Prof. Geeta Gandhi Kingdon
Managing Director, City Montessori School &
Chief Convenor, SPARDHA 2026
Message from the CMS Managing Director
Spardha International 2026 is not merely a platform for competition, but an opportunity for young minds to grow, connect, and learn. Through participation in diverse sporting events, students develop discipline, resilience, teamwork, and a broader global outlook, while also promoting health, well-being, and active
lifestyles. We encourage all participants to strive not only for excellence in performance but also to uphold values of integrity, humility, and fairness, for these are the true hallmarks of success.
2nd Spardha 2026: International Sports Olympiad
Beyond Competition. Building Character Through Sport
A four-year global review published in the UNESCO Global State of Play Report on Quality Physical Education (2024) found that structured physical education can raise students’ academic test scores by up to 40%. This finding reflects a simple idea: physical activity can strengthen more than the body. It can develop focus, discipline, teamwork and resilience. At City Montessori School, this belief shapes SPARDHA – International Sports Olympiad. It is designed to bring together school students from India and abroad for four days of sport, creativity, interaction and cultural exchange. The event reflects the CMS belief that education must develop the whole person. Academic learning builds knowledge. Sport adds another dimension: it teaches students to prepare, perform, respond to pressure, work with others and respect rules.
SPARDHA – International Sports Olympiad 2026 brings this idea into practice by featuring six disciplines – Track & Field, Judo, Karate, Badminton, Move & Groove – Dance Aerobics, and Brush & Beyond – Poster Making. The second edition of SPARDHA, hosted by City Montessori School RDSO Campus, Lucknow and organised from 24th to 27th October, 2026 aims to bring together young school participants from India and abroad. The inaugural edition in 2024 brought together teams from India, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
Why Attend Spardha 2026?
- Compete with purpose through structured sporting disciplines.
- Learn by doing through practice, participation and real-time competition.
- Build teamwork by working with peers from different schools and cultures.
- Develop resilience by learning to handle both success and setbacks.
- Discover new strengths through sport, movement and creative expression.
- Experience global citizenship through friendship and cultural exchange.
Every event offers a chance to prepare, participate, compete and reflect. The outcome is not limited to the scoreboard. It encourages participants to build confidence, friendships, discipline and the willingness to take on a new challenge.
2nd Spardha – International Sports Olympiad is aligned with the following UN SDGs:
– SDG 3 – Good Health and Well-being: Promotes physical fitness, mental resilience and healthy lifestyles through organised sports and movement.
– SDG 4 – Quality Education: Delivers experiential learning that builds discipline, teamwork and life skills beyond the classroom.
– SDG 10 – Reduced Inequalities: Brings students from diverse schools and countries together on an equal platform of fair competition.
– SDG 16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: Fosters friendship, mutual respect and peaceful collaboration across borders through sport.
Our Inspiration
“Athletics refresh the body, tranquilise and enlighten the mind, and develop moral character. … Sports, in general, have had an important and estimable function in life and will inevitably in the future be regarded as the indispensable factor for intellectual and moral growth.”
Dr Jagdish Gandhi
Founder, City Montessori School
(10 November 1934 - 22 January 2024)
SPARDHA 2026 is dedicated to his memory. The SPARDHA Dr Jagdish Gandhi Memorial Trophy is awarded to the team with the highest number of gold medals, keeping his name at the heart of this Olympiad. Every match, every relay and every team photograph at SPARDHA marks a small step towards the world he imagined: one where young people from different nations meet as equals and friends.
Welcome from the Convenor
Ms Jyotsna Atul
Principal, CMS RDSO Campus &
Convener, SPARDHA 2026
Sport creates learning that is immediate and real. SPARDHA 2026 was created around this understanding. The four-day International Sports Olympiad carries forward the vision of our founders, Late Dr Jagdish Gandhi and Dr Bharti Gandhi, whose educational philosophy connected a healthy body with a sound mind and placed world unity at the heart of learning. CMS RDSO Campus looks forward to welcoming schools from India and abroad for four days of sport, culture, interaction and friendship.
The field is open. The experience belongs to every student who steps onto it.
Student Engagement Events
Six Ways to Participate. One Shared Spirit.
SPARDHA 2026 brings together five competitive disciplines and one creative event, each judged under recognised international rules and overseen by experienced coordinators. Together, these events give participants more than a chance to win a medal. They offer a genuine test of preparation, temperament and sportsmanship, played out in front of peers from different states and countries.
Get Directions
Event Venue
World Unity Convention Center (WUCC)
CMS Kanpur Road Campus, LDA Colony, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226012.
spardha@cmseducation.org