IndianCare will stage a large-scale community sports festival in Melbourne’s west next month, aiming to put Indian women at the centre of International Women’s Day celebrations and tackle the gap in recreational sport for adult women balancing work, family and caregiving responsibilities.

The Desi Women’s Sports Fest will be held on 7 March 2026 from 10 am to 6 pm at the Victoria University Community Sports Stadium in Footscray and is expected to draw around 500 participants, including women and their family members.

IndianCare is a community-based, ethno-specific non-profit organisation in Victoria supporting the well-being, inclusion and empowerment of people of Indian origin through culturally responsive programs, welfare initiatives and community events.

Organisers say the event has been designed as an alternative to the formal talks and panels often associated with International Women’s Day, with a focus on fun, community connection and family participation. Women aged 18 and above will take part in the main sports and games, while children, partners and parents will be encouraged to attend as supporters, with a dedicated kids’ zone and workshops for adult family members running alongside the sporting program.

IndianCare General Manager Vasundhara Kandpal said participation remains a challenge because many women have little time for themselves.

“Most women are working, managing homes, and looking after children and elders. They are doing the heavy lifting, and there is very little time left for themselves,” she said.

IndianCare President Jaya Manchikanti said the festival also aims to improve representation in sport.

“Desi women need to see themselves represented in sports and games so that they too can enjoy the benefits of being active in a sport-loving country like Australia,” she said.

The program will feature a mix of sport and playful team activities, including badminton, tug-of-war and “nostalgic favourites” such as lemon-and-spoon races and hula hoop races, as well as information stalls and workshops.

A prize pool of approximately $6,000, along with multiple lucky draws, is expected to be a key drawcard.

Kandpal said the intention was to flip the usual dynamic in families and community events. “Women are so often the ones cheering from the sidelines,” she said. “This Women’s Day, we want to reverse the roles, putting women on the field and their families in the stands, cheering them on.”

IndianCare says the festival builds on its broader work delivering free or low-cost sports and wellbeing programs across Whittlesea, Casey, Melton, Brimbank, Hobson’s Bay and Wyndham, including activities such as badminton, swimming, yoga and aqua aerobics.

The organisation says its weekly programs engage more than 500 women, many of whom played sport earlier in life but stepped away as responsibilities increased, particularly migrant women settling into a new country.

The festival is supported by VicHealth, with organisers saying the partnership reflects a shared focus on physical activity, inclusion and community wellbeing.

Registration is now open via Humanitix, with further information available through IndianCare’s website.

Event details
Date: 7 March 2026
Time: 10:00 am–6:00 pm
Venue: Victoria University Community Sports Stadium, 417 Barkly Street, Footscray
Registration: https://events.humanitix.com/desi-women-sports-fest-2026
More information: https://www.indiancare.org.au/desi-women-sports-fest-melbourne

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