JSW to spend ₹100 cr for a big leap into gymnastics

Mumbai: JSW Group is looking to invest ₹100 crore in setting up 25 gymnastic centres over the next five years as part of its strategy to develop an ecosystem for the sport in the country, top officials told ET.

The centres will be developed by Leap Gymnastics, a new initiative launched by the JSW Group, which supports 6,000 athletes across disciplines through its sports arm, JSW Sports.

"As a group, we want to see gymnastics grow both on a participation and recreational level as well as on a competitive level," said Tanvi Jindal, founder of Leap Gymnastics. "We want to open 25 facilities over the next five years."

She also said that Leap Gymnastics is exploring a partnership with the government to build a high-performance centre in Mumbai.

Leap Gymnastics CEO Ria Vardhan said an investment of ₹100 crore will be made in opening the 25 centres, which will be launched in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Pune, and Chennai.

It aims to train 10,000 athletes in these 25 centres before venturing to Tier 2 cities. "In the next five years, we plan to reach Tier 2 cities," Vardhan said.

JSW Group is among the biggest supporters of athletes in India. In the Tokyo Olympics 2020, 10 athletes supported by JSW Sports participated, with two of them securing medals. In the Asian Games 2023, the JSW Sports-supported athletes were responsible for bringing home 17 medals out of India's total medal tally of 107.

Jindal said the ultimate goal of Leap Gymnastics is to play a key role in developing a good team for the Commonwealth Games in 2030 and 2034. "We are also looking over the next three or four years to improve our standing in gymnastics," she said.