On a Sunday morning, a bunch of ladies collect at Turfside, Hyderabad. They start with a heat up and spend the following 90 minutes enjoying soccer. Not all of them are adept on the recreation. A coach guides them with the dos and don’ts. The ladies sportingly navigate the strikes and by the top of the session, are a sweaty mess. The satisfaction of a morning properly spent is unmistakable. It aligns with the target with which the Hyderabad chapter of Sisters in Sweat kicked off a couple of weeks in the past.
In 2017, Sisters in Sweat (SIS) started in Bengaluru as a group to encourage ladies to take part in sports activities and health. Founded by Swetha Subbiah and Tanvie Hans, SIS is now a ten,000-plus group with a presence in Bengaluru, Mumbai, New Delhi and Hyderabad. The members take part in basketball, soccer, kickboxing, operating, contact rugby, yoga, dance and different health actions.
Zerodha-backed Rainmatter not too long ago introduced its choice to speculate in SIS, giving it the scope to additional its attain. Swetha confirms that the group is seeking to increase to 10 cities by 2026.
The starting
SIS started over a recreation of soccer with pals. Tanvie, a soccer participant with the English Premier League, had moved again to Delhi and ultimately to Bengaluru. Swetha, a Nike-certified health teacher, and Tanvie, met in 2016 throughout the Nike India promotional marketing campaign ‘Da da ding’ and grew to become pals. Shweta recounts, “A friend who was keen to learn football requested Tanvie to conduct a session. Since it is a team sport, we called some of our friends, booked a ground and played the following Sunday.”
Swetha Subbiah and Tanvie Hans, founders of SIS
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Over breakfast, the ladies expressed their curiosity in common meet-ups. A WhatsApp group was created instantly and the 17 ladies who participated in the sport grew to become members. At the time, Swetha and Tanvie didn’t realise that they had created a novel group. “Both of us had always been outgoing and participated in sports and fitness activities. We were not aware of the barriers until other women voiced their experiences. We realised there is a need to have women-only sessions and spaces,” says Swetha.
It was a problem to search out licensed feminine coaches, so SIS started roping in each male and feminine licensed coaches for every sports activities and health sessions. The group grew in power.
SIS Hyderabad
The Hyderabad chapter took form when Anusha Rao, a former skilled tennis participant, confirmed curiosity. She had heard about SIS by way of pals in Bengaluru and approached Swetha. Anusha unfold the phrase by way of her faculty and faculty pals, some of whom are in the company sector. Word-of-mouth publicity and social media resulted in a 250-strong group.
Anusha Rao
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
SIS Hyderabad meets on Saturdays and Sundays, and goals to host sessions by way of the week because the group grows. The problem is to search out meet-up spots in a geographically-expanding metropolis. “Banjara and Jubilee Hills seem to be convenient for most members, even those from Secunderabad. Some do not mind Madhapur or Kondapur which are sports hubs. Gachibowli and the Financial District are further away. We are still studying the city to find out the areas of interest for women in fitness and sports and what would work geographically,” says Anusha.
Anusha observes that whereas Frisbee evokes enthusiasm in Mumbai and Bengaluru, Hyderabad veers in direction of soccer, kickboxing, operating, pickleball, and calisthenics. Each week, particulars of the meet-up are posted on the SIS web site and the WhatsApp group. Interested members can register and pay a price, which ranges from ₹300 to ₹1000, relying on the venue and the teaching requirement.
Cracking the age barrier
Coaching for aspiring runners has begun this month, other than weekly soccer sessions. Plans are on to encourage ladies to have a holistic strategy to sports activities and health, with power coaching, flexibility, obligatory warmups and cool downs. Anusha observes that almost all members in Hyderabad are in the 20s-to-40s age group. “Fifty-plus age group is tougher to crack. We have also noticed that basketball and badminton might be tougher for those in their 40s and 50s with no prior sports experience, but there are other activities that can be explored.”
Warming up for the soccer session
| Photo Credit:
Siddhant Thakur/ Shot on OnePlus/ #FramesOfIndia
Anusha is assured that “playing a sport is the new method to socialising”, and believes that more ladies can be eager if sessions might be held in neighbourhoods of the town. “We want to be able to conduct sessions in every corner of Hyderabad, from Secunderabad to Tellapur.”
As the Hyderabad chapter hopes to increase its attain, SIS has bigger plans. Backed by Rainmatter’s funding, Swetha hopes to conduct mass participatory occasions. Earlier this yr, Bengaluru SIS hosted a run in which 2,000 ladies participated.
“Most of our regular sessions have up to 20 women participating, and in some cases go up to 100 to 150. A few guidelines we adhere to include making the sessions interactive to help participants break the ice and vibe with each other,” Swetha says.
Sports and health are made much less intimidating by enjoying enjoyable music in the background, Swetha says. “Coaches function more like friends. It is important for everyone to have a great time while indulging in sports and fitness.”
Published – May 22, 2025 03:16 pm IST
