AU Small Finance Bank (AU SFB), India’s largest Small Finance Bank which has recently received the RBI’s in-principle approval for transitioning to a universal bank, announced the launch of the 5th edition of – AU Bano Champion Village Level Tournament (VLT). This will be held across 60+ locations in Rajasthan on20th and 21stSeptember2025.
The 5th edition of VLT began with a vibrant opening ceremony that has set the stage for two days of spirited competition and community celebration, bringing together athletes, families and supporters to cheer for their village champions.
The two-day event will feature matches across multiple sports categories including athletics, football, volleyball, throwball, boxing, wushu and other locally preferred games. Winners from the village-level tournaments will qualify for district-level championships and ultimately compete at the state level tournament. The previous edition of AU Bano Champion VLT witnessed the participation of nearly 25,000 athletes.
Launched in October 2021, the Bano Champion program is a pioneering CSR initiative of AUSmall Finance Bank, with the aim to provide guided sports training to rural kids and youth through locally identified coaches across 75 locations of Rajasthan. So far, the initiative hasalready produced over 480 national and state-level athletes transforming their sporting career from Maidaan se Manzil Tak.
In addition to sports development, AU SFB, through its CSR arm, AU Foundation, iscontinuously working on two more key focus areas: Women Empowerment and SkillDevelopment. The Women empowerment project, ‘AUUdyogini ’provides a platform for rural women entrepreneurs to develop their businessacumen, while ‘AU Ignite’ impartsjob-oriented skill development training to the youth from marginalised sections of the society.