SBI General Insurance supports Winter Sports Excellence Programme

SBI General Insurance, one of India’s leading General Insurance companies, has extended its support to Inspire Winter Sports Excellence Programme (IWSEP), a new association with JSW Inspire Institute of Sport (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 the unwavering spirit of Indian sports. This support extended to prepare and enable athletes for winter Olympics is the first of its kind.

Commenting on the association,  Anand Pejawar, Whole-time Director, SBI General Insurance said, “India is a land with diverse talent from all walks of life. Indian sportspersons have been excelling at various international events and in various kinds of sports. We, at SBI General, believe in encouraging the pursuit of excellence in sports, specially in those sports which do not have huge visibility currently, which then translates in poor financial support.  In this connection, SBI General is pleased to support and boost Winter Sports in India, by supporting young athletes who will leave a rich sporting legacy for our country. We believe our support to this category of sports will enable athletes participating & representing India in realising their true potential and represent the country at the highest level of sporting excellence especially for winter sports.”

Welcoming the association with SBI General Insurance, Mustafa Ghouse, CEO of JSW Sports said, “Through our support of alpine skier Arif Khan in the build-up to the last Winter Olympics and the subsequent success we’ve seen him achieve, we got the confidence to delve deeper into the development of winter sports. The Inspire Winter Sports Excellence Programme is the off-shoot of that phase with Arif. Since founding the Inspire institute of Sport, we have been able to elevate the performances of our athletes, boxers, wrestlers and judokas, and the introduction of the Inspire Winter Sports Excellence Programme is a big step in the same direction. We are delighted to have SBI General share our vision and partner us, as together, we attempt to provide our winter sport athletes with the fillip they need.”

Through this association, under its CSR programme, SBI General extends its support to 4 athletes including Arif Khan, the face of winter sports in India and the only Indian athlete to compete at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. The other athletes are Zain Syed, Faizan Ahmad Lone and MehRaj Khan. The Company has entered into a long-term association with JSW Sports to enable India’s representation for winter sports at international sports events. The chosen athletes will go through a tailored coaching programme designed by international professionals, with sports science support and off-season conditioning training at the Inspire Institute of Sport. The professional coaches will evaluate the athletes' physical and technical progress, including travel and participation in high-quality events, on a regular basis to prepare them for their competitions.