Leap Gymnastics partners with former world Gymnastics champion Kym Dowdell for the growth of Gymnastics in India
Leap Gymnastics, an initiative of the JSW Group’s expansion dedicated to advancing sports growth in India, is focused on broadening gymnastics' reach across the nation.
The initiative’s goal is to lay a robust foundation that nurtures athletes to excel at the highest level of competition, ultimately aiming for participation in global championships, including the 2032 Olympics.
In pursuit of this vision, Leap Gymnastics announced its partnership with an esteemed international gymnastics expert Kym Dowdell, who will bring invaluable expertise to the table to develop a comprehensive competitive framework tailored to the unique needs of gymnastics in India.
During the last 18 months, since its inception, Leap Gymnastics has trained more than 1,000 gymnastics enthusiasts in Mumbai. In the upcoming five years, the initiative plans to train and develop more than 10,000 gymnasts across the nation.
This Competitive Framework has been developed through an in-depth analysis of fundamental, compulsory, optional, and high-performance programs from nations that have demonstrated remarkable success in nurturing the sport of gymnastics.
Moreover, through its collaboration with Kym, Leap Gymnastics has also developed a Judge Education and Accreditation System. This initiative is poised to strengthen the coaching and judging ecosystem within the country.
The Competitive Framework developed by Kym Dowdell through Leap Gymnastics aims to bolster participation rates and improve the performance standards of Indian Gymnasts.
Kym Dowdell was quoted as saying in the press release:
“The newly developed Competitive Framework aims to increase participation, improve performance levels, and assist new clubs to develop a gymnastic curriculum. The compulsories will ensure there is progressive development and consistent evaluation for all gymnasts in competition.”
“The optional program will allow Indian gymnasts to further develop and demonstrate their skills in optional routines at three different grades. The final high-performance program is for the development of high-performance gymnasts who at an appropriate time transition from either the compulsory or optional grades.”
Ria Vardhan, the CEO of Leap Gymnastics, was quoted as saying in the release:
“We have begun implementation of the new competitive framework in Maharashtra by conducting an orientation workshop in Pune, engaging over 250 coaches, judges, and officials from the state.”
“We have supplemented this with a comprehensive coaches and judges education course aimed at familiarizing state officials with technical guidelines and judging protocols under the new framework. The coaches workshop was attended by 120 coaches and 85 Judges enrolled for the Judges Course.”
Leap Gymnastics will host the first club gymnastics championship
Importantly, Leap Gymnastics has also secured its partnership with the Maharashtra Amateur Gymnastics Association (MAGA) to pilot the Competition Framework and Judge Education and Accreditation System at competitions & championships in Maharashtra.
The success of this trial will give an ideal platform for the Gymnastics Federation of India (GFI) and its implementation across all the states of the country.
In partnership with MAGA, Leap Gymnastics will host the first club gymnastics championship - Leap Invitational Gymnastics Championship 2024 on May 11 and 12. More than 250 gymnasts from across Maharashtra are in line to lock horns in the championship.