The winning team from Chennai goes to Japan for the World Cup finals in November 2023
India’s first climate-neutral sport, the SPOGOMI World Cup 2023 – India Stage, took place at Elliot’s beach on July 9, at 8 am. This unique event, organised by ViDHAI Recycling and CIRQT, in collaboration with The Nippon Foundation, aimed to create clean and comfortable cities while having fun.
SPOGOMI, a sport originated in Japan, ingeniously transforms litter cleanup into a thrilling competitive event. SPOGOMI originated from Japan where ‘spo’ means sports and ‘Gomi hiroi’ means litter gathering. As part of the ‘Umi-to-Nippon Project – Change For The Blue’, initiated by The Nippon Foundation, the SPOGOMI World Cup 2023 – India Stage was designed to engage participants in a fun and engaging way, while fostering a sense of responsibility towards our ocean.
People from various parts of the country joined this mega beach cleaning event to promote sustainability. Thirty teams consisting of three individuals per team, of all ages, participated in the competition. The team collecting the maximum amount of trash in one hour is the winner.
The event was presided over by the Masa Yugi Saga – Consul General of Japan, Takayasu Udagawa, Program manager overlooking the SPOGOMI Word Cup in 20 countries, and Sudhakar Durai, Executive Director, SOLiDPRO.
The team of Amrit, Madhushudhan and Sharun (Team 24) from Chennai won the India Qualifiers by scoring 6500 points, while the second-place team had a score of 2800 points. Around 400 Kg of segregated trash was picked up in a 60 minutes battle. Team 24 are now set to represent India in the World Cup in Japan in November 2023.
The winners of the Art Competition conducted by Vidhai Recycling on the theme of Air Pollution were also awarded by the chief guests.
“The SPOGOMI World Cup provides people from any part of the world, in all walks of life, and any age, with a chance to actively contribute to the reduction of ocean debris,” said Divya P.Venkat, Founder at ViDHAI Recycling. “By participating in this sport, individuals gained awareness about the impact of littering, the importance of ocean conservation, and the significant role they can play in protecting marine life and fragile ecosystems,” she added.
ViDHAI Recycling is a leading organisation committed to environmental sustainability and the reduction of ocean debris. The Nippon Foundation is a philanthropic organisation at the forefront of addressing global issues, with a particular focus on marine-related challenges.
