India autism center launches ‘Sports For All’ autism initiative

As part of World Autism Awareness Month, the India Autism Centre (IAC)—which supports individuals with autism and related neurodevelopmental conditions—hosted the ‘Sports for All: Building an Equitable Sporting Ecosystem for All’ initiative.

Held in collaboration with The Quantum Hub, Special Olympics Bharat, and The Accessibility Coalition, the event brought together policymakers, practitioners, para- and special athletes, and inclusion advocates to drive conversations on equitable access and participation in sports.

The program featured a felicitation ceremony honouring young neurodiverse athletes. It was led by Dr Mallika Nadda, President of Special Olympics Bharat; Geeta Mandaviya, Patron Member of Special Olympics Gujarat; Jaishankar Natarajan, Director and Chief Executive Officer of India Autism Centre; Sakhi Singhi, Governing Body Member and Head of Communications, Partnerships, Fundraising, and Talent Acquisition at India Autism Centre; and Rohit Kumar, Founding Partner of The Quantum Hub.

The summit also included a multi-stakeholder panel discussion titled ‘Building an Equitable Sporting Ecosystem: Bridging Training, CSR, and Policy’.

Moderated by Nipun Malhotra, Chief Executive Officer of Nipman Foundation and Director of Disability and Inclusion at The Quantum Hub, the panel featured Sonali Philip (Director of Operations, People & Culture, Go Sports), Suvarna Raj (Managing Director, Sugamya Accessibility & Inclusion), Damini Ghosh (Lead, Disability & Inclusion Access, Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy), and Aditya KV (Founder & CEO, Umoya Sports).

They explored pathways for systemic change, accessibility, and inclusive participation in sports.

Additionally, a lightning talk moderated by Sakhi Singhi offered first-hand perspectives from the coaches of Yadhavi and the parents of the swimmers.

Jaishankar Natarajan, CEO and Director of the India Autism Center, shared, “Sports have the power to transform lives by nurturing confidence, resilience, discipline, and a deep sense of belonging.”