Tata Steel strengthens nearly century-old sporting legacy
Pioneer News Service
Jamshedpur
Tata Steel is strengthening its nearly century-old sporting legacy by expanding opportunities for athletes at the grassroots and high-performance levels while promoting wellness, inclusion, discipline and excellence.
In an article, D B Sundara Ramam, Vice President, Corporate Services, Tata Steel, said sports remain an integral part of the company’s culture and its contribution to India’s sporting ecosystem.
The legacy dates back to Sir Dorabji Tata, who financed India’s first Olympic team to Antwerp in 1920. Since then, Tata Steel has supported generations of athletes and coaches. Its sporting legacy includes one Padma Bhushan, 12 Padma Shri, one Khel Ratna, six Dronacharya, 42 Arjuna and one Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Awardees.
Tata Steel currently operates academies and training centres across 19 disciplines, including football, archery, hockey, athletics, swimming, basketball, badminton, cricket, golf, rowing and sport climbing. These centres offer scientific coaching, sports medicine, nutrition, mental conditioning and modern infrastructure.
Its flagship initiatives include the Tata Football Academy, Tata Archery Academy, Naval Tata Hockey Academy, Tata Steel Adventure Foundation, Rowing Academy and Sport Climbing Academy. They have produced athletes such as footballers Kalyan Chaubey and Subrata Paul, archers Deepika Kumari, Komolika Bari, Jayanta Talukdar, Ankita Bhakat and Bhajan Kaur, and para-badminton player Umesh Vikram Kumar.
The company also highlighted emerging talents such as Ashish Tani Purti, who recently represented the Indian Men’s Youth Hockey team at the Men’s Youth Hockey5s Asia Championship 2026 in Muscat, Oman, and 14-year-old chess prodigy Adhiraj Mitra.
Established in 1987, the Tata Football Academy has trained more than 300 cadets, with around half representing India at various age-group levels. It has also received 5-star All India Football Federation accreditation for the 2026-27 season.
The Naval Tata Hockey Academy, supported by three Regional Development Centres and 32 grassroots centres, continues to build a pipeline of young hockey talent, while the Tata Archery Academy focuses on athletes from Jharkhand, Odisha and tribal communities.
Grassroots development remains a major priority. More than 29,000 young people participated in Tata Steel’s community sporting programmes during 2025-26, particularly in rural and tribal areas.
The Tata Steel Adventure Foundation has also promoted mountaineering, with 13 climbers successfully summiting Mount Everest.
Beyond competitive sport, Tata Steel supports mass-participation events including the Tata Steel World 25K Kolkata and run-a-thons in Jamshedpur, Joda and Kapilash. It is also associated with major chess events, including Tata Steel Chess India and the Tata Steel Chess Tournament in the Netherlands.
The company said it would continue investing in grassroots development, high-performance training and inclusive participation to create champions while building healthier and more empowered communities.
