National Games 2025: Full List of Reliance Foundation Athletes To Compete In Uttarakhand

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The 38th National Games in Uttarakhand, from January 28 to February 14, will feature over 50 athletes supported by the Reliance Foundation. These athletes will compete in eight sports: athletics, boxing, badminton, shooting, judo, weightlifting, wrestling, and table tennis. The event promises exciting performances from some of India's top talents.

Among the standout participants is Tokyo Olympics medalist Lovlina Borgohain. She returns to competition after the Paris Olympics. Rising judo star Himanshi Tokas joins her. Tokas recently entered the junior world's top five rankings following impressive wins at the African Cup in Casablanca.

The athletics segment boasts several national record holders from the Reliance Foundation. Notable names include Jyothi Yarraji (100m hurdles), Tejas Shirse (110m hurdles), Manikanta Hoblidhar (100m), Amlan Borgohain (200m), and Rosy Meena Paulraj (pole vault). Emerging talents like Animesh Kujur, DM Jayaram, Bapi Hansda, and Sakshi Chavan are also expected to shine.

James Hillier, Athletics Director at Reliance Foundation, expressed enthusiasm about the games. "We’re really excited about the National Games. It is a great opportunity for our athletes to start their seasons a little earlier than usual. It is a chance for our athletes to gauge their fitness and how well they have been training as this competition is being held outside the traditional season for athletics in India.

"We expect our athletes to win quite a few medals and get some great momentum at the start of the year. This is a very important year for us as most of our athletes are targeting the Asian Championships in 2025. This competition is a very good opportunity for our athletes to aim to breach the qualification mark for the Asian Championships."

In badminton, Anupama Upadhyaya, Unnati Hooda, and Shriyanshi Valishetty are strong contenders for the women's singles title. Veteran table tennis player G Sathiyan will compete in men's singles. In shooting events, Palak Gulia (10m air pistol) and Ashi Chouksey (10m air rifle and 50m rifle 3 positions) aim for top honours.

Jyothi Yarraji and Tejas Shirse enter these games in excellent form after breaking indoor national records in 60m hurdles earlier this month. Jyothi's achievements were further recognised with an Arjuna Award, highlighting her exceptional contributions to sports.

Reliance Foundation's Commitment

Reliance Foundation's sports initiatives have impacted over 22 million young people since 2013 across more than 13,000 schools and colleges nationwide. The foundation focuses on providing opportunities for talented children to pursue careers in sports while promoting female athlete participation.

The foundation supports over 200 athletes across more than ten Olympic sports through scholarships and athletic programmes. It operates three world-class training facilities in India and collaborates with organisations like IOC, IOA, AFI, and the Odisha government.

Reliance Foundation Young Champs Football Academy is India's highest-rated football academy under its umbrella. Many graduates have gone on to represent various ISL clubs. The foundation also organises grassroots initiatives such as Reliance Foundation Youth Sports and RFYC Naupang League.