Gandhinagar: The Bharat Centre of Olympic Research and Education (BCORE), operating under the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Olympic Studies Centre at Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU), has inaugurated a national Foundation Programme on Safe Sport and Athlete Safeguarding at its Gandhinagar campus. The three-day residential programme, being held from October 21 to 23, brings together athletes, coaches, sports administrators, researchers and safeguarding professionals to strengthen athlete protection practices across India’s sporting ecosystem.
The inauguration also marked two significant milestones for BCORE: the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Olympic Studies and Research Center (CEROUEN) at the University of Rouen Normandy, France, and the release of Olympic Intersections: The Games at the Crossroads of Global Research, published by Routledge.
The initiative addresses the growing importance of safe sporting environments, athlete welfare and institutional accountability. Safe Sport and athlete safeguarding are among the strategic priorities of the IOC, and the programme aims to translate these priorities into practical approaches suited to India’s sporting landscape.
National and International Experts Join Safeguarding Initiative
The opening ceremony brought together participants nominated by National Sports Federations, Central Armed Police Forces, Sports Authority of India centres and high-performance academies, alongside sports medicine experts, psychologists and academic researchers.
Dr Utsav Chaware, Director of BCORE, introduced the programme’s objectives and outlined its learning framework. The keynote address on Olympism, athlete-centred sport and the Safe Sport movement was delivered by Rose Mae, Safe Sport Advocate and Co-founder of Safe Sport Philippines. The ceremony also featured a motivational video message from Dr Charilaos Tsolakis, President of the International Olympic Academy, Greece.
The programme includes contributions from specialists in sports psychology, medicine, athlete development, safeguarding, law and sports administration. Participants represent organisations including the ITBP, CRPF, CISF, SSB, Army Sports Institute, Sports Authority of India, national sports federations, sports foundations and academies. Researchers and academics from institutions including IIT Bombay, BRAC University in Bangladesh and Ahmedabad Education Society have also joined the initiative.
Programme Focuses on Athlete Rights and Safe Sporting Environments
The three-day programme follows a workshop-based format combining expert discussions, case studies, role plays, working groups and policy development. The first day focused on Olympism, safeguarding principles, athlete welfare, harassment and abuse, and the responsibilities of sporting institutions. The second day places athletes at the centre of discussions on rights and responsibilities, representation, consent, healthy boundaries, mental health and reporting mechanisms. On the third day, coaches and administrators will lead discussions on duty of care, safe coaching practices, institutional safeguarding policies, risk assessment and India’s legal framework, including the POCSO Act, POSH Act, Juvenile Justice Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The programme is designed to move beyond awareness-building by encouraging participants to develop practical policy recommendations and action plans for their respective organisations. Its outcomes are also intended to contribute to structured data collection and policy recommendations for Indian sport, including the Safe Sports Policy being framed under the National Sports Governance Act, 2025.
BCORE Signs MoU with University of Rouen Normandy
A key development during the inauguration was the virtual signing of an MoU between BCORE at Rashtriya Raksha University and CEROUEN, the Olympic Studies and Research Center at the University of Rouen Normandy, France.
The partnership is intended to strengthen international collaboration in Olympic research and education. Representatives of CEROUEN joined the ceremony online, while Dr Utsav Chaware briefed participants on the partnership.
The collaboration adds an international dimension to BCORE’s research and educational initiatives, supporting engagement with global perspectives on Olympic studies and sports development.
New Book Advances Olympic Research
BCORE also released Olympic Intersections: The Games at the Crossroads of Global Research, published by Routledge and edited by Wolfgang Maennig, Bimal N. Patel, Gaurav Singh Kushwah and Utsav Chaware.
The publication presents proceedings from the First International Olympic Research Conference in India, organised by BCORE at Rashtriya Raksha University from January 27 to 30, 2025. The conference brought together Indian and international scholars, researchers, Olympians and practitioners to examine the Olympic movement through diverse research perspectives.
The Safe Sport programme and the research publication reflect BCORE’s broader engagement with Olympic education, sports governance and evidence-based policy development. The programme’s discussions and recommendations are also expected to inform BCORE’s Third International Olympic Research Conference, scheduled for January 2027.
Through the initiative, BCORE and Rashtriya Raksha University are bringing together athletes, coaches, administrators and researchers to advance safeguarding awareness and encourage the adoption of safer, more accountable sporting practices across India.