OREANDA-NEWS. March 13, 2012. Tata Power Community Development Trust (TPCDT) recently partnered with Abhi Foundation – Do Good Sports — to set up a unique initiative for the children of Mahul and surrounding villages in Maharashtra. Under this initiative, professional level training will be provided in various sports such as hockey, football and athletics to the children of these villages.

This is the first time that such an organised effort has been undertaken to develop sporting activities in and around the villages of Mahul, Ambada and Gavan. Till date, only local ground was available for the children of these villages. The TPCDT – Abhi Foundation initiative aims to promote local talent by providing professional coaching and promoting overall development of the children in the villages.

In the orthodox village atmosphere where girls did not get much opportunity for outdoor sporting activities, this new initiative has come as a welcome move, and girls were the most enthusiastic lot at the time of registration. As against an expected 100 registrations, the initiative has received an overwhelming 240 entries till date for the coaching camp which is proposed to be conducted for a year-long period.

Speaking on this initiative, S Padmanabhan, executive director, operations, Tata Power, said, “With this initiative, we hope to empower the youth of Mahul and surrounding villages to grow, evolve and achieve greater heights through the power of sports. We understand that parents are full of hope for a brighter future for their children and we want to help them achieve their dreams. We, at Tata Power, take pride in organising such initiatives that not only benefit our communities but also help in improving the quality of life of the society as a whole.”

The TPCDT – Abhi Foundation sports development initiative was launched in a grand ceremony at the GB Mahulkar Maidan at Mahul. Several prominent celebrities and sports personalities graced the occasion. All the registered trainees were provided with sports kits, training gear and equipment.