The IOC, Abhinav Bindra Foundation, and Reliance Foundation are launching the ‘Let’s Move’ initiative in India on Olympic Day. The campaign, themed ‘You Can Do This,’ aims to inspire 20 million young people to become more active.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has once again teamed up with the Abhinav Bindra Foundation and Reliance Foundation to bring its ‘Let’s Move’ initiative to India – the IOC’s year-round sports participation campaign, which aims to encourage and support young people to move through the power and inspiration of the Olympic movement.
As part of the ongoing collaboration through the Olympic Values Education Programme and following the successful campaigns of the previous two years, which has enabled 20 million young people to move, “You Can Do This. Let’s Move” begins on Olympic Day (June 23) with a host of sporting activities and digital content throughout India, aiming to help young people feel ready to start moving and enjoy all the benefits of sport.
Building Self-Belief Through Sport
-You Can Do This. Let’s Move highlights the power of sport in building self-belief Jyothi Yarraji, Olympian and Reliance Foundation athlete, said as per a press release: “Growing up, sport gave me so much in life, physical health, a strong community, and the confidence to believe in myself. It taught me resilience, helped me overcome self-doubt, and shaped the person I am today. I hope more young people discover that they are capable of far more than they imagine. Sometimes all it takes is that first step.”
World Health Organisation report 74 per cent of children and adolescents (aged 11 – 17) and 49 per cent of adults in India (WHO, 2024), are not reaching the recommended level of activity needed for optimal health, contributing to growing health and wellbeing challenges around the world. Research also shows that young people face several barriers to participating in physical activity, with self-doubt being a contributing factor. At the same time, even brief bouts of activity can give an immediate boost to mood and energy. For young people, sport can also support the development of essential life skills such as resilience, perseverance and communication, whilst being a powerful tool in building self-belief. This is why, this year’s iteration of Let’s Move carries a simple message: “You Can Do This”, aiming to empower young people to make their first move, by reminding that feeling awkward, imperfect or uncertain is normal. Just one step, one session, one breath is all it takes to start, and through movement self-belief can flourish.
Reliance Foundation is Supporting More Young People to Move
As part of its partnership with the IOC for the Let’s Move India campaign and the celebration of Olympic Day 2026, Reliance Foundation is bringing the Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP) to even more young people across the country. Since 2024, through this partnership, OVEP has reached over 338,900 students across 464 schools and community centres (Anganwadis) in 16 states, while also pioneering a global-first initiative to introduce Olympic Values in early childhood education.
Building on this momentum, Reliance Foundation will engage approximately 1,800 Anganwadis and 44,000 children nationwide as part of this year’s Olympic Day celebrations, centred around the theme ‘You Can Do This’. Through fun, movement-based activities, games, and community sports sessions, children will be encouraged to discover the joy of being active and embrace Olympic Values in their everyday lives. Reliance Foundation-supported athletes and Olympians will also join the campaign, sharing personal stories of overcoming self-doubt and challenges, inspiring young people across India to take their first step and experience the transformative power of sport.
Abhinav Bindra Foundation extends sports program for young people across India
The Abhinav Bindra Foundation, in collaboration with the IOC and the governments of the regions, are extending its vital work to engage young people in physical activity to include five territories, Odisha, Assam, and Chandigarh, and for the first time: Telangana and Meghalaya. On Olympic Day, students will take part in a range of indoor sports and classroom-based activities including yoga – with the aim to engage approximately 4 million students across the duration of the campaign. To date, more than 12 million children have already been positively impacted through the initiative.
Community-run clubs to join the movement on Olympic Day
This year, a host of community running clubs throughout the nation are set to take part in Olympic Day (23 June) celebrations, by hosting a themed run – something that has long been a tradition of the day all over the world. The sessions will be a symbolic twenty minutes and twenty-eight seconds – celebrating the upcoming Olympic Games in LA, where cricket is on the sports program for the first time since 1900 – giving an opportunity for young people to move on Olympic Day and get excited for LA28.
Let’s Move continues to evolve as the IOC’s year-round global participation campaign
Let’s Move began as an initiative for Olympic Day but has grown year on year to provide opportunities and inspiration for people to move throughout the year. Launched in 2023, it forms part of the Olympic Movement’s mission to make the world a better place through sport, setting out to highlight the positive impact that fitness and sport can have on physical and mental health. Each year, Let’s Move focuses on a different barrier or benefit, with the aim to support and encourage people to participate.
“You Can Do This” is the theme of this year’s Olympic Day, the global celebration of sport and getting active that takes place on 23 June each year to mark the founding to the modern Olympic Games in 1894. Together with the Olympic Movement – including Organising Committees of the Olympic Games, National Olympic Committees, International Federations, Olympians, Olympic Rights Holders and Worldwide Olympic Partners – a wide range of events, activations, content and toolkits, provides opportunities and inspiration to help people around the world move more. Through local physical and digital activations, as well as partnerships with the Abhinav Bindra Foundation and Reliance Foundation and their ongoing OVEP initiatives, Let’s Move has already engaged over 20 million people in India. (ANI)
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