OSCAR 2026 Event Booklet - KHEL PAATHSHALA by OSCAR Foundation

KHEL PAATHSHALA

A ROADMAP FOR GRASSROOTS SPORTS IN INDIA

WELCOME

Welcome to the third edition of KHEL Paathshala. We are delighted to have you with us and sincerely appreciate your interest in our conference.

The previous two editions, we had the privilege of hosting exceptional speakers who engaged the audience with their insights, while panel discussions sparked meaningful conversations in sports. This year, Khel Paathshala spotlights Building the Foundation: A Roadmap for Grassroots Sports in India. Join us as leading experts, pioneers in youth development, sports policy, coaching innovation, and corporate partnerships, share actionable strategies to strengthen India's grassroots sports ecosystem. From scalable talent pathways to inclusive community programs, discover how we can empower the next generation of athletes and build a vibrant sports culture for lasting social impact.

Our event booklet highlights the speakers and panelists joining us at Khel Paathshala 2026, leaders from diverse organisations who have excelled in Sports for Development (S4D) through innovative approaches. It is an honour to host such a distinguished group, and we have no doubt their expertise on Building the Foundation: A Roadmap for Grassroots Sports in India will leave a lasting impression.

As OSCAR crossed 15 years in the S4D space, we remain deeply committed to empowering children through sports and life skills. Since 2010, we have worked to ensure our programmes create meaningful and measurable impact. Today, we look forward to sharing our approach while gaining insights from experts and celebrating the power of collaboration in strengthening India's grassroots sports ecosystem.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our event sponsor Innoven Capital for their invaluable support in making Khel Paathshala 2026 possible. We are also honoured to be joined by our funding and network partners, whose contributions continue to strengthen the S4D movement. Finally, to you, our wonderful audience, thank you for being part of this edition. Let’s make it an inspiring and insightful one together.

KHEL PAATHSHALA - EVENT FLOW

Activity Speaker | Panellist

Opening´Remarks

Tea´Registration´and´Networking´¢´900

Ashok´Rathod´(Founder and CEO, OSCAR Foundation)

Keynote Paul´MurphyÁustralianĆonsul´General´to´WesternÍndia

Moderator:

Ashish Shah Independent Consultant´¢´Sports Business

Special Presentation

Moderator:

Stuart Christie

Director´of´Volenti Academy

Playground to Podium –Building a Sports Culture in India

Gaurav´Sharga´Lead´RFÝouth´Sports´Reliance´Foundation Sai´Krishnan´DirectorÁnantapur´SportsÁcademy Prabhat´Sinha´Founder´Mann´DeshiĆhampions Ashok´Rathod´FounderándĆEOÓSCAR´Foundation

Voice of Grassroots Sports:

Moderator - Dr. Shilpi Sharma (COO, OSCAR Foundation)

Meenakshi´Rajasthan´Sonu´Rajasthan´Ashma´Daman´Saloni Mumbai

Unique Solutions for India's Grassroots: Reimagining Grassroots Sports in India

Neel´ShahĆEO´Dream´Sports´Foundation Parminder´GillĆo¢Founder´ç´Headóf´Foundation´Sportz´Village Sanjay´SinghĆhiefÚNICEF´MaharashtraÓffice´Mumbai Arup´SoansĆEOÍndian´Sports´ManagementÁssociation

Moderator:

Anirban Chakraborty Senior´Programme Lead´GoSports Foundation

Vote´of´Thanks

Jatin Goyal DANICSÓfficer´Former´DirectoróféducationÚTóf´Dadra andńagar´haweliánd´damanánd´diu

Powering Progress Through Collaboration –Building Strong Sports Ecosystems

Anirudh´KaliaÁssociate´Professoróf´Practice´¢´Sports Management´JioÍnstitute

Anju´Turambekar´Founder´ç´President´AT´Foundation´ï International´Football´Coach

Yash´Jain´CSR´Project´Lead´LIC´Housing´Finance´Limited Kshitij´Patil´Vice´President´Physical´Literacy´Dani´Sports Foundation

Arati´Kakatkar´Vice´President´Procam´International

Lucinda´Sowerbutts´Director´OSCAR´International

Keynote Speaker

PAUL MURPHY

Australian Consul General to Western India

Paul Murphy is a career DFAT officer with extensive experience on trade and international economic policy. Mr Murphy played a key role in negotiation of Australia’s Free Trade Agreements, including recent agreements with the United Kingdom and India, and on the CPTPP and agreements with North Asian trading partners. Mr Murphy was the first Australian Consul-General in Lae, Papua New Guinea, and earlier served as First Secretary in Port Moresby. Prior to this, Mr Murphy held a variety of economics roles at DFAT and Treasury.

Keynote Speaker

JATIN GOYAL

DANICS Officer,

Former Director of Education, UT of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu

Jatin Goyal is a civil servant of the DANICS cadre, presently posted in the UT of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu. In the last 5 years in the UT, he has served in various positions like Director (Education), Joint Secretary (Finance, Planning, Revenue and Staff Selection Board).

Under his leadership, the Department of Education of the UT made significant strides in improving learning outcomes — with board examination results improving by about 25 percentage points and the UT’s ranking in National Achievement Survey (NAS)/Parakh rising from the bottom five to the top five nationally.

PLAYGROUND TO PODIUM –BUILDING A SPORTS CULTURE IN INDIA

PLAYGROUND TO PODIUM – BUILDING A SPORTS CULTURE IN INDIA

Panelist

ASHOK RATHOD

Founder & CEO, OSCAR Foundation

Ashok Rathod is a social entrepreneur and founder of the OSCAR Foundation. Growing up in Ambedkar Nagar, a marginalised community in Mumbai, he experienced first-hand the challenges of limited access to quality education. In 2006, he founded OSCAR with a simple belief: No School, No Football. Today, OSCAR is one of India’s leading Sport for Development NGOs, having reached over 35,000 children and youth nationwide. Using football as a platform, the organisation builds life skills, leadership, and resilience, while championing education, gender equality, inclusion of children with disabilities, and excellence both on and off the field.

His transformative work has garnered top honors, including the CNN-IBN Real Hero Award, Apollo Tyres Go the Distance Hero Award, Ashoka Youth Venture Fellowship, Acumen Fellowship, and recognition as a Changemaker by Democratic Sangha at their Annual Forum 2025 among others

Panelist

GAURAV SHARGA

Lead, RF Youth Sports, Reliance Foundation

Gaurav Sharga is a sports management professional with extensive experience in developing and leading sports programs across India. Passionate about youth development, talent identification, and building sustainable pathways in sport, he has successfully delivered initiatives spanning international and national competitions, coach and match-official education, player development, league operations, and community engagement.

Currently leading the Reliance Foundation Youth Sports (RFYS) Football Development Programs across the country, his work includes collaborations with international leagues, academies, educational institutions, clubs, and governing bodies to strengthen grassroots and youth football ecosystems. With expertise in program management, stakeholder partnerships, event execution, and ecosystem building, Gaurav is committed to using sport as a powerful tool for youth empowerment, education, and social change

Panelist

SAI KRISHNA

Director, Anantapur Sports Academy

Sai Krishna Pulluru is a practitioner in the field of sport and youth development, with experience in designing and leading programs that use sport as a platform for the holistic development of children and youth. His work has focused on creating equitable, safe, and inclusive sporting spaces for young people from rural and marginalized communities, particularly girls, where sport becomes a means of building confidence, agency, and life skills.

Panelist

PRABHAT SINHA

Founder, Mann Deshi Champions

Prabhat was born in a farming family in rural India; he grew up in the rural Indian village Mhaswad. Prabhat is a passionate front-runner who can inspire, drive, and achieve results that positively impact the community. A decade of experience demonstrating a passion and sound knowledge of sports in the US and community development for India's rural areas. Prabhat worked in the US with sports brands and athletes from NBA to Track & Field. Prabhat left the US sports Industry to live in a rural village and make Indian villages future sports hubs of India. Prabhat is an active contributor and speaker at many national and international conferences on rural sports, and Asian sports markets. Prabhat is a visiting guest speaker at Georgetown University, Trinity College, NYU, Madrid University, World Bank, Georgetown University MED School, and TedX. In addition, Prabhat is an Acumen Fellow and an Ink Fellow.

PLAYGROUND TO PODIUM – BUILDING

A SPORTS CULTURE IN INDIA

Moderator

ASHISH SHAH

Independent Consultant - Sports Business

Ashish is a highly experienced Executive in the Sports and Technology fields, building sustainable businesses from the startup phase. His Sports journey includes: setting up 2 Professional Football Clubs (Chennaiyin FC and Odisha FC), leading 2 Sports Foundations (MPL Sports Foundation and Roundglass Sports), and creating 2 Endurance Events (Zendurance Ladakh and Zendurance Sula Nashik)

Ashish provides Sports Advisory Services to Corporates and Not for Profits, covering: Strategy, Capacity Building, Business Planning, and Operations. He is also a Visiting Faculty at two of India’s premier Sports Management programs.

SPECIAL PRESENTATION: VOICE OF GRASSROOTS SPORTS

SONU

Rajasthan

Sonu Kumar is a seasoned grassroots football development professional and AFC Licensed, NIS Certified Football & Life Skills Coach with over nine years of experience in nurturing young talent. Since 2022, he has been leading the OSCAR Foundation Rajasthan Project, where he strategically designed and implemented community-centric football programs to develop foundational skills, tactical understanding, and character development among children. Sonu’s coaching philosophy centers on holistic player development—prioritizing strong fundamentals, clear communication, and an inclusive environment that empowers every child to thrive. Under his guidance, numerous young players have progressed to national-level competitions, showcasing both technical growth and confidence. Committed to equal opportunity, Sonu is especially passionate about uplifting girls and underrepresented youth, using football as a tool for personal growth, life skills education, and community impact.

ASHMA

Daman

Ashma Masya is currently pursuing TYBCom at SSR College, Silvassa. She began her football journey by playing her first state-level tournament, the Oorja Cup, in 2016 at Gandhinagar. Following that achievement, she went on to represent at the national level in 2018 in Tripura. Most recently, she participated in the National Games through Khelo India in Beach Soccer in 2026.

Alongside her sports career, Ashma stepped into the modelling industry in 2023. Her dedication and confidence on stage earned her the title of Best Ramp Walk, and she became the 1st Runner-Up in 2025.

In 2024, she joined OSCAR Foundation as a Young Leader and has completed two years with the organisation. She is currently working with DRF as a Trainer.

MEENAKSHI

Rajasthan

Meenakshi comes from an underprivileged family and lives with her mother and two sisters. Her mother is a homemaker, and her father passed away when Meenakshi was in the 11th standard. Since then, the family has faced severe financial challenges, with no stable source of income. The stipend Meenakshi receives as a Young Leader at OSCAR is the primary source of financial support for the household.

Meenakshi joined OSCAR in 2023 and became actively involved as a Young Leader, along with her elder sister. Her younger sister regularly attends OSCAR sessions, making OSCAR an important support system for the entire family. Through the Kick Like a Girl training program, Meenakshi gained confidence, leadership skills, and a strong sense of responsibility.

SALONI

Mumbai

She started playing football at age 12, turning a hobby into a deep passion. Through OSCAR, she visited the UK for a tour and educational experience, meeting new people, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and training with Manchester City coaches—which boosted her confidence. In 2024, her team finished runners-up in the MFA YPL U17 tournament, adding to her wins and trophies.

Facing societal criticism for a girl in shorts, her parents provided unwavering support. At OSCAR’s Excellence Lakshya Football Academy, she hit milestones amid failures and unfair district selections. Post-10th grade, she aims to represent her district and state, determined to chase her football dreams.

Moderator

DR. SHILPI SHARMA

COO, OSCAR Foundation

Shilpi is an experienced development professional with close to 18 years of experience in the social sector. She has diverse experience working in public health, education and sports for development.

She earned her doctorate from Columbia University School of Social Work in New York and holds a Master’s degree in Social Work from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai. A strong advocate for gender equity and a believer in the efficacy of education and lifelong learning, Shilpi has worked with organisations like Magic Bus, Path International, Columbia Global Centers among others. She is also a recipient of the esteemed Vital Voices Women Lead India fellowship.

UNIQUE SOLUTIONS FOR INDIA'S GRASSROOTS: REIMAGINING

GRASSROOTS SPORTS IN INDIA

Panelist

NEEL SHAH CEO, Dream

Sports Foundation

Neel Shah is the CEO of Dream Sports Foundation, committed to driving impactful initiatives that strengthen India’s sports ecosystem. With over two decades of experience in global sports development, Neel has been instrumental in shaping India’s sports industry and driving its commercialisation across North America, Asia, and Europe through a blend of leadership, education, and strategic partnerships.

Panelist

PARMINDER GILL

Co-Founder & Head of Foundation, Sportz Village

Parminder Gill is the Co-Founder of Sportz Village, India’s largest sports education organisation that uses sport and play as a medium of education in schools across the country, on a mission to get 100 million kids to play. Parminder also heads Sportz Village Foundation, the non-profit subsidiary of Sportz Village that helps children from public schools (rural & urban) benefit from sport and physical education programs for better educational, health and developmental outcomes. Currently, their #SportForChange program engages over 50000 children across the country. The organization also supports student-athletes with ‘grassroots to elite’ pathway for representation at district, state, and national levels in a variety of sports.

Panelist

SANJAY SINGH

Chief, UNICEF Maharashtra Office, Mumbai

Sanjay Singh is the Chief of UNICEF Maharashtra, bringing over 26 years of leadership experience in humanitarian and development programming across India, South Asia, and West Africa. He has led one of UNICEF’s largest and most complex portfolios, working at scale to advance equity, systems strengthening, and results for children in highly dynamic contexts. A seasoned strategic leader, Sanjay has deep expertise in child-focused policy, governance, social protection, and results-based management. He has a strong track record of driving large-scale programmes, institutional reform, and innovative delivery models in complex and resourceconstrained environments.

Panelist

ARUP SOANS

CEO, Indian Sports Management Association

Arup Soans is a visionary leader in Indian sports business, blending industry execution, education and entrepreneurship. Currently the CEO of the Indian Sports Management Association (INSMA) and General Manager of Goa Guardians, the newest franchise in the Prime Volleyball League, Arup is also the Founder of SportsCourses.com, KiteTalks and driving digital sports strategy with Growth Gravy.

With over 18 years of experience — including leading marketing for the FIFA U-17 World Cup — he bridges grassroots growth, league operations, and academic mentorship. An NYU Sports Business alumnus, Arup is focused on building scalable sports IPs, empowering future professionals and forging impactful partnerships that shape the future of sport in India.

For Arup, sports isn’t just a business — it’s a vehicle for legacy, leadership and long-term change.

PLAYGROUND TO PODIUM – BUILDING

A SPORTS CULTURE IN INDIA

Moderator

STUART CHRISTIE

Director, Volenti Academy

With over 25 years in football, Stuart Christie has built a career at the intersection of grassroots sport, youth development and social impact, delivering Sport for Development programmes in multiple countries.

He began at Brighton & Hove Albion Foundation (formerly Albion in the Community), where he helped design and deliver social inclusion, health and disability initiatives, while also strengthening pathways from grassroots participation into elite environments through the club’s Academy.

Since 2010, Stuart has worked closely with Ashok Rathod and the OSCAR Foundation, supporting young leader development, programme quality, strategic partnerships and organisational direction, including the growth of OSCAR’s international work. He has also served on the board of streetfootballworld, contributing to strategic leadership across the global Football for Good movement.

Today, Stuart is Director of Volenti Academy in the UK, focused on helping young people fulfil their potential through mentoring, education and high-quality coaching. Volenti’s work has a particular emphasis on 16 to 19-year-olds in London, supporting progression into sustainable employment, higher education and, for a small number, the professional game.

POWERING PROGRESS THROUGH COLLABORATION –BUILDING STRONG SPORTS ECOSYSTEMS

Panelist

ANJU TURAMBEKAR

Founder & President, AT Foundation | International Football Coach, AFC

Anju Turambekar’s journey from a small village in Maharashtra to the forefront of Indian and Asian football is a story of resilience, vision, and leadership. Breaking social and structural barriers, she has emerged as a trailblazer for women in sport, becoming India’s youngest AFC A Licensed Coach, Asia’s first female Technical Director of a men’s club, and India’s only female Instructor Educator.

Deeply committed to community development, education, and gender equality, Anju uses football as a tool to empower rural youth—especially girls—through leadership and life-skills development. Having held key roles with AIFF, AFC, FIFA, and international programmes, she is widely respected for her technical expertise, calm authority, and integrity. Anju continues to build sustainable football ecosystems, proving that excellence has no gender or geographical limits.

Panelist

YASH JAIN

CSR Project Lead, LIC Housing Finance Limited

Yash Jain is the CSR Project Lead at LIC Housing Finance Ltd (Corporate Head Office) and also leads CSR initiatives for the Western Region (Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Goa). He is responsible for driving strategic interventions, designing new CSR initiatives, and ensuring successful execution of CSR projects across India. With a strong focus on collaboration and ecosystembuilding, he brings a practical perspective on strengthening grassroots sports pathways through partnerships and sustainable community programs.

Panelist

KSHITIJ PATIL

Vice President, Physical Literacy, Dani Sports Foundation

Kshitij Patil is a senior development sector professional with over 15 years of experience in sports for development, education, and youth leadership. He currently serves as the Vice President at Dani Sports Foundation (DSF), where he is co-building the organisation with a focus on contributing to the national vision of positioning India among the top physical literacy- and sports excellence-driven nations.

At DSF, Kshitij has been instrumental in designing and leading two of its most impactful initiatives, the Sports for Transformation Fellowship, a one-of-its-kind program for youth leaders passionate about using sport as a tool for social change, and the Chhalaang Fund, the Foundation’s flagship grant program that supports grassroots organizations working in the sports for development space across India.

Panelist

ARATI KAKATKAR

Vice President, Procam International

After nearly eight years in a turnkey construction company, Arati transitioned into event management, drawn by a chance interaction with Procam International’s promoter while pursuing her studies. This marked the beginning of her journey into sports management, then a nascent field in India.

Over almost 22 years at Procam International, Arati has played a pivotal role in shaping India’s Big Four distance running events, witnessing sport evolve into a powerful force for social change. Her most significant contribution has been building Procam’s philanthropy platform, with the Tata Mumbai Marathon becoming India’s largest sporting fundraiser, enabling over 1,000 NGOs to raise ₹530+ crore across 21 editions.

Arati is currently Vice President – Corporate and CSR at Procam International, where she plays a central role in driving purpose-led partnerships and social impact through sport. She holds a BCom from HR College, is an alumna of Government Law College, Mumbai, and has a PG Diploma in Event Management from NIEM, Mumbai.

Panelist

ANIRUDH KALIA

Associate Professor of PracticeSports Management, Jio Institute

A Class of ‘95 MBA, Anirudh has 25+ years of leadership experience with Sports, Entertainment, Telecom and Technology domains in Sales, Strategy, & Marketing. He has worked with Star Sports, TATAS, Shell India and a few other companies. His work ranges from setting up strategy for new revenue streams, leading market entries and product management in some of the most intensely contested markets of our times. He currently works as an Associate Professor of Practice for the Sports Management Program at Jio Institute. His earlier stint was as a full-time Associate Professor with MICA, Ahmedabad. Anirudh is an Economics major with an MBA and has earned an Accelerated Development Program (ADP) from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Moderator

ANIRBAN CHAKRABORTY

Senior Programme Lead, GoSports Foundation

An accidental engineer and avid believer in the transformative power of sports, Anirban holds a Master's in Sports and Olympic Studies from the University of Tsukuba. With extensive experience across organizations like Dream a Dream and Common Goal (streetfootballworld), he has driven impact in fundraising, advocacy, governance, safeguarding, strategy development, international project collaboration, and policy research. Anirban brings a wealth of insights on forging partnerships to scale grassroots programs, empower underprivileged youth, and create sustainable pathways through sports. His work champions collaborative action to nurture India's sports culture from the ground up. Currently, Anirban is a Senior Programme Lead at GoSports Foundation leading the Gear For Gold program, a first of its kind initiative by Infosys and GoSports Foundation which is an Academy-driven, Coach-led, Athlete-centric high-performance program. The programme through its association with a select few sports academies across the country, supports young and emerging athletes, by providing them with best-in-class training facilities, access to experience and upskilled coaches along with other forms of support. This will foster an environment conducive to high performance training, and a long term impact on athletes, coaches and the academies at large.

HOST & SPECIAL SPEAKER

ELSA VARGHESE

Head, Partnerships and Sustainability

Elsa Varghese is the Head of Partnerships and Sustainability at OSCAR Foundation, where she leads strategic collaborations and long-term impact initiatives. She holds a Master’s in Social Psychology from Mumbai University and an MBA in Social Entrepreneurship from NMIMS University, Mumbai. With over 16 years of hands-on experience in the social sector, Elsa has coauthored the published paper “Empowering Lives Through Football” and is deeply committed to leveraging sport as a tool for community transformation.

Special Speaker

LUCINDA SOWERBUTTS

Head, OSCAR International

Lucinda Sowerbutts is Head of OSCAR International, leading fundraising, communications and global programmes that create opportunities for OSCAR Foundation children. She has worked with OSCAR since 2015, helping launch key initiatives including UK School Tours, Child Sponsorship and the Volunteer programme. She is passionate about education and equal opportunities.