Bellary (Karnataka), July 3 : The Inspire Institute of Sport on Tuesday announced that Mizuho Bank Ltd is set to support 30 high-potential swimmers, as part of their newly-launched swimming programme.

The Inspire Institute of Sport - India's first privately funded high performance training centre and India's largest Olympic sports development programme - provides 100% scholarships to over 800 talented athletes across centres located in Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Manipur. IIS provides access to world class infrastructure, coaching, sports science support and an integrated academic curriculum, which focuses on holistic development of athletes in an effort to achieve glory for the nation.

A leading global bank, Mizuho operates five branches and four legal entities in India - Mizuho Bank, Mizuho Securities, Mizuho Global Services and Mizuho Leasing. It has been present in India for 28 years and has over 1000 employees serving Japanese & non-Japanese clients. It will soon start its operations in GIFT city.

'For an organisation as large as Mizuho Bank to choose to support the Inspire Institute of Sport is a matter of immense pride for all of us. It's moments like these that put a spring in our steps in our quest to make India a sporting superpower. The power of sport shines through in their belief in our swimming programme, and I am really excited to see what the future holds,' said Parth Jindal, founder of the Inspire Institute of Sport.

'The Inspire Institute of Sport is delighted to welcome Mizuho Bank as partners of its Elite Swimming Programme. This partnership underlines our joint effort and commitment to contribute to the development of swimming in India, and Mizuho's support will go a long way in helping us raise the bar. The growth and success we've seen in a short period of time is unprecedented, and I'm certain that this will prove to be a watershed moment in Indian sport,' said Rushdee Warley, CEO of the Inspire Institute of Sport. Warley, whose expertise in swimming and high performance has previously been extended to South Africa Swimming and New Zealand Swimming, has overseen the progress and qualification of several young swimmers to global competitions, including the Olympic Games.

The IIS swimming programme, launched in 2023, features two state-of-the-art pools, allowing swimmers access to its high-performance center, hostels and learning center. Through the programme, the athletes are provided with technical coaching and competition exposure, coupled with support around sports science, strength & conditioning, nutrition, education, mental health, and residential facilities.

A truly global sport with over 160 nations in participation at the Olympiad, swimming represents the second-highest tally of medals available at the Olympic Games (after athletics). With as many as 111 medals up for grabs at Paris 2024, the Inspire Institute of Sport and Mizuho Bank recognise swimming as a sport where India must make great strides to be an Olympic nation.

'Our corporate social responsibility initiatives reflect our corporate values and our commitment towards having a positive impact on society. Our purpose is to proactively innovate together with our clients for a prosperous and sustainable future. Our fundamental approach to all our activities is to operate responsibly. We are honoured to partner with IIS , who were our partner of choice for the first ever Sports CSR investment in India as we share their vision of developing and nurturing Indian talent to succeed in the world of international sports. As one of the youngest nations in the world with about 60% population being under the age of 28, we believe that India should claim its rightful place on the podium in this aspect too. Sports play a vital role in building essential skills like competitive mindset, resilience, discipline, team work etc., and we hope to inspire many others by shining a spotlight on the talented athletes from across the country,' said Piyush Agarwal, senior MD & head - corporate & institutional banking (India).

Talented young swimmers Maana Patel, Kushagra Rawat, Ishaan Mehra, Astha Choudhury, Ashmitha Chandra and Bikram Changmai are among those part of the Mizuho Elite Swimming Programme. The Inspire Institute of Sport's expertise in swimming also extends to its satellite centre in Odisha, where over 4000 young swimmers are impacted through the 'Learn to Swim' programme, in partnership with the Odisha government.

/IANS