Mumbai, Apr 20: WalkAbout, a community platform for active agers (55+) in India, has launched the WalkAbout Athlete Program, the country’s first formal recognition and support initiative for competitive athletes aged 55 and above.
The program is a nationwide search for adults over 55 who are still actively competing in organised sport. Track and field, badminton, cycling, swimming, martial arts, kabaddi, hockey, pickleball, chess. Any sport recognised by a governing body. The only requirement is that they haven’t stopped. India has started making some strides for its youth. It has built powerful systems to find and support young sporting talent. WalkAbout wants to be the first to do it for the millions of adults over 50 who never left the field.
Selected athletes will receive Rs. 25,000 as a recognition stipend to support their training, equipment, competition entry fees, or transport. They will receive official WalkAbout Athlete status, exclusive WalkAbout gear, and a national platform through content, press, media features, interviews, and social media spotlights. Athletes will also get priority access to WalkAbout events and experiences across the country.
The first cohort will select 4 to 5 athletes in the first phase, with applications open pan-India. Selection will be handled by a panel evaluating consistency of activity, community influence, the quality and relatability of their story, willingness to engage, and diversity of background across geography, sport, and gender.
Ashwini Kapila, Co-Founder, MD, BD and Partnerships of WalkAbout, shares:
“I know a 58-year-old who still competes in badminton tournaments. A community member at WalkAbout took up athletics at 65. These people are everywhere in India. And almost none of them get recognized for it. The WalkAbout Athlete Program changes that.
India has systems to find its next Olympic medallist. We’re building a system that finds the 55-year-old who never stopped training. Both matter. It’s a recognition that competitive sport doesn’t end at 30 or 40.”
The program builds on WalkAbout’s growing track record in active ageing. In December 2025, the company hosted the first WalkAbout Senior Games in Mumbai. In March 2026, it hosted Senior Ball Night at Pioneer Hall in Bandra. WalkAbout has raised seed funding from HDFC Bank and works with partners including Raymond Realty, Bblunt, Furtados, Uber, and others
