Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) have announced a long-term partnership to enable the holistic growth of athletics in the country.

Reliance Foundation has been a dedicated partner to AFI over the years and this tie-up is set to deepen the engagement between the two organisations.

The partnership, according to a Reliance Industries media statement, aims to discover and nurture Indian athletes from across the country and provide them with world-class facilities, coaching and sports science and medicine support by leveraging the Reliance Foundation ecosystem, including the Odisha Reliance Foundation Athletics High-Performance Centre and Sir H.N. Reliance Foundation Hospital.

In line with the larger vision of the organisation, this partnership will focus especially on girl athletes and aim to bridge the gender divide and enable them to achieve their dreams.

Being AFI’s principal partner, the Reliance brand will appear across the national team’s jerseys and training kits at key national and international competitions as well as training camps.

Nita M. Ambani, Member, International Olympics Committee, and Director, Reliance Industries Ltd, said: “We are delighted to expand Reliance Foundation’s partnership with the Athletics Federation of India. Athletics is one of the most popular disciplines in global sport, and this association aims to accelerate the growth of Indian athletics by providing opportunities and world-class facilities to our young talent, with a special focus on girls.”

She added: “With access to the right infrastructure, training, and support, I’m sure we will see many more of our young athletes on victory stands around the world! This partnership is also an important step towards our dream of strengthening the Olympic Movement in India.”

An IOC member since 2016, Nita M. Ambani has enabled valuable international exposure to India’s efforts to transform sports and engage with the Olympic Movement. She led the India delegation that won the bid to host the 140th IOC session in Mumbai in 2024.

Adille Sumariwalla, President, Athletics Federation of India, said: “We are very thankful to Mrs Nita Ambani and Reliance Industries, with whom AFI has been working closely over the last few years, for their support as Principal Partner.”

He noted: “We have seen our athletics contingent grow at international events, and with a committed partner in Reliance Industries, we are very sure that, soon, we will see an increase in participation and international success across multiple disciplines.”

Sumariwalla concluded by saying that “the partnership will focus on holistic development, building a strong talent pool and creating potential medal winners who will make India proud in the years to come”.

(Inputs from IANS)