The UBS Athletics Kids Cup is expanding its presence in India as it enters its third season, targeting one million children through a scaled grassroots athletics programme.
The initiative, organised in India by Dspowerparts and supported by UBS, is being rolled out across Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Chennai, with plans to expand to additional cities during the season.
Building on strong participation in its first two years, the programme has already engaged hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren through competitions in running, jumping and throwing.
Organisers said the one-million mark represents a long-term milestone rather than a fixed 2026 target, with equal emphasis on strengthening programme delivery and infrastructure.
A major component of this strategy is the ‘Train-the-Trainer’ programme, which focuses on equipping physical education teachers to independently run athletics programmes within schools, enabling long-term sustainability.
The initiative draws from the Swiss UBS Kids Cup model, which has contributed to the development of athletes such as indoor heptathlon world record holder Simon Ehammer, and aims to promote physical fitness, health and overall development among children aged 7 to 15.
The competition structure follows a multi-stage format, starting at the school level and advancing to regional and city-level finals.
The organisers said the programme is part of a broader effort to strengthen grassroots sports in India, where access to structured athletics training remains limited.
