The Sports Women Huddle 2025: Game-Changing Conversations

From a time when India could name only a handful of female athletes to now—celebrating a generation making their mark on global arenas—our journey in women’s sport has been one of grit, breakthroughs, and an unstoppable will to win. In the last decade alone, Indian women have brought home Olympic medals, dominated in cricket, boxing, badminton, and para-sports, and inspired millions to dream bigger. Yet, while the victories are many, the work is far from over—something The Sports Women Huddle 2025: Invest in Her, a Capri Sports Foundation initiative held on 8 August, set out to tackle head-on.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ELLE India (@elleindia)

The afternoon unfolded as a carefully curated blend of connection, inspiration, and strategy. The room buzzed with women who live and breathe sport—athletes at every stage of their careers, coaches, students, and industry leaders. Registration doubled as a networking session, coffee in hand, with conversations sparking collaborations even before the first speaker took the stage. The opening remarks set a tone that looked beyond applause for past victories—it was about shaping the future of women’s sport in India.

The spotlight then turned to Market Unlocked, a session unpacking the untapped commercial potential of women’s sport in India, followed by Power Play Circles—high-energy breakout discussions where athletes, brand representatives, and young professionals exchanged ideas, built networks, and sketched playbooks for change.

Momentum carried into the Masterclass with META, a deep dive into the power of digital storytelling and social media in amplifying athletes’ reach. This was also when the audience witnessed the launch of the first-ever India Report with knowledge partner KPMG a data-rich look at audience trends in women’s sport, decoding how fans engage with female athletes and what it means for the industry’s growth.

The mic-drop moment came with The Next Big League panel, where icons fielded questions that went far beyond the scoreboard. Before they took the stage, ELLE caught them for some candid conversation—badminton icon and double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu named Serena Williams as her north star, while Paralympic legend Dr Deepa Malik recalled a fifth-grade textbook chapter on gymnast Nadia Comăneci igniting her Olympic dreams. Jinisha Sharma, Director of Capri Sports, found her inspiration in the room itself—in 10-year-old racer Atiqa Mir, India’s newest karting prodigy.

On dismantling stereotypes, Dr Malik called out the myth that motherhood ends sporting careers—“I started at 36 with two grown daughters and still made my mark.” Sindhu added, “Women are no less in anything,” while six-time Grand Slam champion Sania Mirza challenged the notion that being a professional athlete is a ‘secondary’ career choice for women.

Their panel discussion touched on growing social media credibility, the stereotyping of women in sport, lack of opportunities, and more—leaving the audience inspired and energised. The icons spoke of responsibility, ambition, and their belief that the next five years will see women in sport leading the country, filling stadiums, and multiplying their presence on the global stage.

As the evening moved into drinks, the energy in the room remained electric. Guests left with more than tote bags and photos—they carried fresh role models, bold mantras, and the conviction that the next chapter of India’s sporting story will be written by women who refuse to be sidelined. Because if this event proved anything, it’s this: when women huddle, they don’t just share the game—they change it.

Also read:

13 Iconic Female Led Sports Films You Should Binge Before The Olympic Season

From F1 To Cricket, Why Do Most Men Look Down On Female Sports Fans?