Science-led support for India's emerging athletes

Nurturing champions for life

We give promising athletes from modest backgrounds the sport science, competition support and mentorship that elite athletes take for granted, and we prepare them for a secure life after sport. Every rupee goes into a structured, measurable plan, not a one-off cash grant.

Explore our programmes Support an athlete
CSR scholarship partner: Coca-Cola India Foundation Powered by Sporting Ethos Section 8 · 80G · 12A · CSR-1
Taekwondo athlete Nitesh Singh holding the Indian flag with a gold medal
Nitesh SinghTaekwondo · Gold, Australian Open 2025 · Selected for the Asian Championships 2026
23scholarships awarded across two NextGen Champions batches
1,447sport science sessions delivered in our first batch year
29medals won by Batch 1 in 2022–23, 10 of them international
500+athletes applied for our 2025–26 batch
100+injured athletes have applied to Project Phoenix

Our programmes

Explore what we do

Nine programmes across athlete development, rehab and recovery, worker health, and women and girls. Pick one to see what it includes.

Athlete developmentRunning · Batch 2

Project Ascent: NextGen Champions

Forge tomorrow's legends

Our flagship scholarship. Promising athletes get 360° scientific athlete management, so talent turns into sustained elite performance.

What it includes

  • Strength & conditioning, physiotherapy, nutrition, psychology and recovery
  • Competition travel, accommodation and entry fees
  • Kit, equipment, health check-ups and supplements
  • A mentor from India's elite athletes
  • Vocational training and financial planning for life after sport

Who it's for

Athletes from modest backgrounds competing at national level or above, with priority for women, para-athletes and under-represented sports.

Meet the athletesHow to apply

NextGen Champions · Batch 2 · FY 2025–26

Meet our athletes

Selected from more than 500 applicants through our five-step process. Each athlete gets full sport science support, competition backing and a mentor, with half our focus on women and para-athletes.

Nitesh Singh with the Indian flag and a gold medalTaekwondo

Nitesh Singh

22 · Haldwani, Uttarakhand · Kyorugi U-63 kg

Bronze at the U-21 World Championships, Nairobi, and Gold at the Australian Open 2025. Son of a retired army man, now chasing the 2026 Asian Games.

GGold at the Final Asian Championship Selection Trial, April 2026. Selected for the Asian Championships.

@nitesh_bishtt
Garima Joshi holding two medalsPara athletics

Garima Joshi

27 · Almora, Uttarakhand · F55 discus & javelin

A wheelchair athlete and motivational speaker, determined to win a medal for India at the Para Asian Games and Paralympics.

GGold in discus (19.24 m) and silver in javelin at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix, New Delhi, March 2026.

@garimajoshiparaathlete
Akshay Mahara with the Indian flag and a medalKarate

Akshay Mahara

25 · New Delhi · Kumite U-84 kg

India No. 1 in his category and Commonwealth Karate Champion 2024. He recently beat cancer and is now working towards the Asian Games.

SSilver (team) and bronze (individual) at the Senior National Championship, February 2026.

@akshay.mahara9
Vinay Kumar sprinting on a trackPara athletics

Vinay Kumar

22 · Sonipat, Haryana · T35 100 m & 200 m

Medalled at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix 2025 and has virtually qualified for the Para Asian Games.

GGold in the 200 m (28.18 s) and silver in the 100 m at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix, March 2026.

@vinaysprint
Gurveer Singh playing squashSquash

Gurveer Singh

18 · New Delhi · Singles, U-19 & men's

India No. 1 in the Boys U-11, U-15 and U-17 categories and one of the fittest players on the junior circuit. Mentored by Saurav Ghosal.

✓Selected for the Asian Junior Championships after finishing 2nd at the trials, March 2026.

@singhgurveer27
Shivansh Tyagi with a trophy, medal and certificateTaekwondo

Shivansh Tyagi

26 · New Delhi · Kyorugi U-80 kg

Part of our first batch in 2022, he went on to the Asian Games 2023. Gold at the CJ Vietnam Open and bronze at the President Cup, Brisbane, in 2025.

→Back with AFF in 2025–26, targeting his second Asian Games.

@shivanshtyagitkd
Sonna Ginpaul on a badminton courtBadminton

Sonna Ginpaul

19 · Trains in Bengaluru · Men's singles

Ranked No. 2 among India's seniors after winning two All India Senior Ranking titles in 2025. Trains at the Prakash Padukone Academy.

→Playing the international circuit in Singapore, Vietnam and China in 2026, aiming for the world top 50.

@sonna_ginpaul
Sarth Mishra playing table tennisTable tennis

Sarth Mishra

20 · Ghaziabad, UP · Singles & doubles

Gold in Boys U-19 doubles at WTT Youth Star Contender, Doha, and bronze at the Asian Youth Championship 2024.

→Now in India's top 20 senior men, stepping up on the national and international stage.

@SarthMishra17
Dipanshu Sharma throwing a javelinJavelin

Dipanshu Sharma

19 · Modipuram, Meerut · Javelin throw

Gold at the Asian U-20 Athletics Championships, Dubai 2024, and silver at the South Asian Junior Championship.

↑Season best of 73.92 m at Indian Athletics Series 3, April 2026.

@dipanshu_sharma_javelin

With AFF since Nov 2022

No. 1India's top-ranked para taekwondo athlete, every year since we started working with him

Para taekwondo · Batch 1 alumnus, still with us

Mohit Singh

Mohit joined our first batch in 2022 and has had sport science support every year since, through strength & conditioning, physiotherapy and nutrition. Along the way he came back from a foot injury and a knee strain, pain-free both times. Next up: the Asian Para Games and the World Para Taekwondo Championships in late 2026.

  • GGold, 5th National Championship, Pune (Jul 2026)
  • 55th, 11th Asian Para Taekwondo Championships, Ulaanbaatar (May 2026)
  • 55th, Asian Games Qualification Tournament (May 2026)
  • QFQuarter-finals at the President's Cup G-3 and Australian Open G-2, Gold Coast (Jun 2026)

From his athlete dashboard

2024 baseline → March 2026

World ranking52 → 22+30 places
Asia ranking15 → 10+5 places
Ranking points12.2 → 39.763.3×
Countermovement jump37 → 47.6 cm+29%
Pro-agility time5.6 → 4.9 s0.7 s faster

Ranking data tracked from 2024; fitness testing since October 2022.

Mentors

Guided by those who've done it

Elite Indian athletes who give our scholars strategic guidance, emotional support and practical advice.

Saurav Ghosal

Saurav Ghosal

Squash veteran, multiple Asian Games medallist

AFF is really looking at how we can propel young athletes with potential to become top players for India, focusing on a long-term journey.
Tejaswin Shankar

Tejaswin Shankar

Asian Games silver medallist, decathlete

The idea is to develop a system of athlete development as well as coach development that would make India a consistent powerhouse in the global arena.

Project Phoenix · Post-surgical rehabilitation

Bringing athletes back after surgery

Over 60% of Indian athletes get no professional rehabilitation after a major injury or surgery, and many careers end there. Phoenix is a first for Indian sport: structured, science-led rehab that takes an athlete from the operating table back to competition.

What every Phoenix athlete gets

1

Physiotherapy & rehabilitation

Evidence-based protocols for each injury, tracked from day one through to return to sport.

2

Strength & conditioning

Progressive loading that rebuilds capacity and lowers the risk of re-injury.

3

Nutrition & recovery

Personal nutrition plans for tissue repair, body composition and energy through every phase.

4

Psychology & resilience

Support for fear of re-injury, the identity shock of being sidelined and the mental side of the return.

5

Data & wearable tracking

Strength testing, recovery and readiness data that make every comeback measurable.

How a Phoenix comeback works

From surgery to competition, step by step

Every athlete follows a phased, protocol-led plan at Sporting Ethos, with strength tested at each stage so the return is based on data, not guesswork.

  1. AssessInjury evaluation and a written return-to-sport plan
  2. RebuildPhased rehab using global protocols, such as the Melbourne ACL Protocol
  3. TestDynamometry, jump testing and range-of-motion checks against the healthy side
  4. ReturnCleared for competition, with psychology support for the first games back
  5. SustainFollow-up checks to prevent re-injury once they are back

Athletes in the programme

Khel Khel Mein footballers6–7 players Kimte LangelFootball, Manipur Yash ChauhanJudo, Asian Championship bronze Sheetal SharmaRugby Shailly UpadhayaIndia basketball Suman RorIndia basketball Ashnichandran M.Sprint, Manipur Niladri BainClimbing

More than 100 athletes have already applied. Each Phoenix scholarship takes one athlete through a 6–12 month comeback.

Fund a Phoenix scholarship Apply for rehab support

How athletes are selected

Five steps, beyond talent

We look at mindset, commitment and the support around an athlete, not just results.

Step 1

Online application

Step 2

Personal interview

Step 3

Physio screening & fitness testing

Step 4

Psychological assessment

Step 5

Meeting parents & coaches

NextGen Champions scholarship

For athletes from modest backgrounds competing at national level or above. Full scholarships cover sport science, travel, kit, health, nutrition, vocational training and financial planning.

Apply now

Project Phoenix rehab support

For athletes recovering from surgery or a major injury who can't access proper rehabilitation. Tell us about your injury and your sport.

Get in touch

Alumni · Batch 1 · Nov 2022 – Oct 2023

Where it started

Our first batch of 13 athletes across 9 sports, funded by individual donors. Several are still competing for India, and one now has a permanent government job.

1,447sport science sessions in 12 months
10international medals: 1 gold, 2 silver, 7 bronze
19national medals: 7 gold, 5 silver, 7 bronze
4athletes at the Asian or Para Asian Games; 1 selected for TOPS

Inside a full scholarship

Vijay Kumar's sport science sessions in 2023

Strength & conditioning86
Physiotherapy39
Sports nutrition13
Sports psychology7
Recovery7
Plus competition travel, fees, kit and health support152
Vijay Kumar with a medal at a track in Australia

Alumni story · Para athletics

Vijay Kumar

Inspired by Usain Bolt at Beijing 2008, the Delhi sprinter took up running as a hobby. With a full AFF scholarship in 2023 he reached the world stage.

  1. Silver, ACT Open, Canberra (Jan 2023)
  2. Gold, 21st Para Athletics Nationals, Pune (Mar 2023)
  3. World Para Athletics Championships, Paris (Jul 2023)
  4. Represented India at the Para Asian Games, China (Oct 2023)

His 2024 goals: Olympic qualification, the World Championships in Japan and a top-7 world ranking.

The class of 2022–23

Vijay KumarPara athletics, 100 m & 400 mPara Asian Games 2023
Shivansh TyagiTaekwondoAsian Games 2023; back in Batch 2
Dolly GolaPara athletics, discusNow with the Income Tax Department
Manu JeeSpeed climbingRepresents India at senior level
Narmada NithinShootingCompeting nationally & internationally
Mohit SinghPara taekwondoStill with AFF; India No. 1
Shikha YadavRugby
Manish KumarPara athletics, long jump
Ruchi YadavFootball
Raziya KhanFootball
Afreen HyderTaekwondo
Sonia BharadwajTaekwondo
Shubham SharmaTaekwondo

CSR scholarships · Foundations · Individuals

Fund a scholarship

CSR scholarships that build lasting support for athletes, not one-off grants. All our programmes fall under Schedule VII of the Companies Act, and every partner gets transparent, audited reporting on how funds were used and what changed for each athlete.

Programme level

Programme scholarship partner

Fund a full programme cohort, such as a NextGen Champions batch, with a joint annual review of outcomes and governance.

Cohort level

Cohort scholarship partner

Fund scholarships for a group of athletes by sport, region or focus area, such as women or para-athletes.

Athlete level

Athlete scholarship partner

Fund one or more individual scholarships, including Project Phoenix rehab scholarships.

Individual

Individual donor

Give any amount towards an athlete's scholarship. Donations are eligible for 80G tax benefits.

Support in kind

  • Vocational training, courses or internships
  • Sports equipment and kit
  • Nutrition supplements
  • Insurance and financial planning for athletes

Employee volunteering

  • Mentoring athletes on careers and life after sport
  • Volunteering with grassroots sport programmes
  • Workplace sessions on health and fitness with our sport scientists

Accountability

  • Live athlete progress dashboards
  • Quarterly fund-utilisation and progress reports
  • Audited accounts and independent monitoring
  • SDG-linked annual impact report
  • Section 8, CSR-1, 80G and 12A registered
Request our scholarship partnership deck Write to md@athletefirstfoundation.in or call +91 99102 00688

Partners & donors

The people behind our athletes

Every scholarship is made possible by organisations and individuals who chose to back India's athletes before the medals.

Coca-Cola India Foundation logoCoca-Cola India Foundation
CSR scholarship partner
Sporting Ethos logoSporting Ethos
Sport science partner
The Whole Truth logoThe Whole Truth
Energy partner
Mahajan Imaging logoMahajan Imaging
Imaging partner
Batra Group logoBatra Group
Supporting partner
Khel Khel Mein Foundation logoKhel Khel Mein Foundation
Women's football partner

Our donors

The individuals and companies who funded our first batch of scholars.

  • Blue Circle (India) Pvt Ltd
  • Anchit Desai
  • Manoharlal Ramchand Rohra
  • Moti Baba
  • Nimisha Jaiswal
  • Parampreet Singh
  • Paras Rawal
  • Prasad Dhake
  • Radha Madhav Transport
  • Rakesh Indurkumar
  • Ravish Kumar
  • Sandeep M
  • Sanjay Suri
  • Shyam M
  • Siddhartha Sethia
  • Yaduraj Bhageria

About us

Built on 13 years of sport science

Athlete First Foundation is a Section 8 not-for-profit, founded in February 2022 by the team behind Sporting Ethos, India's first privately owned sport science and medicine centre.

We exist to bring global sport science standards to India's emerging athletes and to build systems, not one-off support, that change how India develops talent. Our goal is twofold: maximise performance in sport, and secure athletes' futures after it. Half of all our scholarships go to women.

3,400+athletes served by Sporting Ethos
4,000+standardised fitness assessments
10+state & national federations, incl. Hockey India

Leadership

Rishabh Jaiswal

Founder & Managing Director, Sporting Ethos and Athlete First Foundation

  • Alumnus of IIM Ahmedabad and The Doon School, Dehradun
  • Founded Sporting Ethos in 2012
  • Founded Athlete First Foundation in 2022 to improve the Indian sporting ecosystem through scientific athlete management, longevity and life after sport
SECTION 880G12ACSR-1 REGISTEREDAUDITED ACCOUNTS

Contact

Get in touch

Athletes, donors, CSR teams and partners: we'd love to hear from you.

Phone+91 99102 00688
+91 98200 17525
Emailathletefirst.foundation@gmail.comAthletes & donationsmd@athletefirstfoundation.inPartnerships & CSR
AddressC-424U, NRI City, Near Pari Chowk
Greater Noida, UP 201309
FollowInstagram @athletefoundation