New Delhi: Is sport only for the chosen few? No, according to the Isha Foundation. Now returning for its 17th edition in 2025, Isha Gramotsavam — India’s largest rural sports festival — is set to reach over 35,000 villages across Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Puducherry, and, for the first time, Odisha. Organised by Isha Outreach, the registrations, which are free, for this year’s event will be entirely online from July 6 to Aug 9.Isha Gramotsavam, launched by Sadhguru in 2004, expects the participation of around 5,000 teams and nearly 50,000 villagers representing 30,000 villages. The month-long tournament will begin on Aug 10 in Mysuru, featuring volleyball and para volleyball events for men and a throwball event for women — played across three levels: cluster, divisional and finals. Alongside, traditional rural games like gilli danda, tyre race and hopscotch will be revived.The grand finale on Sept 21 will be held in front of the 112-ft Adiyogi statue at the Isha Yoga Centre in Coimbatore. There’s a prize pool of Rs 67 lakh, including Rs 5 lakh each for the top teams in both men’s and women’s categories.“The Gramotsavam is not for professional players, but for rural people — farmers, fishermen, daily-wage workers, homemakers, schoolchildren,” said Swami Pulaka, the event coordinator. “The teams can only consist of players of the same village panchayat to bring communities together and celebrate local pride.”Last year, over 43,000 players and 4,800 teams from 162 places participated in the rural sports event. In a heartening shift, over 10,000 women took part — 220 of them aged above 50 years — many of them stepping on a sports field for the first time in their lives. Ayesha from Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, recalled, “Till two years ago, I had never played anything except in my school days. But then I learnt about this event. The Isha volunteers persuaded not only me but also my cousins and elderly relatives to participate. We began practising after our respective work every day. The family which only met once or twice a year on special occasions started getting together every day.”Volunteers too carry unforgettable memories. Neha Gupta, a Delhi-based lawyer and volunteer, shared, “I remember going to this remote village in Tamil Nadu. There I met this woman in her 70s who had never touched a ball in her life. She was very reluctant to play, worried about what people would say. Yet she wanted to experience the thrill at least once. We nudged her and she ventured into the playing field. It was one of those moments when I felt the worth of my contribution.“Pulaka acknowledged the challenges in encouraging women to break social barriers. “The idea is to push through shyness and customs,” he explained. “We start indoors, playing around with a ball. Gradually, we move the activity outdoors. Once the hesitancy wears off, there is joy on the faces of the once-reluctant players.”The festival has also caught the attention of sporting greats. Cricketers Virender Sehwag and Venkatesh Prasad and Rio Paralympics high jump gold winner Mariyappan Thangavelu have graced the event. In 2018, Isha Gramotsavam was honoured with the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar by the President of India for its contribution to promoting sports. The Gramotsavam continues to redefine what sport means in rural India — not as a privilege for a few, but a celebration that everyone can find joy in.