Mumbai: SBI General Insurance, one of India’s leading General Insurance companies will be supporting ten specially-abled athletes from Phoenix Sports selected by the Handball Association of India, who will be representing India at the first four-a-side World Wheelchair Handball Championships in Cairo, Egypt. SBI General further empowered these athletes by financially supporting them for this championship which is scheduled from September 20–25, 2022.
According to a resolution made by the IHF’s Executive Committee on July 6, 2022, the first-ever HFO Wheelchair Handball World Championship in Egypt will have six competing teams and will feature two teams from Europe, the Netherlands and Slovenia, South and Central America, Brazil, and Chile, as well as one team from Asia, India, Africa and Egypt each. The competition, which is slated to begin on October 6, 2022, in Cairo, kicks off with a preliminary phase face-off before the championship’s final round.
Commenting on the association, Shri Anand Pejawar, Deputy Managing Director, SBI General Insurance said, “SBI General believes in meaningful contribution through its CSR programmes focuses on various areas and segments. Sports is an integral focus area, and we constantly explore and support various sports forms and/or athletes. We are happy to associate with Phoenix Sports & Handball Association of India to support ten specially-abled athletes with a distinctive platform to compete. We hope that initiatives like this, the first of its kind for this category of athletes, will inspire greater participation and support for the community enabling India and Indian athletes succeed on the global stage.”
Saikrishna Hatangadi, from Phoenix Sports, said, “There is immense sporting talent amidst our specially-abled athletes. This four-a-side wheelchair handball championship is a first-of-its-kind event being conducted by IHF and we are delighted with the support of SBI General Insurance so our wheelchair athletes can represent the country on a global competitive platform for the first time. We are immensely proud of them, and we hope they will go on to win bigger laurels.”
In line with the focus on sports as a focus area, SBI General has consistently extended support to potential athletes/sports persons from difficult backgrounds, enabling world-class training for them in association with JSW-IIS (Inspire Institute of Sports). This year, SBI General is supporting Inspire Winter Sports Excellence Programme (IWSEP), a new sport in association with JSW IIS, which will train, guide and support athletes in gearing up for the upcoming Winter Olympics 2026, thereby strengthening SBI General’s contribution to Indian sports.
