Siddhartha Upadhyay: A champion for youth empowerment through sports

A recipient of Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar from the President of India in 2016, he is an icon amongst budding sportspersons across the country. He also played an active role in the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports as a Member of – Governing Council (2017-2020). He also was part of the Steering Committee for the FIFA U-17 World Cup, BRICS U-17 Tournament, Mission XI Million Programme, and Subroto Mukherjee Sports Education Society, formed under the aegis of India’s Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. A social entrepreneur-in heart, Siddhartha Upadhyay, has all along been committed to bringing about a dynamic socio-cultural-economic change at the grassroots by direct action.

Speaking to Bizz Buzz exclusively, Siddhartha Upadhyay, Founder, STAIRS, explains why he is always for providing hope and opportunities to the country’s youth, especially those at the bottom of the social pyramid, and helping them secure a life of dignity through sports. He explains his ideas for creating opportunities for the youth to exercise their ‘right to play’. For him this is stairs to success.

What is Stairs? What inspired the founders to create STAIRS, and what is the mission and purpose of the organization?

STAIRS stands for Society for Transformation, Inclusion and Recognition through sports. It is a not for profit organization that works towards providing sports, education, health and skill development of children across India. Sport is increasingly being viewed by society in general and young people in particular as a tool to achieve personal and community development objectives. It is a cost-efficient tool which can help in making the world a better place. Aligning with this view the mission and purpose of the organization is to work towards a bright, equitable and just future by enabling youth children to climb the stairs of success.

How does STAIRS stand out from others in the field?

STAIRS is a one of its kind initiative. It focuses on securing meaningful life for the underprivileged youth and children via sports, and in the process, reaping India’s inherent demographic potential and making her a sporting superpower. At STAIRS sport is an employment-enhancing vocational skill which can contribute to eradicating extreme hunger and poverty; promoting education, gender equality and empowering youth. We provide a platform where youngsters from disadvantaged sections of the society get a chance to showcase their talent in sports and foster it as a means of livelihood. We attempt to teach them the importance of character and personality building.

What are the long-term goals for STAIRS and how do you plan to achieve them?

STAIRS is currently the largest organization that ensures youth development through sports, with focus on achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through sports. Over 3,00,000 children play – without having to spend a penny – 'every day' at 400 STAIRS Training Centres in over 4,000 villages across seven States in India. Over 20,000,00 lives have already been touched and changed through STAIRS' interventions and the organization is steadily scaling and increasing its reach with an aim to touch one billion lives by 2023.

What was the aim of your most recent project- One India One Goal and to what extent did it succeed in attaining the goal?

STAIRS Foundation is committed to realizing the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji to make India a sporting superpower. To pursue our objectives of encouraging, promoting and honing talents in various sports to stand out as a nation of champions and winning becomes a habit, we launched the new program, "One India One Goal," in line with the government's vision. STAIRS announced the STAIRS National Sports Meet which is the culmination of the year-long grassroots sports championships held in over 200 districts in 11 States of India. The meet was a two-day event (15th April 2023 – 16th April 2023) that witnessed young participants from different districts performing their sporting talent on one platform to win the national titles. The year-long sports championship organized by STAIRS witnessed participation from 20,000 players from over 200 districts and 11 States of India with support from a team of 960 trainers in six games. The final event saw participation from more than 3000 Gold and Silver medalists playing their STAIRS National level and 250 coaches for three sports categories; Yoga, Karate, and Taekwondo.

Tell us more about One India One Goal (OIOG)?

OIOG is a sports broadbasing and development program mainly aimed at increasing the participant base and improving the business of sports. The UN recognises sports as a cost-effective and indispensable facilitator of achieving and promoting sustainable development. It promotes the use of sports as a tool to inculcate important societal values like respecting rules and other individuals, camaraderie, leadership skills, discipline, hospitableness and empathy in youth and to channel their energy fruitfully. Encouraging a healthy lifestyle, gender equality, decision making and social inclusion of persons with disabilities and lifting sportspersons out of poverty are among the other benefits of sports listed by the agency. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has termed sports as an acronym for skill, perseverance, optimism, resilience, tenacity and stamina. Sports helps youngsters become strong individuals and promotes national integration, according to Modi. STAIRS is committed to promoting sports to empower the youth and contribute to Prime Minister Modi's drive to make India a global economic and sports powerhouse.

How does STAIRS measure its impact, and what metrics does it use to evaluate the effectiveness of its programmes?

STAIRS uses various metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of its programs and measure its impact. These metrics include:

1. Participation rates: STAIRS measures the number of young people who participate in its programs, including the number of boys and girls, as well as the number of children from marginalized communities.

2. Improved performance: STAIRS tracks the progress of individual participants in its programs, such as improvements in physical fitness, sports skills, and academic performance.

3. Retention rates: STAIRS measures the retention rates of its programs, which is the percentage of participants who continue to participate in the program over time. High retention rates indicate that young people are finding value in the program and are motivated to continue their participation.

4. Community engagement: STAIRS evaluates its impact on the communities it serves by measuring the level of community engagement and participation in its programs. This includes the involvement of parents, community leaders, and local organizations.

5. Long-term impact: STAIRS also measures the long-term impact of its programs on the lives of young people. This includes tracking the educational and career outcomes of program graduates, as well as their overall health and wellbeing.

Could you please throw some light on your other initiative- SAD?

SAD stands for STAIRS Against Drugs. Stairs Against Drugs (SAD) is an initiative to protect India’s youth from drug menace and to support sustained recovery of the ones who have fallen prey to the same. Stairs Against Drugs has been at the center of every initiative of Stairs since its inception in 2006. Every engagement, be it a kabaddi match in remote village, rural Olympics, or a national-level league, has had #DrugsFreeIndia as its core message.

What are the most pressing issues related to drug abuse that need to be addressed in society?

SAD’s multi pronged approach in fighting the drug menace is complementing the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction and Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan conceptualized by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, GOI.

One of the most pressing issues related to drug abuse is that the age of initiation of drug use has fallen down dramatically. Research states that children aged 9-10 years are getting involved in the drug dependence cycle. Schools and the surroundings area surveillance needs to be addressed on the priority basis. Another pressing issue is glamorization of alcohol and drugs in movies and even by political parties. Delhi has seen a spike in alcohol consumption after opening of licensed shops in every nook and corner.