Ahmedabad, Gujarat – May , 2026 — Ahmedabad is positioning itself as a future athletics powerhouse with the launch of UBS Athletics Kids Cup (AKC) Season 3, a nationwide grassroots movement designed to activate children through athletics and build India’s long-term pathway toward Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and Olympic success.
The initiative is led by Dspowerparts, the Swiss sports development company bringing proven expertise from Switzerland’s highly successful athletics ecosystem to India. Over the past decade, Switzerland has emerged as one of the world’s fastest-rising athletics nations, producing elite athletes through strong grassroots systems, school sports integration and professional coach education. The event was attended by Anand Menezes – Olympian, UBS Athletic Kids Cup CEO Daniel Schenker, Communication Head Andreas Cueni and Project Director Zahir Khan.
The UBS Kids Cup, Switzerland’s most successful youth athletics initiatives, is now being adapted for India at scale — with Ahmedabad and Gujarat positioned as key drivers of this transformation. The program focuses on children aged 7–15 and introduces them to the core athletic disciplines of running, jumping and throwing through a fun, inclusive and scalable competition format.
Proven Scale Across India
Following a successful Season 2, the UBS Athletics Kids Cup has already become one of India’s largest grassroots athletics initiatives:
- Presence across 5 cities — Ahmedabad, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Pune
- Participation from more than 2,500 schools
- Activation of over 250,000 children nationwide
Season 3 now aims to scale further with the ambition of getting one million children active across India.
Olympic Gold Medalist Neeraj Chopra continues as the official ambassador of the initiative, reinforcing the bridge between grassroots participation and elite sporting achievement.
Building Ahmedabad’s Sports Ecosystem
A major pillar of Season 3 is the Train The Trainer (T3) Program, which empowers PE teachers and coaches to become grassroots athletics facilitators and talent spotters.
The initiative will also work with schools, local stakeholders and sports authorities to maximize the use of Ahmedabad’s world-class sports infrastructure and create a sustainable athletics culture beyond major events.
The long-term vision is to:
- Activate schools across Ahmedabad and Gujarat
- Create healthier and more active lifestyles for children
- Develop future medal contenders
- Build a sustainable sports ecosystem linked to CWG 2030 and beyond
From Grassroots to Elite Pathways
The UBS Athletics Kids Cup envisions Ahmedabad playing a central role in India’s future athletics ecosystem by connecting grassroots participation with elite performance pathways.
Grassroots movements only create lasting impact when young talents can see the next step ahead. This is why Dspowerparts aims to bring the Bharat Gold Cup, India’s future world-class athletics meeting, to Ahmedabad as the ultimate aspirational platform for the country’s next generation of champions.
The initiative also aims to ensure that Ahmedabad’s stadiums and athletics venues remain fully active year-round through youth competitions, community engagement and talent development.
A Call to Ahmedabad
The UBS Athletics Kids Cup invites the entire Ahmedabad ecosystem to participate:
- Schools: Free registration and implementation support
- Parents: Encourage children to join — no prior athletics experience required
- Coaches & PE Teachers: Participate in the T3 certification pathway
- Corporates: Support the development of future Indian champions
With Swiss expertise, strong institutional partnerships and Ahmedabad’s growing sports infrastructure, the UBS Athletics Kids Cup aims to help create one of Asia’s strongest youth athletics ecosystems.
