Dream Sports Foundation (DSF), Dream Sports’ philanthropic arm, is assisting the Dilip Vengsarkar Foundation in aiding budding cricketers and promoting the sport at the grassroots level.
The Dilip Vengsarkar Foundation has produced many successful cricketers, including current Indian Premier League (IPL) stars Suryakumar Yadav and Ruturaj Gaikwad. The foundation recruits promising young talent from low-income families and admits them to the academy based solely on merit. Aside from providing high-quality cricket workshops, the foundation also oversees the education of some of the players to ensure they have all of the services they need to reach their full potential.
DSF offers annual support to the academy through the partnership to cover essential expenses such as coach and support staff salaries, playing equipment and kits, tournaments, and the upkeep of their 75-yard ground and 15 pitches.
Dream Sports Foundation works to achieve Dream Sports’ goal of improving sports in India through non-profit programs and projects. The foundation gives a significant motivation to the Indian sporting ecosystem by promoting grassroots growth, assisting emerging and high-potential athletes, and constructing world-class infrastructure. DSF has directly funded over 4500 members of the Indian sports ecosystem through ‘Back on Track,’ reached over 2000 young children through nine grassroots partnerships, and managed to secure over 135 medals through their Elite Athlete Development programme – ‘Stars of Tomorrow.’
Kiran Vivekananda, Chief Policy Officer and Head at Dream Sports Foundation, said, “The IPL is often credited for India’s success in world cricket. However, many don’t realize the years of hard work and the number of resources it takes to nurture India’s next big cricket hero. Together with the Dilip Vengsarkar Foundation, we want to ensure that these stars of tomorrow have all the support they need to turn their dreams into reality. This collaboration is a definitive step further towards realising our vision of making India a sporting powerhouse by focussing on the grassroots and providing a platform to deserving individuals.”
Indian cricket legend Dilip Vengsarkar, added, “We are delighted to partner with the Dream Sports Foundation to help identify, support and nurture young cricketing talent from Maharashtra. Many of these children have the potential to make it big, however, due to financial constraints and difficulties, their journey often meets a premature end. Hence, corporates in India need to stand up and invest in grassroots sports. We are grateful to Dream Sports Foundation for their unwavering support which helps us continue our crucial work.”