Team Indias celebrated national badminton coach Pullela Gopichand, Arjuna Awardees Ashwini Nachappa and Malathi Holla have joined hands with IDBI Federal Life Insurance and NEB Sports to launch a unique run to raise funds for beleaguered coaches and sports staff in their respective academies and sports foundations. Called ‘Run to the Moon-, it marks the 51st anniversary of man-s landing on the moon on July 21, 2020. The idea behind the run is for participants to collectively cover 3,84,400 kilometres, the distance between the earth and the moon. The run will commence on June 20 and end on July 20 and will see thousands of runners, both professional as well as amateurs, take part across different parts of the country.

"Coaches and sports staff have been hit the most during the lockdown, with virtually no income during the last three months. We hope to raise funds with this initiative to support and sustain the most important link in the sports chain," Gopichand, a Dronacharya Awardee, explained. "The current pandemic has seriously challenged the livelihood of coaches and sports staff who make sporting events possible at all levels and sow the seeds for creating champions of tomorrow. Through ‘Run to the Moon-, we hope to not only further nourish the passion for sports in India even during these social distancing days, but also help and support the unsung warriors of Indian sport," Vighnesh Shahane, MD & CEO of IDBI Federal Life Insurance and himself a former Mumbai Ranji Trophy player, said.