Indian Women in sport: The truth
Approximately 7,500 girls join professional sports every year. But...
Only 10% of them play nationally or internationally. Most of them quit sports due to age or injury. However, job allocations are mostly for national and international medalists. What should the non-medallists do?
According to an assessment of Sports Authority of India in 2021, 7,500 girls joined professional sports through the Khelo India program every year. 10% of the women who completed their sports career got government jobs if they had a gold, silver or bronze medal at the national level. Of the rest, some found other jobs, but a majority went back to their villages because they were not skilled enough to earn a livelihood in the city.
Our success stories
Meet our retired athletes who have got jobs and internship opportunities.
Arti Bilung
Ex. Hockey player
Job offer from Utkarsh Small Finance Bank
Punam Minj
Ex. Hockey player
Job offer from Utkarsh Small Finance Bank
Minati Murmu
Ex. Kabaddi player
Job offer from Tata Strive
Subhashree Swain
Football player
Job offer from Tata Strive
Sonali Behera
Football player
Job offer from Ginger Hotel
Janaki Behera
Ex. Kabaddi player
Job offer from Tata Strive
Pooja Behera
Ex. Athlete
Job offer from Sportz Village
Urbasi Mallik
Ex. Basketball player
Internship with WithStand Fitness
Skilling program
Meet our skilling program participants
Niharika Nayak
Mutual Fund Distributor
Pragyan Priyadarshini Lenka
Account Assistance
Smaranika Biswal
Account Assistance
Shrutishree Ransingh
Account Assistance
Ranjita Pingua
Hospitality Front Office
Ambika Dilla
Hospitality Front Office
Why we exist
Bridging the gap. Creating opportunities.
At HER Sport Ki Champion, we find opportunities for the 90% of women athletes whose dreams end at the state level.
We think that their learnings from the world of sports can be translated in powerful ways in the corporate workforce. We are certain they can boost India's economy. We believe they deserve a chance to live a life of dignity.
7,500+
Girls join professional sports every year (Khelo India)
10%
Go on to compete nationally or internationally
5,000+
Athletes in our community (80% women)
80+
Corporate partners hiring sportswomen
What do we do
We put sportswomen on the 3E track.
We make Indian sportswomen employable at the end of their athletic career. We help them develop skills to find jobs in the sports ecosystem and beyond.
We put them on our 3E track of Employment, Education and Entrepreneurship — so the end of a sports career is not the end of a story, but the start of a new one.
HER Sport Ki Champion (HSKC) by Aspire For Her
An initiative to prepare sportswomen for economic opportunities post their sports career, through education, job upskilling, or entrepreneurship.
- •Help sportswomen achieve financial freedom and live a life of dignity
- •Open the window of opportunity so they feel secure to excel while in sports
- •Make them aware of economic opportunities beyond Government jobs
- •Train ex-sportswomen to secure jobs in the sports ecosystem and beyond
- •Create a generation of athletes confident as professionals and individuals
What we offer
Six pillars of support, built around the realities of an athlete's life.
Soft skills training
Communication, English, presence and confidence — the skills that decide whether you get the interview and ace it.
Technical skill training
Digital literacy, financial literacy, and other employable skills built around an athlete's schedule.
Coaching for SSC and UPSC
Structured preparation for government job exams — one of the most important second-career pathways for athletes.
Mentoring sessions and business coaching
1:1 mentorship and business coaching for athletes choosing the entrepreneurship path.
Job readiness training
Resume building, interview prep, and direct intros to corporate employers from our partner network.
Role model sessions
Career previews with athletes like Hina Sidhu, Siddharth Das, Upali Parida, Rahul Bose, Srabani Nanda, Vineel Krishna, Kalpita Joshi, Jakir Hussain and many more.
HER Sport Ki Champion: Aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals
The work we do ticks the boxes for several Sustainable Development Goals by the United Nations.
Quality education
Reskilling and second-career training so every sportswoman has a real path forward when she steps off the field.
Gender equality
Building a generation of women athletes with the confidence and skills to claim space in workplaces of every kind.
Decent work & economic growth
Direct connections to 80+ corporate partners hiring sportswomen for sustainable, dignified careers.
Reduced inequalities
Opening corporate, government and entrepreneurship pathways to athletes who would otherwise be left behind once their playing days end.
Rica Roy — The changemaker
Rica is the Consultant Sports Editor of NDTV. She has 23 years of experience in reporting, producing, hosting, and broadcasting, and has reported events of national and international importance, including Olympic Games, Cricket World Cups and Football World Cups.
She's a media trainer with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Women in News and Sport. Over the last 6+ years, she has made an impact in the mentorship space — and now leads HER Sport Ki Champion as CEO.
See how our 5-point model works for you.
We work with State Governments and State Sports Departments to form new connections with women athletes. We work with 80+ corporate partners to help them attract, recruit and retain diverse talent from within our community. We collaborate with partners to run new programs and cohorts to upskill and train our members.
- •Cohorts and learning opportunities — a 6-month intensive program covering Business English, digital literacy, financial literacy and UPSC/SSC training
- •Mentorship — 1:1 mentorship and life coaching from senior leaders in your industry of choice
- •Career previews with former athletes who've transitioned successfully
- •Community support — 5,000+ athletes (80% women) educating each other for life after sport
- •Employment, entrepreneurship and education — cohort participants are mapped for skills and given five job opportunities at the end of the program
We are being talked about
Real stories from women athletes whose careers HSKC helped reshape.
"I am Urbasi Malik, a basketball coach with the SOA University in Bhubaneswar. I joined HER Sport Ki Champion to learn English. In 4 months I feel more confident. I have started speaking in English. I come from an economically weaker background in Kandhamal. My parents are farmers and are not educated. I am a first-generation graduate. I played sports to have a future and earn well. Today, through HER Sport Ki Champion, I have also got an internship with WithStand Fitness, and am hoping to join a job soon. I give 10/10 to the program."
Urbasi Malik
Basketball coach, SOA University Bhubaneswar
"I am Puja Behera. I joined HER Sport Ki Champion to learn English. I am grateful that they selected me. I am a 21 year old athlete. I want to prepare myself for a job alongside my athletics career. I got an internship with WithStand fitness. Hopefully this will lead to a job soon. Through HSKC I learnt communication skills, how to face interviews and the connection with WithStand Fitness. I give 9/10 to the program."
Puja Behera
Athlete, WithStand Fitness intern
"Minati has played Kabaddi at the national level. Since she identified strongly with her sport, she felt that without Kabaddi, she could never move ahead in life. During the coaching sessions, she learnt to explore her other strengths and realistically work on her shortcomings. Minati secured a job with Tata Strive in January 2024. Today, she is committed to giving her best, learning new skills and adapting to her new work environment."
Minati Murmu
Ex-national Kabaddi player, Tata Strive
"Despite playing at the national level, Arti's inability to converse in English had created an inferiority complex. During the coaching sessions, she identified her strengths and weaknesses. Arti has gradually overcome her fear of speaking in English and has learnt to be more assertive. This has given her self-confidence a tremendous boost and has helped her prepare for and land a job in Utkarsh Small Finance Bank."
Arti Bilung
National hockey player, Utkarsh Small Finance Bank
"Kabita is a former Kabaddi player in her early 40s. Over the past couple of years, she has been coaching young girls and boys in Kabaddi and leading them to participate in intra and inter-state matches. Through coaching, she has found her voice. She has been able to identify her strengths as well as her goal, which is to achieve financial independence."
Kabita Mohapatra
Former Kabaddi player and coach
"Intense anxiety issues and her overthinking led Niharika to quit at the peak of her athletics career. With the coaching sessions, she has found help in managing anxiety and building self-confidence. Identifying her strengths, practising positive affirmations, reframing thoughts and using other NLP tools have helped create a shift. She is now completing her Diploma in Physical Education and preparing for the SSC exams."
Niharika Nayak
Athlete, Diploma in Physical Education
"Ranjita was extremely shy and reticent due to a troubled family situation. Coaching helped her deal with her grief and channelise it into increasing her confidence. While she is keen on completing her studies and taking up a job, the focus of coaching is to help her strengthen her new relationships and create a support system to help her achieve her goals."
Ranjita Pingua
Athlete, Hospitality Front Office
Transparency
How are the funds utilised?
Education
Skilling and mentoring
Community program
Administration and logistics
Supported By
Our partners and supporters
HER Sport Ki Champion is supported by organizations committed to empowering sportswomen through education, skilling and career opportunities.
