The Indian Army is raising two girls’ sports companies at Pune and Mhow to train young girls in a variety of sports, while also grooming them for a career in the force, officials aware of the development said on Friday. =

The two companies will be raised at the Army Sports Institute, Pune and the Army Marksmanship Unit, Mhow by April, the officials said asking not to be named, adding that the move is in sync with the national vision of women empowerment and demonstration of Nari Shakti (woman power).

The aim is to identify young talent, provide the girls with formal education, take care of other administrative requirements, and train them to be champions in their respective sporting discipline.

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“The army girls’ sports companies will train young girls from all parts of the country in shooting, archery, athletics, boxing and weightlifting,” said one of the officials cited above. The army has rich experience in scouting for young talent as demonstrated by the success of its boys’ sports companies, he said.

The two locations have world-class training infrastructure, sports medicine centre, rehabilitation facility and related coaching facilities.

“The girls will also be eligible for recruitment as direct entry non-commissioned officers and direct entry junior commissioned officers apart from enrolment as Agniveers,” said a second official.

They will benefit from the senior army teams and athletes being trained at these locations.

Senior sportspersons will be a source of motivation for these young girls, who will be able to successfully emulate the international athletes and imbibe required skills, the officials said.

In January, Havildar Preeti Rajak, a champion trap shooter, was promoted to the rank of Subedar, making her the first woman in the Indian Army to hold that rank.

Rajak joined the Corps of Military Police in December 2022 based on her proven performance in trap shooting. She was the first meritorious sportswoman in the shooting discipline to be enrolled in the army as a havildar.

At the 19th Asian Games 2022 held at Hangzhou in China, Rajak won the silver medal in the trap women team event.

She is currently ranked 6th in India (trap women event) and is training at the elite Army Marksmanship Unit in Mhow for the Paris Olympics.