What if a childhood fear of water could transform into an Olympic dream?

Join Vijay and Saumil on the Get Kids to Play podcast as they dive deep with Nisha Millet, India's first woman swimmer to qualify for the Olympics. From nearly drowning at age five to standing poolside in Sydney at eighteen, Nisha shares how patience, play, and parental support turned hydrophobia into a lifelong love affair with water. Now training everyone from toddlers to senior citizens, she's proof that the right approach to sport can change lives.

0:00 - Introduction
1:21 - From near-drowning to hydrophobia: The five-year-old's accident
2:09 - Thrown in the deep end: The old-fashioned way of teaching swimming
4:36 - School vs. sport: Finding the balance with realistic expectations
8:32 - Should only rich kids play sports? Unpacking the funding debate
10:51 - Meet the 63-year-old team captain who outruns twenty-somethings
14:53 - The 22-year gap: Why no Indian woman has qualified for Olympic swimming since 2004
18:53 - What's holding Indian swimmers back from Olympic cutoffs?
23:33 - The only sport you can do for life: Swimming's therapeutic power
26:39 - Final advice: Don't pass your fears onto your kids

About Nisha Millet
https://nishamillet.com/

About Get-Kids-To-Play
https://sportzvillage.com/get-kids-to-play/

What if football could break the cycle of poverty?

Join Vijay and Parminder on the Get Kids to Play podcast as they sit down with Ashok Rathod, founder of Oscar Foundation and CNN IBN Real Hero Award recipient. From starting with just 18 children in Mumbai's low-income communities to impacting 17,000 kids across five states, Ashok shares how his "No School, No Football" campaign transformed lives through the power of sport.

0:00 - Introduction
1:18 - Oscar Foundation's 15-year journey
2:13 - Growing up in Mumbai: What sparked the mission
5:46 - From 18 kids to 600 overnight
8:08 - Why "Oscar"? The story behind the name
10:16 - Why football became the tool for change
12:52 - The challenge: Convincing people sports can educate
15:07 - Impact: From 55% dropouts to 91% pass rates
17:08 - Sustainability through young community leaders
21:31 - Why play isn't happening in schools
24:02 - Partnerships for employability skills
25:17 - Measuring impact: Proving sport works
28:46 - Closing: Be a friend to children, not just a parent

About Ashok Rathod
https://www.oscar-foundation.org/

About Get-Kids-To-Play
https://sportzvillage.com/get-kids-to-play/

What if childhood was about play, not performance?

Join Vijay and Saumil on the Get Kids to Play podcast as they explore this with Ravi Kallayil , who walked away from his dream job at Nike Innovation to transform children's footwear in India. From measuring 800 Indian feet to partnering with Rahul Dravid, Ravi shares how Plaeto is making play accessible, joyful, and purposeful for every child.


0:00 - Introduction
1:03 - Ravi's 18-year journey at Nike
2:57 - From elite sport to grassroots: What's the difference?
6:04 - Why competitive sport kills fun
8:43 - The multiplay revolution: One shoe for everything
11:10 - Scanning 800 Indian feet: Building shoes for growing kids
15:06 - How Rahul Dravid came on board
16:43 - Top solutions to get kids playing
18:36 - Making PE teachers ambassadors of play
21:26 - Can we change India's academic-first mindset?
24:19 - Plaeto's vision: Impact a million lives
26:08 - The PE teacher who taught swimming in a village well
28:02 - Closing

About Ravi Kallayil
https://plaeto.in/pages/our-story-1

About Get-Kids-To-Play
https://sportzvillage.com/get-kids-to-play/