Tennis for Toilets: How 4 Diplomats Raised 25 Lakhs to Build Toilets in India

Four diplomats – from Serbia, Bosnia, Guatemala, and Chile – organised a tennis match on April 16 and 17 to raise money to build toilets in India. The money was raised through entrance fees, sponsorship and donations.

The idea was the brainchild of Bosnian Ambassador Sabit Subasic, who was appalled by the lack of toilets in Delhi. When he saw people defecating in the open because of inadequate facilities, carrying water bottles to wash themselves, he knew something had to be done to fix the situation.

Similar Story

IAS Coaching Centre Fined Rs 5 Lakh for Misleading Ads With Toppers: Red Flags You Should Check For

Searching for the best UPSC coaching institute? The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has just imposed a fine of Rs 5 Lakh on Khan Study Group (KSG) for misleading ads with IAS toppers.

Read more >

Subasic then approached his tennis buddies, Vladimir Miric (ambassador of Serbia), Andres Barbe Gonzalez (ambassador of Chile) and Georges de La Roches (ambassador of Guatemala), with a plan.

Source: Facebook

They decided to organise a tennis match for the large number of foreign diplomats in India, envoys and Indian businessmen. They tied up with the All India Tennis Association to facilitate the matches, while they coordinated with Sulabh for the fund raising. Sulabh is a Delhi-based NGO that takes up sanitation issues and spreads awareness about the need for toilets.

Even before the match day, they had managed to raise Rs 13.3 lakhs through sponsorship and donations, more than their expectations.

On April 16, the day of the match at the R. K. Khanna Stadium in Delhi, the total funds raised tallied to over Rs 25 lakhs.

Source: Facebook

Around 48 players were randomly allotted to play as 24 doubles.

Source: Facebook

The tremendous support encouraged the four diplomats to consider making this an annual event. “Our hope is to bring attention to how people like us, diplomats, can do their bit on such a pressing problem,” Subasic said to The Telegraph. “We’re starting with tennis because that’s a sport we play, but we’re not ruling out similar events in football and cricket too.”

Ambassadors’ Tennis Tournament #tennis4toilets Chief Guest @KirenRijiju with winners Mr.Andres Barbe & Aditya Khanna pic.twitter.com/iLFobPKStP

— Sulabh International (@SulabhIntl) April 18, 2016

Similar Story

The Better India Among Top 4 Finalists for Prestigious Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award, 2023

The Better India has been selected as one of the four finalists of the prestigious ‘Social Entrepreneur of the Year’ India Award for 2023, launched by Swiss non-profit Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, in partnership with Jubilant Bhartia Foundation.

Read more >

Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter (@thebetterindia).