Tournament kicks off in Bengaluru on June 6–7
Bengaluru, India | 30 April 2025 – Endiya Partners, in collaboration with the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy, has announced Game On!, a first-of-its-kind sports tournament built to promote wellbeing, resilience, and leadership within India’s startup ecosystem.
The tournament will debut in Bengaluru on 6–7 June 2025 and will feature Badminton, Table Tennis, and Box Cricket. With HSBC Bank as event partner, the initiative invites participation from early and growth-stage startups, as well as ecosystem enablers — acknowledging that everyone, from interns to investors, plays a crucial role in shaping the entrepreneurial journey.
Startups thrive on speed, resilience, and teamwork — and so does sport. Game On! offers founders, operators, and enablers a high-energy break from the grind, using sport to build trust, leadership, and camaraderie that translate far beyond the playing field.
“Sport is one of the best teachers of leadership. It builds not just physical endurance, but clarity, discipline, and emotional strength, qualities every member of the startup ecosystem needs,” said Pullela Gopichand, Chief National Coach for the India National Badminton team. “With Game On!, we want to create a space where the ecosystem can step back from the pressure, recharge, and sharpen the resilience and teamwork that drive success both on the court and in business.”
“Startup teams operate under constant pressure with little room to pause,” said Sateesh Andra, Managing Partner, Endiya Partners. “Game On! brings our ecosystem together not just to compete, but to connect on the court and beyond. Whether you’re closing a deal or winning a match, success relies on rhythm, trust, and shared experience. This tournament is our opportunity to step back, gain clarity, and strengthen the bonds that drive us forward.”
Game On! is also a reflection of a growing cultural shift where startups are recognising the value of investing in employee wellbeing as a necessity for sustained innovation and retention.
Endiya’s ongoing commitment to the founders’ and their teams’ wellbeing underpins the initiative. By encouraging physical activity, peer bonding, and emotional reset, Game On! aims to embed sustainable habits into startup culture.
About Endiya Partners
Endiya Partners is an early-stage venture capital firm focused on backing India’s most promising product startups across Enterprise, Industrial Tech, and Healthcare. With deep domain expertise and extensive experience in entrepreneurship and operations, the Endiya team plays a crucial role in developing scalable businesses. Endiya is actively investing from its third fund.
About Gopichand Academy
PGBA, founded in 2004 by All England Open Badminton Champion Pullela Gopichand, is recognized by the Ministry of Sports, Sports Authority of India (SAI), and the Badminton Association of India (BAI). The academy has trained several of the world’s leading badminton players, including P. V. Sindhu, Saina Nehwal, Srikanth Kidambi, Parupalli Kashyap, H.S. Prannoy, Sai Praneeth, and Sameer Verma. gopichandacademy.com
The academy boasts international-standard infrastructure, including 17 badminton courts, a full-size heated swimming pool, physiotherapy and massage centers, accommodation facilities, an in-house cafeteria, a gymnasium, recovery rooms, and a yoga and aerobic studio. It has also served as a practice venue for various championships and has hosted world-class badminton events like the India Open Grand Prix 2009, the BWF World Badminton Championship 2009, and the Badminton Asia Team Championship 2016.
PGBA’s mission is to promote badminton in the country, develop world-class training infrastructure, identify and nurture talent at the grassroots level, and provide full-time, long-term coaching to elite-level players. The academy also emphasizes mental wellness, recognizing emotional well-being as crucial to an athlete’s success.