The UBS Athletics Kids Cup has kicked off its third season in India with a dual focus on expanding reach and building long-term sustainability, targeting one million children through its grassroots sports initiative.
After witnessing rapid growth in its first two years, the programme is now expanding to new cities, strengthening its school-based competition model and scaling its nationwide ‘train-the-trainers’ programme.
Organised in India by Dspowerparts and supported by UBS, the initiative will take place across Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Chennai, with more cities expected to be added over the course of the season.
Since its inception, the programme has engaged hundreds of thousands of children through athletics competitions based on running, jumping and throwing.
Organisers said that while the one-million participation goal is a key milestone, the focus remains on building a strong foundation for long-term impact rather than achieving the target within a fixed timeline.
The ‘Train-the-Trainer’ programme remains central to this effort, equipping physical education teachers with the resources needed to conduct athletics activities within schools.
Inspired by Switzerland’s UBS Kids Cup, which has produced athletes such as indoor heptathlon world record holder Simon Ehammer, the initiative aims to promote fitness, health and personal development among children aged 7 to 15.
Participants compete through a structured pathway, progressing from school-level events to regional and city-level finals.
The programme is positioned as a response to gaps in grassroots sports infrastructure in India, particularly in athletics.
