GUWAHATI: Former captain of the Indian men's national volleyball team and Assam's own Abhijit Bhattacharya has been honoured with the 2025 International Olympic Committee (IOC) Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (GEDI) Champions Global Award. He received the honour from IOC President Kirsty Coventry at the International Working Group (IWG) on Women and Sport Global Summit held in Birmingham, United Kingdom.
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Bhattacharya was recognised for his impactful grassroots initiatives in rural India, ensuring equal access and visibility for girls and boys in sport, following his elite sporting career. Founder of the Brahmaputra Volleyball League (BVL), he was honoured for his work promoting gender equality in rural India through volleyball.
His initiatives, the Assam Volleyball Mission 100 (AVM100) and the Brahmaputra Volleyball League (BVL) now reach over 12,000 children across 400 teams in villages across Assam. The AVM100 was launched in 2019 to distribute 100 volleyballs to villages, later expanding into the BVL. Launched in 2020, the BVL has grown into one of the largest community-based grassroots leagues in the world.
Speaking after receiving the award, an emotional Bhattacharya said representing India and, most importantly, the villages of Assam in winning this recognition meant a great deal to him, describing it as a tribute to every volunteer, parent, and young girl who believed she belonged on a volleyball court.
He dedicated the honour to every grassroots coach and volunteer associated with the BVL, and to countless others across the world who continue to carry the spirit of sport forward. In a symbolic gesture, Bhattacharya also announced plans to plant one tree for every country and every sport affiliated with the IOC, each representing a unique species as a living embodiment of "Unity in Diversity."
Bhattacharya currently also serves as President of the FIVB Mass Participation & Snow Volleyball Commission, continuing to champion initiatives that expand access to volleyball worldwide.
Alongside Bhattacharya's global win, the IOC also named continental winners of the 2025 GEDI Champions Award, including recipients from Zambia, Panama, South Korea, France and New Zealand.