Army powers Nari Shakti mission; set to launch 2 sports companies for girls

Today is International Women's Day. The Indian Armed Forces have taken massive strides towards empowering women in their ranks. In sync with the national vision of women empowerment and showcasing Nari Shakti, the Indian Army is launching two Army Girls Sports Companies (AGSC) in a phased manner. 

These AGSCs will be established at two Army Centers of Excellence (COE) Nodes: the Army Marksmanship Unit in Mhow and the Army Sports Institute in Pune. The objective is to identify young talent, provide them with formal education along with other administrative necessities, and train them to become champions in various sporting disciplines.

Drawing from the Indian Army's extensive experience in scouting for young talent, as evidenced by the success of Boys Sports Companies, the AGSCs will focus on training young girls from all corners of the country in disciplines such as Shooting, Archery, Athletics, Boxing, and Weightlifting. Both locations boast world-class training infrastructure, including sports medicine centers, rehabilitation facilities, and coaching amenities.

Additionally, the young talent at the AGSCs will have the opportunity to benefit from interaction with senior Army teams and athletes, who are also undergoing training at these establishments. These senior sportspersons will serve as sources of motivation for the aspiring athletes, enabling them to emulate international athletes and acquire necessary skills on a regular basis.

The establishment of AGSCs is in line with India's sports policy, aimed at achieving more podium finishes at the Olympics. Furthermore, girls enrolled in AGSCs will be eligible for recruitment as Direct Entry Non-Commissioned Officers and Direct Entry Junior Commissioned Officers, in addition to enrollment as Agniveers.

For instance, Subedar Preeti Rajak, a champion trap shooter and Asian Games Silver medallist was identified as a talent and enrolled as a Havildar in the Corps of Military Police in December 2022. She became the first woman soldier to be promoted to Subedar in January 2024, training at the Army Marksmanship Unit in Mhow, where one of the two Army Girls Sports Companies is being established.

Similarly, Jasmine Lamboria, Bronze medallist in the Commonwealth Games 2022, was also enrolled as a Non-Commissioned Officer in the Indian Army in October 2022.

These accomplished athletes serve as role models, inspiring incoming young talent to strive for sporting excellence in their respective fields. The AGSCs are slated to be fully operational from April 2024.