Vedanta’s Sesa Football Academy & Sesa Technical School Celebrate International Women’s Day with Great Enthusiasm
Vedanta Sesa Goa’s Sesa Football Academy (SFA) and Sesa Technical School (STS) came together in a spirited celebration of International Women’s Day, hosting a series of empowering events that aimed to uplift and educate young girls in sports and beyond. The commemoration took place with great enthusiasm and fervour, underlining Vedanta Sesa Goa’s commitment to promoting gender equality and empowering women through sports and education.
The highlight of the event was a seminar held at SFA, featuring Dr. Sadhvi Koyande, who delivered an insightful session on ‘Sports Injury Prevention in Female Athletes’. Concurrently, Dr. Fauzia Shaikh engaged with young girls from STS, covering essential topics such as menstrual hygiene, diet, nutrition, and women’s empowerment. The sessions fostered open dialogue, allowing students to voice their concerns and queries, and nurturing a supportive environment.
The day was further marked by an array of exhibition matches, including the U-13 Girls tournament, Senior Women’s Exhibition Match, Veterans Women’s Exhibition Match, and Women’s Tie Breaker Tournament (General Category), culminating in the thrilling Vedanta U-15 Girls Tournament Finals. These matches showcased the talent and dedication of female athletes, inspiring young girls to pursue their sporting aspirations with zeal.
Mr. Navin Jaju, CEO- Sesa Goa, Vedanta Ltd. said, “Our #IronLadiesIndia2.0. campaign epitomizes this dedication, celebrating the unyielding ‘Iron will’ of women within and beyond our organization. I am immensely proud of the impactful initiatives undertaken by Sesa Football Academy and Sesa Technical School in commemorating International Women’s Day. By fostering a culture of empowerment and inclusion, we are not only nurturing the potential of young female athletes but also championing gender equality in sports and beyond. These efforts reflect our unwavering commitment to creating opportunities and driving positive change within our communities.”
In line with Vedanta’s ongoing IronLadiesIndia2.0 campaign, a felicitation ceremony honoured women achievers and men dedicated to the welfare and well-being of women in sports. Notable individuals recognized during the ceremony included Ms. Karishma Shirvoikar, Ms. Laura Esteibero, Ms. Maymol Rocky, Dr. Sadhvi Koyande, and Mr. Laxman Hadfadkar. Their contributions exemplify the spirit of empowerment and inclusivity within the sporting community.
The event was graced by esteemed personalities including Ms. Leena Verenkar, Head of CSR/ESG/SCDF, Ms. Maymol Rocky, Chairperson of the GFA Women’s Committee, Dr. Sadhvi Koyande, AIFF Physiotherapist, and Mr. Laxman Hadfadkar, Head of Youth Development GFA, underscoring the significance of women’s representation and leadership in sports.
Additionally, a session focusing on women’s health was organized in the nearby communities, addressing critical issues such as Breast Cancer awareness, hygiene, and nutrition at Durigwada Aganwadi Navelim, extending the celebration’s impact beyond the sporting arena.
Through these initiatives, Vedanta Sesa Goa’s Sesa Football Academy and Sesa Technical School reaffirm their commitment to fostering an inclusive and empowering environment for young girls, empowering them to excel both on and off the field.
About Vedanta Cares
Vedanta is committed to reinvest in the social good of its neighbourhood communities and the nation. The Group’s flagship CSR project, Nand Ghar, is a network of model anganwadis where the thrust is on inclusive development of women and children at the grassroots level. The Group CSR initiative comprises of seven key verticals – Education, Healthcare, Water and Sanitation, Sustainable Livelihood, Skilling, Sports & Culture and Employee Volunteering. Vedanta Foundation, a philanthropic initiative of Vedanta Group is focused on skill development and vocational training programmes for the underprivileged to make them employable. A key healthcare speciality CSR project is the Balco Medical Center, a 200-bed state-of-the-art Cancer care hospital located in New Raipur, Chhattisgarh. The company supports grassroots level sports through their Football academies in Goa and Udaipur.
About Vedanta Limited
Vedanta Limited, a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources Limited, is one of the world’s leading Oil & Gas and Metals company with significant operations in Oil & Gas, Zinc, Lead, Silver, Copper, Iron Ore, Steel, and Aluminium & Power across India, South Africa, Namibia, and Australia. For two decades, Vedanta has been contributing to India’s growth story, currently contributing 1 percent of India’s GDP. The company is among the top private sector contributors to the exchequer with the highest ever contribution of INR 42,560 Crore in FY 2019. Governance and sustainable development are at the core of Vedanta's strategy, with a strong focus on health, safety, and environment and on enhancing the lives of local communities. The company has been conferred the CII-ITC Sustainability Award, the FICCI CSR Award, Dun & Bradstreet Awards in Metals & Mining, and certified as a Great Place to Work. Vedanta Limited is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange in India and has ADRs listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
About SESA Football Academy
An initiative of SESA Community Development Foundation (SCDF), SESA Football Academy (SFA) was founded in 1999 for the holistic development of the local youths through football. The academy has created the conditions for discovering, creating and building talent for football. SFA does not restrict itself to football trainings but involves in a long term residential program which takes care of the formal education, skill development of the trainees during the four-year training period.
The academy has a strong focus on women empowerment through football. Since inception, SFA has trained around 200 footballers and has made tremendous impact on the football fraternity in Goa as well as across India. The graduates from SFA are serving in the national teams, Indian Super League (ISL), I-League clubs of India and clubs in Goa. 7 players have earned the national team cap and several players played the elite ISL.