What if football could break the cycle of poverty?

Join Vijay and Parminder on the Get Kids to Play podcast as they sit down with Ashok Rathod, founder of Oscar Foundation and CNN IBN Real Hero Award recipient. From starting with just 18 children in Mumbai's low-income communities to impacting 17,000 kids across five states, Ashok shares how his "No School, No Football" campaign transformed lives through the power of sport.

0:00 - Introduction
1:18 - Oscar Foundation's 15-year journey
2:13 - Growing up in Mumbai: What sparked the mission
5:46 - From 18 kids to 600 overnight
8:08 - Why "Oscar"? The story behind the name
10:16 - Why football became the tool for change
12:52 - The challenge: Convincing people sports can educate
15:07 - Impact: From 55% dropouts to 91% pass rates
17:08 - Sustainability through young community leaders
21:31 - Why play isn't happening in schools
24:02 - Partnerships for employability skills
25:17 - Measuring impact: Proving sport works
28:46 - Closing: Be a friend to children, not just a parent

About Ashok Rathod
https://www.oscar-foundation.org/

About Get-Kids-To-Play
https://sportzvillage.com/get-kids-to-play/

What if childhood was about play, not performance?

Join Vijay and Saumil on the Get Kids to Play podcast as they explore this with Ravi Kallayil , who walked away from his dream job at Nike Innovation to transform children's footwear in India. From measuring 800 Indian feet to partnering with Rahul Dravid, Ravi shares how Plaeto is making play accessible, joyful, and purposeful for every child.


0:00 - Introduction
1:03 - Ravi's 18-year journey at Nike
2:57 - From elite sport to grassroots: What's the difference?
6:04 - Why competitive sport kills fun
8:43 - The multiplay revolution: One shoe for everything
11:10 - Scanning 800 Indian feet: Building shoes for growing kids
15:06 - How Rahul Dravid came on board
16:43 - Top solutions to get kids playing
18:36 - Making PE teachers ambassadors of play
21:26 - Can we change India's academic-first mindset?
24:19 - Plaeto's vision: Impact a million lives
26:08 - The PE teacher who taught swimming in a village well
28:02 - Closing

About Ravi Kallayil
https://plaeto.in/pages/our-story-1

About Get-Kids-To-Play
https://sportzvillage.com/get-kids-to-play/

Can CSR be the Game Changer for Grassroots Sports in India?

Join Vijay and Parminder on the Get Kids to Play podcast as they explore this with Nikhil Pant, CSR law pioneer and sports enthusiast. From crafting India's 2% CSR mandate to advocating for sports at the grassroots level, Nikhil shares how corporate funding can transform youth sports across schools and communities.


00:01 - Introduction and welcome
02:43 - India's 2013 CSR mandate: A watershed moment
07:19 - Why sports deserves more CSR funding
12:20 - How CSR can transform grassroots sports
16:33 - Sports for Change roundtables: Shaping policy for impact
19:50 - Where CSR should land: Schools and communities
23:46 - New CSR policies favor sports transparency and measurement
27:57 - Sports' unique advantage: Visibility and measurable impact
33:47 - Cross-training: Using sports to improve academic performance
35:12 - Teaching math through sports: Real classroom examples
38:37 - Final thoughts: Everyone should play one sport deeply

About Nikhil Pant
https://www.lakshyaa.co.in/about

About Get-Kids-To-Play
https://sportzvillage.com/get-kids-to-play/