HCLFoundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of HCLTech, on Tuesday said it hosted the eighth edition of the Sports for Change National Finals 2026 at Gautam Buddha University, bringing together 600 young athletes from 15 states over three days.
The Sports for Change National Finals empower grassroots talent by giving underserved children a platform to compete at the national level, the foundation said in a statement.
The three-day event featured 300 boys and 300 girls who had qualified through district, state and zonal competitions in football, kabaddi, volleyball, kho kho, archery, badminton and table tennis.
Participants represented states and union territories including Uttar Pradesh, Ladakh, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, West Bengal, Assam, Sikkim and Nagaland, the foundation said.
“At HCLFoundation, we believe every child, regardless of their socio-economic background, deserves the opportunity to discover their potential and pursue their aspirations,” said Dr. Nidhi Pundhir, Senior Vice President, Global CSR at HCLTech and Director of HCLFoundation.
“By nurturing grassroots talent and fostering an environment where young athletes are encouraged to dream bigger, build resilience and strive for excellence, we hope the National Finals inspire every participant to realize that their circumstances need not define their future.”
The Sports for Change programme has reached more than 74,000 children and youth across India since inception, including 474 para-athletes, the foundation said.
More than 12,000 young athletes took part in this year’s competitions, and over 30 sports scholarships covering coaching, equipment, nutrition and training access will be awarded to top performers.
The initiative has enabled more than 490 athletes to advance to national-level competitions, with 38 going on to represent India internationally, the foundation said.
Notable alumni include badminton player Jerlin Anika, sprinter Preeti Pal, rugby player Akshaya, powerlifter Rajkumari and chess player Kanishri.
HCLFoundation said it has positively impacted more than 8.5 million lives to date through programmes focused on education, grassroots sports, health, sanitation, skill development, livelihood and environmental initiatives.
HCLTech, its parent company, employs more than 223,000 people across 60 countries and reported consolidated revenues of USD 14.8 billion for the 12 months ended June 2026.
