UMOYA SPORTS

FROM INVISIBILITY TO INCLUSION

Teamwork, resilience, confidence, leadership, work ethic – these are some of the invaluable life skills that sports teach us. Beyond the classroom, we learn essential life skills by engaging our minds and bodies. All of us have one or many memories of sports activities from our school days, remembering which makes us nostalgic. 

Now, imagine having a childhood with no such memories to look back to. Is it impossible for you to picture this in your head? However, what seems inconceivable to you is the unfortunate reality for millions in our country. We are talking about persons with disabilities (PwDs) and children with disabilities (CwDs), whom we rarely saw playing among us while growing up. 

A childhood stripped of sports and play, which is every child’s right!

This is the problem our heroes, Aditya and Lokesh, identified and came up with a solution: “Umoya Sports,” which uses sports as a medium to teach life skills to children with disabilities (CwDs). With its play-based education programmes in schools and low-income communities, Umoya helps these children hold the reins of their lives and lead a dignified life in an inclusive society. 

But what triggered them to work on this problem? How has the journey been? To get answers to your “whats” and “hows”, watch this week’s Kahani below.

About Our Hero

Aditya, an engineer, discovered his passion for education early in his career. He transitioned from a technology consultant to full-time educator at a low-income, under-resourced school in Mumbai’s slums. Witnessing the complex social challenges, particularly in disabilities and education, Aditya felt compelled to empower marginalized children. Combining his love for sports and his belief in education’s importance, he founded Umoya. An Acumen Fellow and Teach for India alumnus, Aditya previously led an international sports management organization.

 

Lokesh, Umoya Sports’ COO, brings over five years of expertise in sports and disability advocacy. His journey began with personal adversity—a spinal cord injury—which fueled his commitment to empower individuals with disabilities. Graduating from the University of Delhi in Sports Sciences, Lokesh discovered a passion for fencing and became a national-level player in Judo and Fencing, earning international coaching certifications. As a UNESCO Youth & Sports Task Force member, he champions inclusion through sports across Asia. Recognized for his leadership, Lokesh is a WIPRO WAITS Fellow for Education and a CHANGELOOMS Fellow for Youth Leadership. With a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education, Health Education & Sports Sciences, Lokesh embodies resilience and empowerment, driving positive change in sports and disability sectors globally.

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