If thousands of children are now playing volleyball in rural Assam and have a chance at life, it is all thanks to Abhijit Bhattacharya, the former captain of the Indian national men’s volleyball team. His community-run Brahmaputra Volleyball League has brought around 12,000 children, both boys and girls, into organized sports over the past six years. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Monday named Bhattacharya as the global winner of the 2025 Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (GEDI) Champions Award.
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The honor recognizes Abhijit Bhattacharya’s work in building grassroots sports programs that give equal opportunities to girls and boys in rural Assam, using volleyball to promote social change and empower young people. It must be understood that we are talking about rural areas where even education is a struggle. Through volleyball, Bhattacharya not only promotes an active lifestyle, but also gives these children a space to try to get a job through sports quotas.
Bhattacharya, who played at the highest level before turning to community work, began his efforts in 2019 with the Assam Volleyball Mission 100 (AVM100). He started the initiative by distributing 100 volleyballs to children in tea gardens and villages where children practiced with cloth balls during the Covid-19 lockdown. This grew into the creation of 100 village clubs.
“I would like to dedicate this award to all the grassroots coaches, volunteers, team adopters and supporters of BVL,” Bhattacharya told India Today Digital.
BHATTACHARYA’S ROLE IN FOUNDING THE BRAHMAPUTRA VALLEY LEAGUE
Bhattachary’s efforts to get children into sports soon led to the creation of the sport Brahmaputra Volleyball League (BVL)now one of the largest community leagues in the world.
From a small beginning with 50 teams in 34 villages, BVL has expanded to 158 villages in 28 of the 31 districts of Assam. It now reaches over 12,000 children in more than 400 teams.
The league runs year-round and hosts hundreds of matches in a home-and-away format for boys’ and girls’ under-12 and under-16 teams.
Matches are kept local to make it easy to join without having to travel a long way initially. But for many girls in these rural areas, it’s the first time they’ve played an organized sport or even left their village.
In places like Majar Char, a river island in Barpeta district that changes shape due to floods, children play without shoes. Villagers prepare plots, place lights and organize games with rice, dal, potato fry, fish and chicken. They also organize cultural performances like Bihu dances to celebrate.
The BVL brought great changes to these communities.
Teenagers quit habits like chewing tobacco to focus on volleyball.
Around 90% of the players in Assam’s sub-junior and mini-state teams are from the BVL. One girl from Golaghat even made it to the Indian camp.
“Incredibly proud of Abhijit Bhattacharya of Assam, former captain of our men’s national volleyball team for winning the prestigious 2025 IOC GEDI Champions Award,” wrote Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister and Member of Parliament for Assam, on X.
Sonowal said Bhattachary’s tireless efforts with the BVL changed the landscape of sports in the rural areas of the state.
GENDER EQUALITY MAKES VOLLEYBALL INITIATIVE BY ABHIJIT BHATTACHARYA
In an initiative started by Bhattacharya, every village has to register equal teams for girls and boys.
To keep the girls safe, coaches — both male and female — receive training on handling obstacles such as menstrual hygiene. This has reduced the dropout rate among teenage girls.
Former BVL players are encouraged to become coaches, referees and officials. A coaching course supported by the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) helped 45 community coaches targeting women from remote areas to gain international qualifications.
The FIVB has awarded the BVL model. In late 2023, it sent Olympic gold medalists such as Mariya Luis of Cuba, Vladimir Grbic of Serbia and Giba of Brazil, plus a Dutch expert, to train 70 coaches.
Bhattacharya said he was deeply moved by the award. “Representing India in winning this award and most importantly representing the villages of Assam is deeply emotional for me,” he said.
“I don’t just see it as a recognition of my work, but as a tribute to every volunteer, every parent who allowed their daughter to come out and play, and every young girl who believed in herself enough to know she belonged on the volleyball court.”
He added, “On the court, the girls are making history by representing Assam in the quarter-finals of the Junior National Championship for the first time. Off the courts, they are becoming ambassadors for children’s rights and climate resilience.”
Bhattachary’s act shows how sports can help build confidence and resilience in children, especially girls. It has created a template that can be replicated across India.
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Issued by:
Anand Singh
Published on:
10 March 2026 11:58 IST
