The Auroville schools’ physical education programme is run under the name Dehashakti Sports (meaning “full power and perfection of the body”) at the School Sports Complex near Dana. It aims at providing a comprehensive programme for physical development by way of activities which incorporate challenge and the development of mobility, control, health, fitness, strength, stamina and body skills. Emphasis is placed on developing team spirit, fairness in play, and good attitude during games and competitions.

The perfection of the body, as great a perfection as we can bring about by the means at our disposal, must be the ultimate aim of physical culture. Perfection is the true aim of all culture, the spiritual and psychic, the mental, the vital, and it must be the aim of our physical culture also. If our seeking is for a total perfection of the being, the physical part of it cannot be left aside; for the body is the material basis, the body is the instrument which we have to use.

Sri Aurobindo

The aim of Dehashakti Sports is to provide an all-round educative programme to our students through systematic training and planned activities. We hope that this experience will inspire them to strive for an integral awareness — i.e. of their mental and vital beings as much as of their physical — while working towards a conscious control over their growing bodies. We aim at inculcating in them the drive for a continuous and ever-growing progress through congenial and joyful exercises and training in the field, track and court disciplines that we can presently offer.

The pleasure of being together, the impetus to excel, to do one’s best, to strive always towards a greater perfection, are legitimate inclinations and motivating forces in cultivating in oneself the qualities of true sportsmanship.

Sports and physical education has always been an integral and essential part of the curriculum offered to the children. Dehashakti means “the full power and perfection of the body”. We offer a comprehensive programme for physical development, providing activities that incorporate and develop movement, mobility, control, health, fitness, strength, stamina, challenge, and body skills. Emphasis is given to developing team spirit, fairness in play, the right attitude during competitions and games, and to encouraging weaker children to actively participate.

The following four fields of sports activities enable Dehashakti Sports to incorporate most of the above-mentioned aspects: individual sports (athletics, swimming, gymnastics, table-tennis and horse-training) and collective sports (softball, basketball, volleyball, hockey, handball, futsal and football). The Dehashakti Sports programme is constantly evolving in response to changing circumstances and to the needs of the pupils.

School sports are offered to 215 children by 12 full-time instructors and 10 part-time instructors Monday through Friday between 2.15 pm to 5:15 pm. The children, aged 7-18, are divided into 7 groups. Twice a year, all the children participate in Aurolympics (two week-long sports events in athletics and team games). They also participate in the annual ENDURANCE race “Run for my heart”.

Ph: 0413-2622821
E-mail: dehashaktisports@auroville.org.in