An Indian entrepreneur has announced a new scholarship at Loughborough University in the UK in memory of his late father. The Scholarship for Sporting Excellence is a five-year initiative valued at GBP 12,500 (approximately Rs 13.55 lakh), aimed at supporting Indian students who are competing at or on track to compete at the international level in sports.
The scholarship will provide up to GBP 2,500 (approximately Rs 2.71 lakh) annually to help cover essential costs such as travel for trials, equipment, coaching, nutritional advice, and gym memberships. This financial support is designed to assist students in overcoming financial and other barriers to achieving sporting excellence.
The scholarship is open to undergraduate, postgraduate, and PhD students at Loughborough University, whether enrolled full-time or part-time. Loughborough has a notable reputation as a training ground for top athletes, including India's own Neeraj Chopra, and other international sporting figures like Lord Sebastian Coe, Adam Peaty OBE, and Paula Radcliffe MBE.
Aman Dhall, who completed his MSc in Sport Management at Loughborough University in 2011, launched this scholarship to honour his father's dream and to support young athletes facing financial challenges. Mr Dhall's own experiences with financial constraints during his early sports career inspired him to create this opportunity for future generations of Indian athletes.
Applications for the Virendra Kumar Dhall Scholarship for Sporting Excellence are now open.
Vice-chancellor professor Nick Jennings CB FREng FRS, said, "We seek to welcome exciting talent from across the world to benefit from the outstanding performance sport programs we have here at Loughborough University, and this new scholarship for sporting excellence will ensure that young Indian athletes are empowered to do so".