis (Athletics), ensuring they receive the highest level of mentorship.

    HerSpark isn’t for the faint-hearted—it’s designed to find the best. The selection process unfolds across multiple stages:

    . Over 1,000 shortlisted athletes will compete in round one selection trials at IIS centres across India.

    .  Those who qualify will advance to two-day regional selection camps at eight key locations.

    . The top contenders will undergo an exclusive three-week elite training camp at IIS Vijayanagar.

    . Only the best will win the coveted three-year scholarship—setting them on a path to national and international glory.

    The HerSpark scholarship is open to Indian female athletes aged 14 and above. Minors (under 18) require parental or guardian consent. Applications are available via the official HerSpark website.

    Britannia Marie Gold has long been a champion for women’s empowerment, leading initiatives such as HerStartup and Her.Store to foster financial independence and entrepreneurship. Britannia Industries general manager – marketing Siddharth Gupta reaffirmed this commitment, “Britannia Marie Gold believes that every woman possesses an innate spark—the potential to achieve more. With ‘HerSpark,’ we extend this commitment to sports, providing young female athletes with the opportunity, training, and mentorship they need to reach their highest potential.”

    IIS president Manisha Malhotra echoed this enthusiasm, “We at IIS are thrilled to join hands with Britannia Marie Gold—a brand that is doing so much to empower women. Through this partnership, we are launching a nationwide scouting programme to identify young female athletes and equip them with the skills and guidance needed to succeed on the biggest stage. We cannot wait to see the success that comes out of this effort.”

    Founded by JSW Group, the Inspire Institute of Sport is a privately funded Olympic Sport Programme with a high-performance centre in Vijayanagar and satellite centres across Manipur, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Odisha.

    With HerSpark, Britannia Marie Gold and IIS are not just offering scholarships—they are shaping the next generation of champions. So, young women of India, are you ready to unleash your spark?

  • adidas announces Mirabai Chanu as face of ‘Stay In Play’ campaign

    adidas announces Mirabai Chanu as face of ‘Stay In Play’ campaign

    Mumbai: Sportswear major adidas has announced Olympic medallist Mirabai Chanu as the face of its ‘Stay In Play’ campaign as it unveiled its latest product innovation designed to keep more menstruators in sport in a bid to tackle one of the greatest taboos faced by women in sports.   

    The brand’s new TechFit Period-Proof tights feature an absorbent layer to help protect against leaks when worn with a tampon or pad, giving women athletes the confidence to stay in play throughout their menstrual cycle, said adidas.

    The sports brand found that teenage girls are dropping out of sport at an alarming rate, with one of the key reasons being fear of period leakage. Using these insights, adidas set out to create a product that helps athletes stay in sport throughout their cycle by giving them an added layer of protection.

    Talking about the new campaign launch, adidas – India senior director, Sunil Gupta said, “It is our commitment to revolutionise our product offering and services to better support the needs of our diverse women community. Our ambition with this product is to keep women in sport by giving them the confidence to train during their period.”

    Excited about the launch campaign, Mirabai said, “I am thrilled to see the products which will help girls break barriers and be in action. The desire to stay in play no matter what the situation has always been my priority. Seeing these product innovations from adidas, I feel confident that we will help girls all over the world to stay in sport.”

    After over two years of development and rigorous testing carried out at each stage of the journey, the TechFit Period-Proof tights were developed using new adidas Flow Shield technology, with the aim to give athletes added confidence whilst training through their period. A wicking layer, absorbing layer and leakproof layer work together to provide protection, whilst a bonding frame holds each layer together and keeps the tights in place, the brand said in a statement.

    The collection is made available in India from 15 August on adidas website and select brand stores.