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Rural sports festival Isha Gramotsavam will make its foray into North India this year, with its 18th edition expanding to 10 states and one Union Territory, bringing together more than 80,000 players from over 40,000 villages in what organisers described as the biggest edition of the event so far.Organised by Sadhguru’s Isha Outreach and recognised as a FIT India initiative and a National Sports Promotion Organisation by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the tournament will, for the first time, be held in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha and Maharashtra, alongside Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry.The multi-stage competition, featuring men’s volleyball and women’s throwball, is expected to see participation from nearly 7,000 teams, including around 15,000 women players, competing for a prize pool of more than Rs 1 crore.Addressing the launch press conference here on Tuesday, Swami Pulaka said the expansion reflects the organisation’s long-standing vision of using sport as a tool for social transformation.“We are conducting Isha Gramotsavam in North India for the first time. More than 250 locations will host competitions across the country. Our aim has always been to use sport as a tool to bring positive change to society. Sports brings people together and helps transform lives,” Swami Pulaka told reporters.He said Isha Foundation has also been organising coaching camps across participating states to introduce rural youth to the competition.“The two sports we have chosen are volleyball for men and throwball for women. Every player in a team should belong to the same gram panchayat. Professional players are not allowed because our objective is to promote grassroots sports and encourage village talent,” he added.Cluster-level matches will begin from the second week of July before progressing to divisional rounds and state finals. The Grand Finale is scheduled to be held at the Isha Yoga Center in Coimbatore in September in the presence of Sadhguru.In Uttar Pradesh, cluster-level matches will be held across Lucknow, Varanasi, Muzaffarnagar, Meerut and Gautam Buddh Nagar before the state finals in Lucknow on August 9. Haryana will host cluster matches in Panipat, Karnal, Ambala, Hisar and Kurukshetra, with the state finals slated for Karnal on the same day.Among those present at the launch were former champions whose lives have been transformed through the tournament.Two-time throwball champion Nandini from Devaraipuram village in Tamil Nadu recalled that women in her village were initially unfamiliar with the sport until Isha Foundation conducted workshops.“Playing throwball helped me deal with stress and eventually inspired me to become a physical education teacher,” she said.Three-time volleyball champion and Most Valuable Player Manikandan said the tournament altered the course of his sporting career.“I was a kabaddi player before my village won Isha Gramotsavam in 2016. Receiving the trophy from Sachin Tendulkar inspired me to switch to volleyball. Winning the MVP award later helped me improve sports facilities in my village and renovate my house,” he said.Over the past two decades, Isha Gramotsavam has engaged more than 2.6 lakh rural players from over 35,000 villages while also showcasing rural India’s cultural heritage through traditional folk performances, village games and regional cuisine alongside the sporting competitions.
