Can CSR be the Game Changer for Grassroots Sports in India?

Join Vijay and Parminder on the Get Kids to Play podcast as they explore this with Nikhil Pant, CSR law pioneer and sports enthusiast. From crafting India's 2% CSR mandate to advocating for sports at the grassroots level, Nikhil shares how corporate funding can transform youth sports across schools and communities.


00:01 - Introduction and welcome
02:43 - India's 2013 CSR mandate: A watershed moment
07:19 - Why sports deserves more CSR funding
12:20 - How CSR can transform grassroots sports
16:33 - Sports for Change roundtables: Shaping policy for impact
19:50 - Where CSR should land: Schools and communities
23:46 - New CSR policies favor sports transparency and measurement
27:57 - Sports' unique advantage: Visibility and measurable impact
33:47 - Cross-training: Using sports to improve academic performance
35:12 - Teaching math through sports: Real classroom examples
38:37 - Final thoughts: Everyone should play one sport deeply

About Nikhil Pant
https://www.lakshyaa.co.in/about

About Get-Kids-To-Play
https://sportzvillage.com/get-kids-to-play/

Can we reclaim the joy of play in youth sports?

Join Vijay and Saumil on the Get Kids to Play podcast as they explore this with Dr. George Selleck, sports psychologist, author, and lifelong advocate for youth sports. From playing basketball in 1940s California to coaching at Stanford and writing about the magic of sports, Dr. Selleck shares why the journey matters more than the scoreboard.

0:00 - Introduction
2:00 - Dr. George Selleck's journey
7:42 - Why kids drop out of sport
10:34 - Sporting ecosystem in America
11:45 - Choice between sports and academics
17:35 - The Complete Athlete (new book)
23:40 - How can schools prioritize physical education
26:03 - Closing

About Dr. George Selleck
https://lead2play.sportzvillage.com/about-us/

About Get-Kids-To-Play
https://sportzvillage.com/get-kids-to-play/

Can sports policy really get kids moving again?

Join Vijay and Saumil on the Get Kids to Play podcast as they explore this with Nandan Kamath, lawyer, former state cricket captain, and founder of Sports & Society Accelerator. From playing street cricket to shaping national sports policy, Nandan shares how India can reconnect excellence with participation—and why getting kids to play is just the beginning of keeping them active for life.

0:00 - Introduction 
1:15 - Nandan Kamath's sports journey 
4:06 - Balance between academics vs sport 
5:10 - Importance of unstructured play 
7:34 - Are sports competitions healthy? 
10:07 - How to restore health and well-being? 
14:05 - About Sports and Society Accelerator (SSA)
19:30 - Can sports policy get kids to play? 
22:37 - How school sports system has changed 
24:53 - Need for urban planning to enable play 
27:07 - Closing 

About Nandan Kamath
https://sports-society.org/nandan/

About Get-Kids-To-Play 
https://sportzvillage.com/get-kids-to-play/

From South Africa to USA, how can we Get Kids To Play? 

Join Vijay and Saumil on the Get Kids to Play podcast as they explore Prof. Michael Goldman's journey from South Africa to USA, bridging academia and real-world sports marketing through work with San Francisco Giants and several other global corporations.

0'00 : Introduction
1'30" : Prof. Michael Goldman's journey into sports management
6'02" : Global Challenges on getting kids to play
8'05" : Pros and Cons of junior sports competitions 
10'21" : How to balance academics and sports 
14'09" : Policy, Business, and Society working together 
19'32" : Sport as a catalyst for health and well-being 
22'16" : US University Sports Scholarship Model 
25'18" : Parent-School-Kid Triangle 
29'55" : Closing 

About Get-Kids-To-Play 
https://sportzvillage.com/get-kids-to-play/

About Prof. Michael Goldman
https://www.usfca.edu/faculty/michael-goldman#chapter=field_bio

Can a Non-Profit Sports Foundation's mission re-define how we develop Olympic and Paralympic champions? 

Join Vijay and Saumil on the Get Kids to Play podcast as they dive deep with Deepthi Bopaiah, CEO of GoSports Foundation, who spent over a decade transforming India's sporting landscape from behind the scenes. 

0'00" - Introduction 
1'30" - Deepthi's journey at GoSports Foundation
9'50" - Get Girls To Play
17'51" - How can Athletes give back?
22'00" - Can Olympics get kids to play?
29'10" - Career options in sport
34'30" - Closing 

About GKTP 
https://sportzvillage.com/get-kids-to-play/

About GoSports Foundation
https://gosports.in/about-us/

Can a Professor's fitness journey elevate the health and well-being at educational institutes? What if every student had to play a sport to graduate?

Join Vijay and Saumil on the Get Kids to Play podcast as they chat with Prof. Sourav Mukherji from IIM Bangalore, a marathoner, coach, and Dean of Alumni Relations who's passionate about integrating sports and fitness into education. From his corporate background at IBM, Oracle, and Boston Consulting Group to his current mission of promoting health and wellbeing on campus, Prof. Mukherji shares insights on why sports should be fundamental to education.

00:01 - Introduction 
01:48 – Prof. Mukherji’s athletic journey 
05:17 – Sporting culture and the barriers faced by kids 
10:02 – Can sport be mandated in college curriculum?
13:18 – How employers view graduates playing sport 
18:38 – The need for systemic solutions  
23:10 - Get Parents to Play
26:00 – Closing 

For more information, please visit:

Get Kids To Play (Book): https://amzn.in/d/5vGci1o
About Prof. Sourav Mukherji : https://www.iimb.ac.in/user/106/sourav-mukherji

Can a single poster spark a child's lifelong passion for playing? 

What if the stories we share about athletes could be the spark to get more kids to play?

Tune in to the Get Kids to Play podcast as Vijay Krishnamurthy and Saumil Majmudar chat with Ayon Sengupta, Editor of Sportstar/The Hindu. With Sportstar celebrating its 47th year, Ayon shares how sports media has evolved and its crucial role in inspiring the next generation.

00:00 - Introduction
03:03 - Why school sports get ignored by media
09:30 - "School Sports Star" - kids as reporters
11:59 - India's sports economy reality check
13:23 - IIT Madras athlete scholarships
19:53 - Balancing criticism in sports journalism
23:15 - "Gen Next" - spotting young talent early
25:21 - PE teacher shortage crisis
26:55 - Parents as sports role models
28:07 - Learning from Jamaica's parent participation
29:15 - Closing thoughts

For more information, please visit the following websites. 

Get Kids To Play (Book)
https://amzn.in/d/5vGci1o

Sportstar Magazine
https://sportstar.thehindu.com/

Ever wonder if it’s possible to be a top-notch athlete and a brilliant student? 
Can we dream of an Olympian coming from an IIT?

Join us for a truly inspiring chat on the Get Kids to Play podcast! This week, Vijay Krishnamurthy and Saumil Majmudar sit down with Professor Mahesh Panchagnula, the visionary head of IIT Madras's Centre for Excellence in Sports Science and Sports Analytics (CESSA)

00:00  Introduction
02:10  About IIT Madras (Centre for Excellence in Sports Science and Sports Analytics) 
10:00  Student admissions through sporting excellence  
17:00  How to balance academics and sports 
23:50  Vision "Olympian IITian"  
28:18  How to prevent athlete drop-out 
31:15  Need for "Sports Sahi Hai" campaign 
32:56  Closing 
 
--
For more information, please visit the following websites. 

Get Kids To Play (Book)
https://amzn.in/d/5vGci1o

About IIT Madras (Centre for Excellence in Sports Science and Sports Analytics)
https://cessa.iitm.ac.in/

What if one story could inspire kids to play for life and to chase their dreams in sports?

Join Vijay Krishnamurthy and Saumil Majmudar on the Get Kids to Play podcast as they sit down with Pullela Gopichand – the man who turned Indian badminton from a hobby into a world-conquering force,  the mastermind behind champions like P.V. Sindhu, Saina Nehwal, and Kidambi Srikanth.

00:00  Introduction
02:00  Importance of Play 
05:20  Gopichand's sporting journey  
08:00  How to prevent early specialization   
11.30  How to balance sports and academics 
15:15  How can educational institutes support athletes
22:05  How can parent support their kids 
25:20  Closing

Get in touch with us:

Get Kids To Play (Book)
https://amzn.in/d/5vGci1o

About Pullela Gopichand
https://www.olympics.com/en/athletes/gopichand-pullela

What if this one story could inspire you to help more girls chase their dreams in sports?

Join Vijay Krishnamurthy and Saumil Majmudar on the Get Kids to Play podcast as they sit down with Aditi Mutatkar, the Programme Head of Athlete and Women Initiatives at Simply Sport Foundation. Aditi opens up about her incredible journey from being an international badminton player to leading programs that help more women step onto the sports field.

In this lively conversation, Aditi shares the ups and downs of her own sporting career and talks about what it really takes to empower women athletes. She dives into why support systems matter, how to break old stereotypes, and what we can all do to make sports more welcoming for girls and women. Whether you’re a parent, teacher, coach, or just someone who believes in the power of sports, you’ll find plenty of food for thought.

Tune in to hear Aditi’s practical tips and heartfelt stories about building a more inclusive sports community and why starting at the grassroots can change lives. If you care about getting more girls to play, supporting women in sports, or just love a good story about overcoming challenges, this episode is for you.

Get in touch with us:

Get Kids To Play (Book)
https://amzn.in/d/5vGci1o

Get Kids To Play (Summit) 
https://sportzvillage.com/get-kids-to-play-summit/

Simply Sport Foundation 
https://www.simplysport.in/