Women’s hockey is undergoing a renewed phase of growth across India and Asia, driven by strong institutional partnerships, structured athlete development, and a deeper commitment to equity in sport. At the centre of this transformation is the collaboration between the Asian Hockey Federation, JSW Foundation, and JSW Inspire, backed by the long-standing commitment of the JSW Group to nation-building through sport.
The JSW Group has consistently positioned sports as a powerful tool for social development, leadership, and national pride. Through its sports verticals, elite training institutes, and community-led initiatives, the Group has worked to enhance the development of sports and create a roadmap for aspiring athletes. This philosophy now extends strongly into women’s hockey through structured programmes that support Female Players and Female Umpires, while building sustainable opportunities beyond just competition.
This collaboration represents more than an initiative; it reflects a strategic effort to create long-term sporting pathways, empower women, and strengthen the ecosystem of women’s hockey across India and the wider Asian region.
This effort has gained added significance in 2026, as the JSW Group deepens its commitment to hockey on the world stage. With the FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium & Netherlands 2026 currently underway, and the JSW Group recently announced as an FIH Global Partner by the International Hockey Federation (FIH), the collaboration with the Asian Hockey Federation now sits within a broader, globally connected vision for the sport.
The partnership between the Asian Hockey Federation and JSW Foundation represents a decisive step towards strengthening women’s participation in hockey across India and Asia. This collaboration is built on a shared vision: Make hockey more inclusive, accessible, and empowering for women, not only as athletes, but also as leaders within the sporting ecosystem.
At the core of this initiative is a commitment to long-term impact. By combining the global reach of the Asian Hockey Federation with the grassroots development expertise of JSW Foundation, the programme focuses on expanding opportunities for Female Players and Female Umpires, while fostering leadership pathways for women in sport.
The initiative aligns closely with JSW Foundation’s broader mission of social empowerment and nation-building. Highlighting the intent and scale of the partnership, Mrs. Sangita Jindal, Chairperson of JSW Foundation, stated:
“JSW Foundation reaches out to over 1 million individuals annually across the country. With this program, we are igniting a movement—a movement aimed at rewriting the narrative of women's empowerment and leadership in sports. Our mission is clear: to champion gender equality, to empower women in the world of hockey across India and 30 Asian Countries, and to redefine what's possible both on and off the field.”
This collaboration is designed as a sustained effort to build stronger sporting pathways, inspire participation, and create a future where women’s hockey across India and Asia is supported by robust institutional frameworks. Backed by the JSW Group’s values and long-term vision, this partnership lays the foundation for meaningful and measurable change in women’s sports.
At the heart of JSW Inspire’s impact is a structured, long-term commitment to building high-performance athletes through world-class infrastructure, scientific training, and holistic personal development. The initiative, delivered through the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS) and JSW Sports, has emerged as one of India’s most advanced high-performance sporting ecosystems.
The Inspire Institute of Sport has been built with a clear vision of positioning India at the forefront of Olympic and Paralympic sports. Its flagship centre in Vijayanagar, Karnataka, offers access to world-class training facilities, sports science and elite coaching, supported by satellite centres focused on grassroots development. This model ensures that young talent is identified early and nurtured through a structured development pathway.
A key pillar of JSW Inspire’s athlete development framework is the Sports Excellence Programme (SEP), launched by JSW Sports in 2013. Through SEP, athletes receive comprehensive support covering coaching, nutrition, international exposure and high-performance conditioning. This approach has directly contributed to shaping some of India’s leading sporting talents, including Neeraj Chopra and Sakshi Malik.
The effectiveness of this ecosystem is reflected in competitive outcomes. Athletes supported through JSW Inspire and IIS delivered remarkable performances at the Asian Games 2022, helping India secure 107 medals, with JSW-backed athletes winning 17 medals within that total. This represented a 52% increase in medal performance compared to 2018, underlining the impact of structured athlete development.
Beyond physical training, JSW Inspire focuses heavily on the holistic development of athletes, strengthening communication skills, leadership mindset, and personal resilience. This ensures that athletes are prepared not only for podium finishes but also for life beyond sport.
By combining cutting-edge infrastructure with athlete-first support systems, JSW Inspire continues to build a pipeline of elite talent, creating sustainable sporting success for India on the global stage.
The collaboration between the Asian Hockey Federation and JSW Foundation has created a tangible shift in the landscape of women’s hockey across India and the wider Asian region. This partnership has not only increased access and visibility for women in the sport but has also strengthened structured pathways for participation, leadership, and long-term progression.
One of the most visible impacts has been the growing recognition of women in hockey as active contributors to national and international sporting excellence. Through targeted programmes, the initiative has encouraged greater participation by Female Players and Female Umpires, while building institutional support systems that enable women to thrive both on and off the field.
The reach of this programme now extends across multiple communities and regions, helping to bring structured training and development closer to grassroots levels. With JSW Foundation reaching over 1 million individuals annually across the country, the impact has begun to scale beyond elite sport into broader social transformation.
Together, the efforts of the JSW Group, JSW Foundation, and the Asian Hockey Federation have started to build a sustainable and scalable ecosystem that is transforming women’s hockey across India and Asia, not only as a sport, but as a powerful vehicle for social change.
Building on this momentum in Asian women’s hockey, the JSW Group has taken a significant step onto the world stage. The FIH has announced the JSW Group as an FIH Global Partner under a multi-year agreement, extending the Group’s long-standing support for hockey from national and continental levels to the sport’s highest international platform. The FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium & Netherlands 2026 marks the first major event of this new partnership, placing the sport at the centre of a global sporting moment.
For women’s hockey in particular, this global visibility complements the pathway already established through the Asian Hockey Federation and JSW Foundation collaboration. It connects grassroots development in India and Asia with the highest levels of international competition, offering Female Players and Female Umpires a wider stage on which their progress can be recognised, supported, and inspired.
Reflecting on the collaboration, Parth Jindal, Founder and Director of JSW Sports, noted: “Sport has the power to shape individuals, build communities and inspire generations. At JSW, we believe in supporting the ecosystem around athletes and creating opportunities for them to perform at their best. Hockey has a special place in India’s sporting journey and our partnership with FIH gives us an opportunity to contribute to the sport on a global stage.”
FIH President Tayyab Ikram welcomed the partnership, stating: “This partnership marks an exciting new chapter in our shared ambition to take hockey to new heights and make our sport bigger, stronger and more accessible around the world. This partnership will help us inspire millions of current and future athletes and fans, while creating new opportunities for the next generation to discover, enjoy and connect with hockey.”
By bringing together the FIH’s global reach and the JSW Group’s institutional strength, the alliance is designed to grow the game, engage fans worldwide, and support the next generation of hockey players. For the women’s hockey ecosystem being built with the Asian Hockey Federation and JSW Foundation, this global platform serves as a powerful amplifier, one that can help elevate athletes and officials from Indian and Asian development pathways to sustained international recognition.
The JSW Group’s sports ecosystem is built on deep conviction, scale, and institutional commitment. As a US$23 billion conglomerate, the Group aims to foster a culture of sports excellence in India through the professional management and sponsorship of sports teams and athletes.
At a glance, the ecosystem spans:
Elite teams across multiple formats, including franchise cricket, football, kabaddi, and hockey, operated by the Group’s sports division.
A strategic foundation for high-performance athlete development: through the Inspire Institute of Sport, described as India’s leading Olympic-sport programme with world-class facilities based at Vijayanagar, Karnataka.
A clear alignment with the Group’s larger purpose: JSW leverages “a successful track record of executing large capital-intensive & technically complex projects and a relentless drive to be #BetterEveryday.”
In summary, the broader sports ecosystem of JSW Group exemplifies how corporate strategy, elite sport, and community development can intersect, positioning the Group not just as a sponsor but as a creator of future sporting excellence in India.
The collaboration between the Asian Hockey Federation, JSW Foundation, and JSW Inspire stands as a strong example of how sport can be transformed into a platform for empowerment, inclusion, and national progress. Through clearly defined partnerships, structured athlete development systems, and leadership-driven vision, this initiative is helping reshape the future of women’s hockey across India and Asia.
Backed by the wider JSW Group, whose philosophy centres around nation-building and a relentless drive to be #BetterEveryday, this ecosystem goes beyond medals and matches. It creates opportunities, builds confidence, and enables women to take leadership positions both on and off the field.
With the reach of JSW Foundation extending to over 1 million individuals annually, and the institutional strength of JSW Inspire and JSW Sports supporting elite and grassroots development, the impact of this partnership is designed to be lasting, scalable, and deeply meaningful.
As women’s hockey continues to grow across India and Asia, this collaboration stands as a potent reminder that sustainable change in sport is built on vision, structure, and unwavering belief in human potential, the very values that define the JSW Group.
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