Page 65 - EducationWorld January 2023

“To become a top sporting nation, we need to first become a physically active nation”

children with world-class shoes at
affordable price. By bringing foot
health and well-being to the main-
stream discourse, Plaeto is shining
a light on the importance of play in
children’s lives.

Any Plaeto programmes close to
your heart?
The Plaeto Pioneers PE Teachers
program is very close to my heart Mansoor Ali Khan Deepa Shridhar
because I strongly believe in treating
play as an integral part of school life. sport professionally and exploring Deepa Shridhar, director,
India’s youth can learn as much from collaborations and partnerships with academics of the Kumaran Group of
play as they can from their regular sports training academies such as the Schools, Bengaluru concurs. “We had
subject study. Something that has Anju Bobby George Academy and our children wear Plaeto shoes for a
always resonated very strongly with Padukone-Dravid Centre for Sports few weeks before deciding to sign up.
me is building confidence and char- Excellence. Since sports and physical education
acter through play and sports. The The two-year-old company has is a priority for us, it was a good deci-
medium, when used correctly, can be built up an impressive clients list. sion to opt for Plaeto’s multipurpose
one of the most significant teachers in Over 30 primary-secondaries across shoes which children can wear both
your life. the country have signed up with in the class and on the playground. I
Currently PE teachers aren’t Plaeto to cover the footwear needs was also impressed that their packag-
trained with the required skill sets or of 40,000 children. Among them: ing was in hand-stitched cloth bags
given the right training to enhance Bangalore International School, Ku- instead of cardboard boxes, which
a child’s growth, but given proper maran’s School, Gear International, aligns with the concept of sustainabil-
opportunity, they can be the key to Delhi Public School (DPS), Banga- ity our schools practice. Moreover the
enriching their students’ lives with lore, National Public School Group – product is athletic, and its off-cen-
play and joy. I believe this program all in Bengaluru, GD Somani School, tered lacing system is excellent. Their
will make a difference and build an Mumbai, Atmiya School, Surat, and ‘Made in India’ tag also helped us in
environment for India’s children to Oasis School and Selaqui School – our decision-making.”
flourish. both in Dehradun. With Plaeto having quickly built
Comments Mansoor Ali Khan, a good reputation for its specially
What is the objective of the Padu- member, board of management, DPS designed range of athletic footwear,
kone-Dravid Centre for Sports Bangalore and Mysore: “I strongly Kallayil is optimistic about the
Excellence? And how satisfied are believe that school children should be future. “By 2026, we will cover the
you with its progress? physically active and play sports and footwear needs of 3 million school
The centre was created to provide games. Therefore, I have invested going children in India. We are also
athletes world-class facilities to en- heavily in providing enabling sports encouraged by the overwhelmingly
able them to compete at all levels. In infrastructure at all DPS Bangalore positive response to our launch in the
its fifth year of operation, the centre campuses. Plaeto’s product and UAE. Simultaneously we are com-
gives me a lot of joy to see how far philosophy resonated strongly with mitted to spreading awareness about
we have come in promoting sports. me – I loved that their shoes are sci- foot health and the critical importance
It has not only produced some of the entifically designed for Indian school of play in the lives of children,” says
finest athletes competing at the in- children, for multiple sports, and Kallayil who adds that through its
ternational level but has also catered made in India. We have also signed range of sports footwear products and
to the development of sport at the up for Plaeto’s Pioneers PE program programmes, Plaeto hopes to enhance
grassroots level. We hope to continue with Rahul Dravid where physical children’s opportunities and abilities
the momentum of promoting sport at education teachers are trained to to play and grow holistically.
all levels. mentor and develop students’ sports To know more about Plaeto visit:
and fitness levels.” https://plaeto.in/pages/plaeto-school

EDUCATIONWORLD JANUARY 2023