AU Bano Champion 3rd State Level Sports Tournament Phase 2 begins with 1100 athletes

Jodhpur, 5th February 2025: AU Small Finance Bank (AU SFB), India’s largest SFB, inaugurates the two-day 3rd AU Bano Champion State Level Tournament- phase 2, at Umaid Stadium & Gaushala Stadium in Jodhpur yesterday. The inaugural ceremony was graced by H.H. Gaj Singh Ji, Jodhpur and Shri Dilip Soni, a special guest. AU Bano Champion is a strategic initiative of the CSR arm of AU SFB started in 2021 to promote sports for the underprivileged youth, fostering discipline, skills, and an organized training support at grassroots.

The rigorous selection process started 5 months back with village level competitions, followed by district level tournament and then the state level tournament held in 2 phases, Jhunjhunu (28-29th January) and in Jodhpur (5th-6th February). This tournament saw participation from athletes competing across Boxing, Wushu, Athletics and Football. 

Speaking at the occasion, Sanjay Agarwal, Founder, MD & CEO, AU Small Finance Bank, said, "It is a proud moment to see AU Bano Champion 3rd State Level Tournament Phase 2 unfolding in Jodhpur, following the successful completion of the first phase of Bano Champion State Level Tournament in Jhunjhunu. This initiative is a testament of our commitment to nurturing young talent, fostering discipline, and shaping future champions. At AU Small Finance Bank, we believe in the power of sports to bring ‘Badlaav’ by building character, leadership, and resilience. Since its inception, AU Bano Champion has been a guiding force in the journey from ‘Maidaan se Manzil Tak,’ producing over 55 National Level players. This tournament is not just about competition—it is about learning, growth, and unlocking potential. We look forward to witnessing the dedication and passion of our athletes as they take the next step in their sporting journey. 

Speaking at the occasion  HH Gaj Singh Ji expressed his greetings saying “ I want to extend my heartiest congratulations to AU Small Finance Bank for being consistent towards building the champions of tomorrow through their Bano champion program. I am truly delighted to witness the act of wushu by the kids of Jodhpur. The program is helping sports enthusiasts of the state to pursue their passion and fulfill their dreams.  Witnessing the girl’s participation in the program is not only making them confident but giving them wings to fly.” 

The two-day event will conclude in Jodhpur today, marking the finale of AU Bano Champion 3rd State Level Sports Tournament 2025. 

About AU Small Finance Bank

AU Small Finance Bank Limited (AU SFB) is a scheduled commercial bank and has established itself as the largest SFB in India since starting its banking journey in April 2017. Established in 1996 by Mr. Sanjay Agarwal, a first-generation entrepreneur, AU SFB boasts a 29 years-legacy with deep understanding of the rural and semi-urban markets and customer segments. The Bank operates a sustainable business model that facilitates credit to the unserved and underserved retail and MSME customer segments while providing complete banking solutions to its deposit and branch banking customers. As a tech-led Bank, AU has a strong digital presence with innovative products and services like 24X7 video banking, credit cards, personal loans, UPI QRs, payments, merchant lending, WhatsApp Banking, Chatbots etc. and its digital bank application AU0101 remains among the higher rated banking apps in India. 

The Bank operates from 2,400 banking touchpoints across 21 States & 4 Union Territories serving 1.1 Cr+ customers with an employee base of 49,000+ employees. As on 31st December’24, Bank has a Shareholders Funds of ₹16,602 Cr, Deposit base of ₹1,12,260 Cr, Total Loan Portfolio of ₹1,08,921 Cr and a Balance sheet size of ₹1.43 Lac Cr+. AU SFB enjoys the trust of marquee investors and is listed at both NSE and BSE. It has consistently maintained high external credit Rating and is presently rated ‘AA/Stable’ by CRISIL Ratings, ICRA Ltd., CARE Ratings and India Ratings, while the Bank’s FD is rated ‘AA+/Stable’ from CRISIL Ratings.