State Level Athletes Receive Support from Skechers to Spur their Dreams of Representing India

Pune (Maharashtra) [India], February 23 (ANI//BusinessWire India): It is no secret that several professional Indian athletes face more than their fair share of struggle to access basic equipment and essential sports gear which are a critical part of their training process.
The past few years have seen a shift in the way sports beyond cricket are perceived and followed in the country and the Government has thrown its weight behind Indian athletes by helping them develop at par with several other sports.
However, that remains a work in progress to attain complete fruition. In the meanwhile, the current lack of important resources can play an undermining role in the progress of several budding sportspersons with the potential to undercut their performances at state and national championships too.

This situation has affected three such aspiring runners in Ahmednagar village, Maharashtra. Shital Bhaskar Bhandari, Bhagyashree Bhaskar Bhandari, and Sakshi Bhaskar Bhandari are three sisters who proudly wear medals from multiple state championships and a few national championships to their village's pride. The girls have won prestigious titles in competitions like 54th National Cross Country Warang, Telangana Championship, Cross Country Championship Phulgaon Pune Championship and National Junior Federation Cup Sangrur Patiala Punjab, to name a few. The three hail from an underprivileged background, naturally struggling to acquire basic gear, leaving them pining to grow further and represent the tricolour at the ultimate international stage.

Despite dire circumstances, Shital, Bhagyashree, and Sakshi have a reason to smile, courtesy help from the globally popular footwear brand, Skechers. Skechers, known for its lifestyle and performance footwear, stepped forward with a timely supply of performance shoes and apparel that will aid the growing athletes in training adequately and potentially improve the quality of their performance. The brand offered the young women their running shoes from the GORUN collection.

Reacting to the support, Bhagyashree Bhaskar Bhandari, State level athlete, said, "We are overwhelmed that a brand like Skechers has come forward to help us with our training. We have been trying our best to represent our State in these championships, but it is hard for us to compete in these competitions at the highest level without the right shoes or apparel. We are grateful that we have the backing of a brand like Skechers through this important journey of our lives and helping us take a few steps closer to our dreams."
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