Assam’s Abhijit Bhattacharya named global winner of 2025 IOC Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Champions Award

Abhijit Bhattacharya, a former captain of the Indian men’s national volleyball team, has been named the Global Winner of the 2025 International Olympic Committee Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (GEDI) Champions Award for his grassroots sports initiatives in Assam that promote equal opportunities for girls and boys in sport.

The recognition honours Bhattacharya’s work in expanding access to organised sport in rural communities through community-based volleyball programmes.

After his elite sporting career, Bhattacharya launched grassroots initiatives to bring organised volleyball to rural and remote communities across Assam. His two flagship programmes, the Brahmaputra Volleyball League (BVL) and the Assam Volleyball Mission 100 (AVM100), now reach more than 12,000 children across around 400 teams in rural areas of the state.

These initiatives ensure equal participation for girls and boys while bringing organised sport directly to village communities, helping remove barriers that often prevent young girls from participating.

Bhattacharya said receiving the global recognition was an emotional moment as it represented the collective efforts of communities across Assam.
“Representing India in winning this award, and most importantly representing the villages of Assam, makes me deeply emotional,” he said.

“I don’t see it solely as a recognition of my work, but as a tribute to every volunteer, every parent who allowed their daughter to step out and play, and every young girl who believed in herself enough to know that she belonged on a volleyball court.”

The Brahmaputra Volleyball League, launched in 2020, has grown into one of the largest community-based grassroots volleyball leagues in the world. It evolved from the AVM100 initiative launched in 2019, which initially aimed to distribute 100 volleyballs to villages before expanding into village clubs and eventually forming a full-fledged league.

Each participating village registers equal teams for girls and boys in multiple age groups, ensuring gender parity in participation and visibility.

The initiative also creates opportunities beyond sport. More than 750 matches are broadcast every season, with local youth involved in match production, live streaming and digital storytelling.

Through a programme supported by UNICEF, 90 young participants, including 45 girls, have been trained as community ambassadors to promote gender equality, education and social responsibility.

The award will be presented to Bhattacharya in Birmingham on July 9.

The IOC GEDI Champions Awards recognise individuals who advance gender equality, diversity and inclusion in and through sport, with one global winner and five continental winners honoured each year.


(Inputs from Fédération Internationale de Volleyball)