development of sports & sport infrastructure - YES BANK · Indian Premier League (IPL), Hockey...

Knowledge Partner

YEAR February, 2014

COPYRIGHT

DISCLAIMER

CONTACTS

YES BANK Ltd.

Registered and Head Office

th9 Floor, Nehru Centre,Dr. Annie Besant Road,Worli, Mumbai - 400 018

Tel : +91 22 6669 9000Fax : +91 22 2497 4088Email : [email protected]

Northern Regional Office

48, Nyaya Marg, ChanakyapuriNew Delhi – 110 021

Tel : +91 11 6656 9000Email : [email protected] : www.yesbank.in

The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India

D. S. RawatSecretary General

5, Sardar Patel MargChanakyapuriNew Delhi - 110021

Tel : +91 11 4655 0555Fax : +91 11 2301 7008/9Email : [email protected] : www.assocham.org

TITLE Development of Sports & Sports Infrastructure: A Roadmap

AUTHORS

No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form by photo, photoprint,

microfilm or any other means without the written permission of

YES BANK Ltd. & ASSOCHAM.

This report is the publication of YES BANK Limited (“YES BANK”) & ASSOCHAM and so YES BANK & ASSOCHAM has editorial control over the content, including opinions, advice, Statements, services, offers etc. that is represented in this report. However, YES BANK & ASSOCHAM will not be liable for any loss or damage caused by the reader's reliance on information obtained through this report. This report may contain third party contents and third-party resources. YES BANK & ASSOCHAM takes no responsibility for third party content, advertisements or third party applications that are printed on or through this report, nor does it take any responsibility for the goods or services provided by its advertisers or for any error, omission, deletion, defect, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to, or alteration of, any user communication. Further, YES BANK & ASSOCHAM does not assume any responsibility or liability for any loss or damage, including personal injury or death, resulting from use of this report or from any content for communications or materials available on this report. The contents are provided for your reference only.

The reader/ buyer understands that except for the information, products and services clearly identified as being supplied by YES BANK & ASSOCHAM, it does not operate, control or endorse any information, products, or services appearing in the report in any way. All other information, products and services offered through the report are offered by third parties, which are not affiliated in any manner to YES BANK & ASSOCHAM.

The reader/ buyer hereby disclaims and waives any right and/ or claim, they may have against YES BANK & ASSOCHAM with respect to third party products and services. All materials provided in the report is provided on “As is” basis and YES BANK & ASSOCHAM makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, including, but not limited to, warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title or non – infringement. As to documents, content, graphics published in the report, YES BANK & ASSOCHAM makes no representation or warranty that the contents of such documents, articles are free from error or suitable for any purpose; nor that the implementation of such contents will not infringe any third party patents, copyrights, trademarks or other rights.

The views and opinions expressed in the contributory articles are those of the authors (including Sandeep Jajodia, Anurag Thakur, Dr. Narinder Batra, Ayaz Memon, Shamya Dasgupta, Manisha Malhotra, Saina Nehwal, Prakash Padukone, Rishi Narain, Bhaichung Bhutia, Sunil Chhetri, Parth Jindal, Nandan Piramal, Priti Srivastava, Kishore Gam Taid, Ashish Chaddha, Lokesh Sharma, Prof. Vivek Pandey, Hiren Pandit, Prasanna Krishnan) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy of either YES BANK or ASSOCHAM.

In no event shall YES BANK & ASSOCHAM or its content providers be liable for any damages whatsoever, whether direct, indirect, special, consequential and/or incidental, including without limitation, damages arising from loss of data or information, loss of profits, business interruption, or arising from the access and/or use or inability to access and/or use content and/or any service available in this report, even if YES BANK & ASSOCHAM is advised of the possibility of such loss. Maps depicted in the report are graphical representation for general representation only.

Public and Social Policies Management (PSPM) Group, YES BANK

Media, Arts, Luxury & Sports Banking Group, YES BANK

Guest Contributors

The importance of sports in harnessing the power of the youth towards Nation building and economic

development has been evident ever since the 1896 Olympic Games – this has been firmly established during

subsequent international sporting events across the world. Globally, there is growing convergence between

sports and entertainment, as both rise to the challenges of new digital platforms and technologies. Sports and

entertainment events are increasingly being staged together to enhance overall viewing, engagement with fans

and a more intensive experience.

The last few years have seen a surge in development of sports infrastructure and facilities in India and although

at a nascent stage, the Indian sports industry presents substantial opportunities. Globally, sport is a major

contributor to GDPs of developed and developing nations. India's Sports sector has the potential to grow at a

CAGR of 5%, from USD1.53 bn in 2011 to USD1.89 bn in 2015 and is poised to play a larger role in providing

employment and ensuring inclusive growth.

With the advent of corporate support and successful hosting of events such as the Commonwealth Games,

Indian Premier League (IPL), Hockey India League (HIL), Formula 1, Indian Badminton League and the proposed

football, tennis and wrestling leagues, it is evident that there are huge commercial opportunities in the Indian

sports industry.

However, there are several larger aspects related to the management of sports in India that need addressing in

a multi-pronged manner. Even as discussions are underway for granting industry status to sports and bringing in

management proficiency at grass root levels to nurture talent, the sector needs holistic, comprehensive policies,

with buy in at district administration level. Here, a collaborative community approach, through a social equity

model, accompanied by appropriate incentives, can help encourage sports talent.

ASSOCHAM recognizes the tremendous potential in the field of sports and has institutionalized a National

Council for Young India, Sports and Sports Infrastructure to champion knowledge, best practices and

investments for developing sports infrastructure, skill development and training in order to achieve excellence in

sports.

While the current National Sports Development Bill focuses on developing India as a sports powerhouse,

beginning with good Governance, there is an inherent need for a single nodal agency with a board of Governors

from various sports disciplines to direct implementable actions for good governance. Creating world class sports

infrastructure requires policy support, local buy in, large investments, global best practices and technical

knowledge. Given these challenges, Public Private Partnerships (PPP's) can lead the way for developing

sustainable sports infrastructure, with the participation of private sector.

YES BANK and ASSOCHAM are jointly organising the National Conference on Sports and Sports Infrastructure

to discuss the outlook of the evolving Indian Sports industry. On this occasion, I am pleased to present the

ASSOCHAM – YES BANK knowledge report 'Development of Sports & Sports Infrastructure: A Roadmap' that

outlines a roadmap for transforming the sports sector through a comprehensive development policy with active

private sector engagement.

I am confident that the contents of the knowledge report will provide important insights to policy makers in

achieving the transformational vision set forth for growth and development of the sports sector and help

actualize our Olympic dream.

FOREWORD

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Rana Kapoor

President, ASSOCHAM

Managing Director and CEO,

MESSAGE

ASSOCHAM has always strived to remain ahead of the curve in terms of what is pertinent to its stakeholders as

well as for the country. As a leading Apex chamber, ASSOCHAM has always tried to highlight issues that hinder

progress through a consensual multi-stakeholder based dialogue to identify the way forward.

It is with this pedigree that ASSOCHAM has again taken a leadership role in formulating a National Sports

Council to address the broad issues of capacity and skill enhancement, governance and transparency, and the

values and inclusiveness of sports. The Council has representation from a diverse set of participants in the

Sports economy – administrators, sportsmen, sponsors, the Government, well-wishers and others.

The issue of Governance in the running of professional sports in India is of extreme topical importance. The

Council aims to build a consensus on the level of transparency necessary in the administration of different

professional sports to not only bring about an equitable playing-field but also focus the administrative bodies on

achieving success in their respective sports. Governance and accountability is also of paramount importance in

bringing private funding into sports. This level of transparency is necessary to ensure a sustainable level of

corporate interest to create a proper eco-system whereby the needs of sportsmen and fans are met. The

ASSOCHAM Sports Council has represented to the Government of India and the Ministry of Sports on

suggested inclusions in the draft Sports Bill after taking the observations of its members, on specific areas of

governance and transparency.

The professionalism of the administration of sports will allow for the appropriate allocation of capital, and if not

at least the identification of areas which should be considered for further investment. It is not possible for the

Country to achieve success in sports without appropriate facilities for our sportsmen and sportswomen, as well

as world-class training. The Council aims to work towards the identification of a hundred Olympic medalists for

the short term and the requisite funding that may be necessary for them to achieve success.

The values gained from sports are not only confined to our professionals, every child should have the

opportunity to gain from the values that playing sports inculcates. It is also the objective of the Council to

promote sports in schools so that it is relevant in our current curriculum, all while striving to facilitate the use of

public infrastructure for our youth to play sports.

It gives me immense pleasure to Chair this Council for the year 2013-14 and hope that we will be able to make

substantial progress in our objectives.

Nikhil Sawhney

Chairman, ASSOCHAM National Sports Council

MESSAGE

thASSOCHAM is organizing the National Council on Sports & Sports Infrastructure on Monday, 10 February, 2014

in New Delhi with the objective of promoting Sports and to develop a mechanism to involve private sector for

Sports development.

We are happy to note that the Ministry of Sports & Youth Affairs has recommended the inclusion of Sports as a

part of the CSR Activity under the New Companies Act, 2013.

While ASSOCHAM would like to bring more professionalism and accountability in the Sporting arena, we have

urged the concerned Ministries to bring all the National Sports Federation and Associations under the RTI as

envisaged in the Draft National Sports Development Bill, 2013.

I convey my good wishes for the success of this ASSOCHAM's National Conference on Sports & Sports

Infrastructure and thank all the stakeholders for their participation and their guidance.

I also do congratulate the YES BANK and ASSOCHAM Team for preparing this meaningful Report on the subject,

which will certainly help the Government and other important stakeholders in preparing the future roadmap.

D.S. Rawat

Secretary General

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Introduction: Sports as a Social Enabler............................................................ 01

2. Overview of Sports Industry ............................................................................... 05

3. Building Social Fabric through Engagement in Sports .................................... 17

4. Enabling India to Becoming a Sports Superpower .......................................... 23

5. Views from the Field ......................................................... 29

2.1 A Global Perspective...................................................................................... 06

2.2 The India Chapter........................................................................................... 09

2.3 The Business of Sports in India .................................................................... 10

3.1 The Culture and Policy Perspective ............................................................... 18

3.2 Redefining the Sports Policy ......................................................................... 20

3.3 Role of Education in Sports .......................................................................... 21

4.1 PPP as an Enabler in Sports Infrastructure ................................................... 25

4.2 Sustainability through Multi-party Stakeholders ........................................... 26

Is India Losing Steam after Boxing Laurels? Challenges and OpportunitiesSandeep Jajodia .................................................................................................... 30

Building the Future of our Communities through SportsAnurag Thakur ....................................................................................................... 32

Charting India's Return to Glory in Hockey Dr. Narinder Batra .................................................................................................. 34

The State of Sports Governance in India Lessons from Cricket Ayaz Memon ......................................................................................................... 35

Five Things that can help Improve Sports in India Shamya Dasgupta ................................................................................................ 38

Vision Olympics 2020: Inculcating a Sporting Culture among the Youth Manisha Malhotra ................................................................................................. 41

Guest Contributors:

TABLE OF CONTENTS

'My Olympic Journey': Steps to Encourage and Popularizing Badminton in India Saina Nehwal ........................................................................................................ 43

The Future of Indian Badminton Prakash Padukone ................................................................................................. 45

Raising the Popularity of Golf in India Rishi Narain ........................................................................................................... 47

Solving the Great Indian Football Jigsaw: The Way Forward Bhaichung Bhutia .................................................................................................. 49

Creating a Mark on the International Football Map: India's 5 year planSunil Chhetri .......................................................................................................... 51

Sustainable Domestic Leagues in Indian Football Parth Jindal ............................................................................................................ 53Nandan Piramal ..................................................................................................... 56

Grassroots Development in Indian Football Priti Srivastava ........................................................................................................58

Taking Football to Schools: Community Development, Administrative Hurdles and Winning Formula Kishore Gam Taid ................................................................................................... 60

Sports Marketing: Changing the Game Ashish Chaddha .................................................................................................... 62

Sports Marketing: Lokesh Sharma ...................................................................................................... 64

Leadership in Strategic Human Resource ManagementProf. Vivek Pandey ................................................................................................. 66

Sports Infrastructure as the Key Driver for Growth in Sports Hiren Pandit ........................................................................................................... 70

Changing Dynamics in Sports Broadcast in India Prasanna Krishnan ................................................................................................. 72

Return on Investment

6. Roadmap for Development of Sports & Sports Infrastructure ........................ 75

1. Introduction: Sports as a Social Enabler

Introduction: Sports as a Social Enabler

The knowledge report focuses on the socio-economic impact of sports and the necessity of

promoting the 'sporting culture' within the education system, making it a feasible career

option for those inclined towards sports. Looking at critical issues that need a multi-

stakeholder approach, we look at the solutions permeating from a conducive policy

environment, backed by a strong and innovative institutional structure.

1

Considering that 50%

of our population is

below 25 years of age,

there is a strong

prospect of developing

India as a sports

superpower.

Sports and games have historically played a

significant role in development of personality traits

and qualities like discipline, tolerance and leadership

amongst the youth. With adequate support, planning

and focused implementation, immense potential of

the India's youth can be gainfully channelized

through sporting activities. The realization of their

true potential will not only build future character, but

is a conduit of national integration. More importantly,

our top sportsmen come from diverse parts of the

country, many with limited sports infrastructure, thus

indicating huge unexplored potential.

The equality and inclusiveness of sports surpasses

any other nation building activity. However, although

India has an abundant resource of sportspersons

blessed with natural talent, we have not been able to

capitalize on this dividend.

02 Development of Sports & Sports Infrastructure: A Roadmap

Nearly 155 sports are played in India

25 High Impact Sports

Attracting players,

viewers and sponsors

To focus on Sports as a sunrise sector, India needs to deliberate on multiple parameters like

inculcating sports as an academic subject, shortage of trained manpower and specialists,

skill gaps, sports infrastructure and sports medicine, but most importantly, building a sports

culture in the society. While much has advanced in terms of children choosing cricket as a

career option, with recent successes in the Olympics and other sports like tennis and

badminton adding to the plate, the sector employs a variety of experts from other sectors

like medicine, psychology, management.

When considering the stature of an athlete or for that matter any person, I set

great store in certain qualities which I believe to be essential in addition to skill.

They are that the person conducts his or her life with dignity, with integrity,

courage, and perhaps most of all, with modesty. These virtues are totally

compatible with pride, ambition, and competitiveness

~ Don Bradman

……our top sportsmen come from diverse parts of the country, many with limited sports

infrastructure, indicating at the huge unexplored potential.

31 States & Union Territories in in India

SPORTSPERSONS FROM ONLY 18 STATES AND UNION TERRITORIES HAVE MANAGED TO BAG ONE OR MORE MEDALS.

Source: National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC)


2. Overview of Sports Industry

Overview of Sports Industry2

2.1 A Global Perspective

Even as we are building a path towards promoting sports as a nation building activity, it is

imperative to emphasize that sports is a multi-billion dollar industry which can impact

India's economic growth, if promoted in a sustained and focused manner.

Global revenues

of USD 145.3

Bn Global sports

revenues valued

at USD 121.4 Bn

CAGR of 3.7%

2010 2015

Global Sports Revenues 2006-2015

Component 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Global 107,516 111,934 120,760 112,489 121,391 118,690 129,929 130,164 146,469 145,341

Revenues

(USD)

% Change 12.1 4.1 7.9 -6.8 7.9 -2.2 9.5 0.2 12.5 -0.8

Source: Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLP, Wilkofsky Gruen Associates

The global attractiveness of major sporting events is underlined by their ongoing and

generally successful expansion around the world over the last 20 years. The wave of new

stadiums and large sports infrastructure around the globe, growing size of television

contracts and the continued proliferation of sports advertising augur well for an industry

that continues to soar, even as the global economy climbs out of recession

üFor India to grab the opportunity provided by this burgeoning sector, the sector

needs to be taken out of the amusement and entertainment category and given an

industry status as the first step.


üThe Sports Sector is plagued by the lack of infrastructure. Policy impetus enabling

better maintenance and high quality infrastructure construction is the need of the

day.

üIt is the viability of infrastructure that to a large extent affects the sustainability of

the project that will bring in meaningful private participation.

Returns Vs Welfare

Public Sector- Frame progressive, holistic

policies aimed at overall development rather than

limiting itself to infrastructural and administrative support

Private Sector

- Give equal emphasis on the 'welfare' aspect, help the

sporting community through training support, sponsorships,

management, advisory, logistical support etc.

Society

- Treat sports as a viable career option, not merely a recreational activity

- Encourage, support, motivate

As per a recent PwC analysis, the revenues of the Sports Industry grew at a CAGR of 3.7%

between 2011 and 2014. However, growth of the sports sector is seriously under pressure

from economic slowdown.

It is interesting to note that in North America and EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa);

gate revenues are the largest contributor to total revenues. We believe that in the years to

come, gate receipts will play a larger role in the Indian sporting revenue landscape as well.

Larger format and popular events are usually sold out – thereby restricting gate receipts

due to capacity constraints. The addition of new capacity and upgradation of existing

facilities will increase gate revenues in the years to come.

Growth in gate revenues will also be supported by shorter an exciting format of sports.

These formats would attract a new demographic profile such as the youth aged 18-25 as

well as female audiences while gaining popularity in new territories. Shorter format games

such as the Rugby Sevens have been commercially successful in African countries such as

Namibia and Kenya.

In the Indian context, while a number of leagues for different sports such as Hockey and

Motorsports are still at a nascent stage of development; to capitalize on the growing

popularity of football in the country, the 'Indian Super League' - a joint initiative of IMG

Reliance and Star India is all set to launch early next year

Global Sports Revenue Split: India Scorecard

I. Gate Receipts


II. Sponsorships

Sponsorship is the largest contributor to revenues within the Asia Pacific region (43.2%).

Within the Indian context - sponsorship revenues constitute a substantially higher

percentage of total revenues. Increasing spectators and new platforms of content

exploitation have led to an increasing number of brands sponsoring sporting events as part

of their marketing mix and to forge a deeper emotional connect with the consumers.

Global Sports Market by Component (USD Mn)

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Gate Revenues 37,056 38,387 39,998 38,873 39,570 39,043 40,613 41,317 43,544 44,746

Media Rights 24,281 23,861 27,005 24,563 29,225 26,945 32,141 30,062 37,801 35,247

Sponsorships 26,749 29,273 32,494 31,467 34,972 35,132 39,173 40,236 45,559 45,281

Merchandising 19,430 20,413 21,263 17,586 17,624 17,570 18,002 18,549 19,565 20,067

Source: Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLP, Wilkofsky Gruen Associates

Airtel became the title sponsor for the first F1 Indian Grand Prix at a sponsorship of price

of ` 34 crore (Approx. USD 6.2 Mn at current exchange rates) for 5 years with the rationale

of 'the growing sports market in India and the need to connect with younger customers',

while IMG Reliance acquired commercial rights for Indian football from AIFF for 15 years for

a sum of ` 700 crore (Approx. USD 127 Mn at current exchange rates) including media,

sponsorship and advertising, licensing and merchandising.

In the west however, Adidas has a seven-year sponsorship deal with FIFA for USD 315 Mn.

This is one of numerous deals in the USD 100 Mn plus category. We observe, a clear

uptrend in Indian sponsorship revenues and the enormous potential that lies ahead for

Indian Sports in the times to come.

While revenues from Media Rights in the Asia Pacific region are expected to grow at a

CAGR of 4.4%, the top line growth masks large year-on-year swings - a reflection of the

impact of major events such as the F1 Grand Prix, World Cup amongst others. As this

cyclicality in revenues continues, the most powerful and consistent force that drives the

media rights market is the dramatic advancement of technology and distribution platforms

with the rise of social media as a marketing strategy and a tool to engage with the

consumer

In the Indian context, while the Indian Premier League saw Multi Screen Media, its official

telecast partner signed a 10-year deal for nearly ` 8,200 crore; Times Group, on the other

hand, bagged the global Internet, mobile and audio rights, along with television rights in

specific territories outside India for 4 years for nearly ` 261.6 crore. In comparison, Star

bagged the broadcasting rights for all international and domestic cricket matches for `

3,851 crore for a period of 6 years.

III. Media Rights


2.2 The India Chapter

The past few years have seen a spurt in the

development of sports infrastructure and facilities in

India. With the advent of big money and successful

hosting of events such as the Commonwealth Games

2010, ICC World Cup 2011, the IPL, the first ever F1

Indian Grand Prix in 2011 and the recently concluded

Indian Badminton League, there are enormous

commercially exploitable opportunities present in the

Indian Sports industry.

Although at a nascent stage, the Indian sports

industry presents substantial opportunities for every

stakeholder in the sporting eco-system. The fact that

sport till now has not been a priority sector in India is

evident from the meager budget allocation of 0.14%

in the country's 2013-2014 budget. Inadequate

financial support from the Government has

constrained the creation & maintenance of Sports infrastructure in India.

An area such as sports infrastructure requires policy support, local buy-ins, large

investments and technical knowledge. Given these challenges, Public Private Partnerships

(PPP's) have become the order of the day for the development of sustainable sporting

infrastructure and have been successfully applied to the development of several sporting

assets across the globe. With the advent of the league format, the business of sports has

also become about creating valuable media and entertainment properties. It is this change

in the outlook that has started attracting private interest in Indian sports. The opportunities

are vast and strewn across the entire sporting chain & will lie in creating sporting leagues,

talent management, sports training, and creating infrastructure via the PPP route.

The successful hosting of the F1 Indian Grand Prix & Commonwealth Games have paved

the way for more international sporting events to be held in the country. India can use

these mega events to invite potential investors to witness its mettle for execution, before

they make their investment decisions. It is an opportunity to develop and showcase our

infrastructure, our organizational ability and our willingness to be a part of the global

sporting village.

üIn India, the business of sports will grow at a CAGR of 5% from USD 1.53 Bn in

2011 to USD 1.89 Bn in 2015.

üAccording to a recent study, India is expected to witness a significant surge in TV

advertising and sponsorship income in the coming years, making it the second-best

revenue generator after Brazil, among the BRIC countries.

The Indian

opportunities are vast

and strewn across the

entire sporting chain &

will lie in creating

sporting leagues,

talent management,

sports training, and

creating infrastructure

via the PPP route.


üThough India would account for a mere 1.3% of the worldwide sporting revenues,

the rate of growth is expected to be much higher than the global CAGR of 3.7% till

2015.

Sports have always been fundamental to our culture since the Vedic

times. While cricket has always been a favourite sport in the country, it

was only after winning the World Cup in 1983 did cricket gain

precedence and mass fan following. Hockey on the other hand, has

been popular in India since pre-independence times and with the announcement of the

Indian Hockey League, has been recently resurrected.

Apart from hockey and cricket, there is no denying that there are several other sports like

soccer, tennis, boxing, badminton, racing, golf, etc. are slowly gaining importance in the

country and have also started doing exceptionally well. With the emergence of national and

international sports leagues and India's participation in these leagues being duly noted,

India's standing in the international sports scenario has also significantly improved. Sports

leagues have also proven to be massive sources of revenue thereby greatly increasing the

overall size of the industry. While there is already a highly successful Indian cricket league

that has been established, there are other up-and-coming sports leagues of which the

establishment is underway. With increased investments in sports and related activities,

sports will slowly start comprising of a higher percentage of viewership and revenue share.

The pre-independence era saw a more unorganized dimension to sports as compared to

today. Most of the sports we watch today like badminton, cricket, hockey, polo, football, etc

existed in slightly primitive forms. However, post independence the same sports were

modernized and are being played in the country as anywhere else in the world. One of the

biggest milestones for Indian sports post-independence was when the IX Asian Games

were hosted in New Delhi in 1982. This led to a boost in sports facilities and infrastructure

for the capital city. Other cities in the country have also followed suit and there are similar

facilities being developed. India has hosted a series of sports events including the Asian

Games, the 1987 and 1996 Cricket World Cup, the 2003 Afro-Asian Games, the 2010

Hockey World Cup, the 2010 Commonwealth Games, the 2011 Cricket World Cup and the

first Indian Grand Prix in 2011.

Cricket occupies the lion's share of sports viewing and advertisement revenues in India.

Around 90% of the advertisement money targeted at sports goes to cricket. However, this

trend is changing. Early success is starting to come by in non-cricket sports: India has

achieved its best ever performance in recent multi-sport events such as the London

Olympics 2012, Commonwealth Games 2010 and Asian Games 2010. The corporate world

is taking note. Non-cricketing events are getting increased sponsorships and advertising

2.3 The Business of Sports in India (Rakesh Jariwala, Partner EY)

The Evolution of Sports in India



revenues, even though cricket continues to be the favourite among marketers. Football,

hockey, golf etc. are slowly making their presence felt. The viewership of these sports is

rising, which is attracting the private sector as well as foreign clubs and associations, to tap

into their growth potential.

86%

45%

28% 27% 26%21%

9% 9% 5%17%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Cricket Football Hockey Golf Marathons Tennis Badminton Indigenous sport

Polo Others

Games Favoured by Brands for their Marketing Campaigns

Corporates and foreign clubs/associations are entering long-term deals for development

and monetization of sports other than cricket. Several sports associations have

launched/planning to launch IPL-styled franchisee-based leagues to boost the growth of

respect ive sport in the countr y. Foreign sports associat ions such as

FédérationInternationale de Football Association (FIFA), National Basketball Association

(NBA), European PGA Tour, are also working for development of respective sports in India.

The hugely popular Indian Premier League (IPL) has shown tremendous success since its

conception. The success of this league has inspired other less popular sports in India to

take up this particular format. For example, India successfully managed to host the Hockey

India League earlier in 2013. An IPL-style football league is also expected to take off this

year. The Indian Badminton League (IBL) was launched in 2013 as a franchise league by the

Badminton Association of India (BAI) which was a huge success in its debut season and is

expected to grow further and attract more advertisers in the upcoming seasons. There are

other sports such as volleyball, basketball, tennis, and motor sports which are also

contemplating launching similar leagues in the country. One of the major positives of this

league format is that it incorporates sports people from all spheres – international, national,

and local. This way, even the local state players get a chance to be a part of a league and

use it as a stepping stone to their respective careers.

Investments in sports by the private sector earlier formed part of its corporate social

responsibility (CSR) initiatives. However, IPL has spurred commercial interest in companies

to monetize sports other than cricket through a sustainable model. In 2010, Reliance, a

large industrial conglomerate, partnered with IMG, an international sports management

company, to promote various sports such as basketball, football, tennis and golf from

The Business of Sports in India


grassroots level. For instance, IMG-Reliance has signed a 30-year deal with the Basketball

Federation of India (BFI) to develop basketball from grassroots to a professional league.

Mahindra & Mahindra has also partnered with the BFI and the US-based National Basketball

Association (NBA) for a recreational league in India. As these initiatives begin to

demonstrate results, it is expected to improve overall commercial value of these sports in

India. There however exists a chicken and egg situation wherein the developer may be

willing to invest capital but no visible revenue streams. Indian as well as foreign leagues

see immense possibilities of scaling up for popularising games other than cricket in India

but shortage of value managers who can provide certainty to developers on a long term

basis are missing.

The IPL has successfully

e s t a b l i s h e d t wo m a i n

revenue streams for the

franchises – traditional and

non-traditional. Traditional

revenue streams include

revenues attained purely

through sponsorships and

t i c k e t s a l e s , w h i c h

constitutes the bulk of the

total franchise revenue pie.

The non-traditional revenue

streams comprise of the

revenues that are generated

through merchandising and

other f ranchise re lated

activities. Social media also plays a huge role in popularizing franchises during the season

and otherwise. The main challenge that most sports franchises face is monetizing this

digital fan base. However, some IPL franchises have been able to successfully monetize a

considerable chunk of their digital fan base by introducing fan clubs which charge a one-

time fee to sign up. These fan clubs offer several perks to their members which are not only

valid throughout the season but throughout the year as well. This system has worked very

well for the franchises and has even become best case practices that other franchises are

looking to adopt.

Sports being a State subject in India, it is time State Governments begin looking at

developing sports infrastructure with a fresh perspective. Firstly, it should be ensured that

utilization rate for each of the sports complexes and stadia in the State reach at least

75%throughout the year. This would require shift in policies, especially the building bye-

laws in regard to allowing non-sports activities in a sports facility. This would also ensure

that due diligence is carried out in identifying suitable sites for building such infrastructure.

Sports Infrastructure

38%

22%

15%

15%

6%

3% 1%

Revenue Distribution of IPL Franchises

Central broadcasting Team sponsorship Central sponsorship

Gate receipts In-stadia advertising Merchandise sales

Prize money


Secondly, sports infrastructure development in urban areas should be associated with tying

in development of a sports facility in adjoining rural areas to ensure development is not

focused around a few centres. State Governments need to plan availability of infrastructure

to maximum communities and citizens. Further, talent scouts must be engaged in these

facilities to spot and identify talent. Such individuals must be then encouraged and put

through an elite training program at best-in class infrastructure developed at a few key

locations in the State or even the centre.

Finally, to implement the above suggestions, State Governments should promote setting up

of companies with a special purpose of developing sports. These special purpose vehicles,

with participation from Government as well as private sector entities, will manage the multi

purpose aspect for optimum utilization of sports infrastructure. At the same time, these

vehicles shall view sports in the State from a holistic perspective and provide appropriate

infrastructure level for various categories of users. In regard to the Central Government's

support, steps taken in this direction by the State Governments should feature among the

criteria for Central Government to award rights to host India's National Games.

26-49%

Shares andInterest free loan forconcessional value ofland/building

Represented by StateGovernment, olympicassociation (India +State) and foreignsports agency(non-pvt.)

ü

ü

ü

Multi-purposefacility withminimum area foronly sports andminimum sportsdays for other

ü

Limits on sportsuser fee

ü

Conditionaldevelopment(urban:rural = 1:10

ü

Wide representationin Board of Directors

ü

51-74% (single)shareholding notmore than 26%)

ü

Buy shareholding(bidding on minimumperiod)

ü

Expertise in design,development,operation ormaintenance

ü

Go

vern

me

nt

Pri

vate

En

titi

es


Case Study – The Staples Center, Los Angeles

The Staples Center, one of the

world's premier sports and

entertainment venue, is home to

four US professional sports

franchises – two from the The

National Basketball Association

(NBA, The LA Lakers and the LA

Clippers), one from the National

Hockey League (the LA Kings)

and one from the Women's NBA

(The LA Sparks). The Staples

Center hosts over 250 events and

nearly 4 million visitors a year. The

stadium has been named as "Arena of the Year" by Pollstar Magazine twice and

nominated each year since opening.

The stadium has played a crucial role in revitalizing the downtown area of Los Angeles

when the cities' professional football teams, The National Football League's (NFL) Raiders

and Rams moved from Los Angeles to other cities.

üAnnual revenue from lease value of the Staples Center site

üTaxes from ticket sales

üShare of parking revenues

üProperty taxes obtained from the operation of the Staples Center

üIncremental sales taxes, business license taxes and utility taxes

üLocal employment

üRevitalization of city's sports infrastructure

üTicket sales: The stadium operates for over 250 days in a year, providing regular

income stream from ticket sales. The resident four professional leagues ensure

full utilization of stadium capacity. In addition, the multi-purpose nature of the

stadium ensures that the facility can be used for other sports such as boxing

and wrestling.

üNaming rights: Office-supply company Staples, Inc. purchased the naming rights

for USD 116 Mn for 20 years (later extended till perpetuity).

Benefits to the City:

Stadium Monetization:

The Staples Center - Key facts

Year of construction

Construction cost

Area

Seating capacity

Ownership

1999

Approximately USD 400 Mn (mainly privately financed, USD 70 Mn from public subsidies)

2950,000 sq. feet (~88,000 m )

Approximately 20,000

Private (owned and operated by the L.A. Arena Company and Anschutz Entertainment Group)


üSponsorship rights: The stadium has corporate sponsorship partners such the

American Express, Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Toyota, Panasonic, Verizon and Wells

Fargo.

üEntertainment use: The stadium has hosted several high-profile celebrity

concerts, award ceremonies and family shows.

üOthers: Includes revenue streams such as luxury seating facilities (premium

lounges and club seats) and parking space.

Indian tax and regulatory scenario for business of sports is not most conducive for growth

of sports and sports infrastructure. While the regulations provide discretion to the

authorities to provide incentives and exceptions to the sports events, such incentives and

exemptions are far and few: Firstly, the parameters are not very well defined coupled

with administrative hassles one had to go through to land the incentives and exemption.

Secondly, with the activist movement, there is a certain element of scepticism and

conservatism that precludes grant of incentives/ exemption. Last and perhaps the most

damaging aspect is challenge to and withdrawal of incentives/ exemption granted to the

sports event on account of agitation or an activist movement. All these elements result

in great uncertainly and the promoter of the event ends up taking a significant risk on the

event in most cases.

Where the event is not tax exempt, there is a multitude of taxes that apply right from

withholding taxes to sales tax, service tax, entertainment tax, state taxes, and so on, and

often, the same transaction is subjected to multiple tax levies which increases the cost

substantially. Often, a long litigation pursues either to defend the tax position taken or to

secure refund of taxes paid.

It is imperative that a fair and transparent mechanism based on active consultation is

evolved to firstly define the kind of events that will qualify for incentive benefits/

exemption. The approach could be based on 'draft for public comments' where business

forums, sports bodies and other stakeholders can actively contribute towards the

legislative framework.

Tax and Regulatory Perspective:

3. Building Social Fabric through Engagement in Sports

Engagement of society through sports is amply proven through popular games like cricket

and football. Cricket fever grips the Indian subcontinent during every big tournament.

Although street cricket is common, a lot of talent remains untapped. It is only possible to

promote the sports culture through affordable, common and grass-root sports.

A focused approach is required to increase sporting culture across segments of the society

and categories of sports, so that they are within the economic means of the population and

are sustainable.

Building Social Fabric through Engagement in Sports

3

3.1 The Culture and Policy Perspective

Interestingly, the need for meaningful engagement in sports is not only a challenge in rural

India, but also a growing worry among urban societies. With little emphasis on seeking

talent or training and exercise at home or school and with the advent of technology, children

have increasingly resorted to indoor games, taking them away from their natural

surroundings.

Sports as a culture needs widespread acceptance and not be viewed only as a lifestyle or

leisure oriented engagement. This is only possible if the activity offers long-term career and

livelihood opportunities. Sports are one of the few socially inclusive agendas that can

provide maximum engagement across the entire economic strata of the society with

minimal investment.

The Government needs to work towards putting the right systems in place so sports are

made mandatory as a part of formal and informal education systems. Basic training should


Luxury Category:

Golf, F1, Polo, Shooting

Grassroot SportsKho-Kho, Swimming, Football,

Throwball, Cricket

:

Mid Category: Cricket, Football, Table Tennis, Tennis, Badminton, Swimming

be provided at schools and trained

c o a ch e s s h o u l d b e h i r e d

c o m p u l s o r i l y. Th e c e n t r a l

Government has taken cognizance

of these requirements, and the

Ministry has prepared a concept

note on 'Identifying & Nurturing

Sports Talent'. The paper seeks to

bring out the need for addressing

fundamental weaknesses of the

sporting sector such as: upgrading

the skills of our sports persons

through better coaching; sports

medicine facilities and better

support services; enhanced

participation in competitions of a

international standards both in

India as wel l as overseas;

developing a strong bench

st rength ; mak ing spor ts a

rewarding career option; and

enhancing investment in the

sector.

The Concept Note also seeks to

explore the possibilities of increased

private sector involvement and the

methods by which sports can

become a significant business

opportunity. It sets up specific goals rd

and milestones such as 3 position in

the overall medals tally in the

Commonwealth Games at Glasgow

2014, with a medal tally of 125 thmedals; 5 position in Incheon Asian

Games 2014 with a medals tally of

75 medals; Ranking among the top

twenty in medals tally with 20 nd

medals in 2016 Rio Olympics; 2

position in Commonwealth Games th

2018; Maintaining 5 position in Asian

Games 2019; and getting into the list of first ten sporting nations in Olympics 2020 with a

medals tally of not less than 25-30, with at least five gold medals.

üUnless the local community understands the

emphasis on sports and has a stake in the

infrastructure or the initiative, no amount of

investment can help the sports culture grow.

üApart f rom one t ime investment in

infrastructure development, it is imperative to

have sustainable models to also address

issues like maintenance, coaching and

exposure mechanism for talents discovered.

üSports in a bigger sense will promote multi-

faceted character building and thus address

strengthening of the social fabric of the

society. Promotion of sports activity thus

needs to be independent of political influence

and preferably under the aegis of retired

sports personalities and eminent citizens of

the society.

Strengthening Social Fabric:

üDevelop ing Qual i t ies of Good Citizenship and Community Services

üReinforcing Volunteerism in Youth

üEngaging Rural Youth in Nation Building Activities

Encouraging Adventure Activities

üCreate International Perspective among Youth

üBuilding Concensus to promote adventure sports across society through Participation


3.2 Redefining the Sports Policy

Defining the role of grass-root level stakeholders and moving from State to Multiple

Agency Implementation Mode

As per the Constitutional provisions, Sports & Physical Education are a State subject. The

development of sports had been conceived originally as an activity that would require a

broad centralized direction along with the freedom and given to individual States to decide

the course of their individual sports policy.

Though financial assistance by the Central Government in the form of funds and grants

towards Sports development has been steadily flowing in, they have not been channelized

into result-oriented implementation. Now that the Sports personalities have successfully

taken India to the international platform, we should pitch in for better fund utilization and

dedicated focus on results. This requires guidance and monitoring by Central

Government towards implementation of sports policies through possible

amendments in the existing Constitutional set up. Besides appropriate Constitutional

Review, sports development in India requires a grass root development approach with

active development and a clearly defined institutional framework with a separate set of

roles and responsibilities.

The comprehensive National Sports Policy gives out the sports development matrix. While

the functions of institutions such as Sports Authority of India, Indian Olympic Association is

easily understood, the role of other stakeholders in the matrix such as Rural NGOs and

Panchayati Raj Institutions needs to be clearly etched out and a separate section

detailing the roles of these stakeholders should be incorporated in the draft policy.


India still lacks a Comprehensive Sports Bill

While past performance, sports climate and host-effect are factors endemic to a region, population and per capita income are factors which the States can work

around through appropriate policy measures

Apart from some States like Gujarat and Rajasthan, PPP for infrastructure development has still not been integrated into the sports policy of most States

Lack of accountability plagues most sports authorities / associations

Reduction in the number of open spaces in urban needs to be addressed

3.3 Role of Education in Sports

Mechanism to Ensure Quality Sports Training in Schools

Market Research in Sports & Allied Subjects

Enhanced Emphasis on Sports and Adventure Tourism

üThe comprehensive sports policy highlights that only 43% of the schools have

access to proper play fields. However, we find that between 1978 and 2002, access

to playfields has actually gone down by 7% in primary, 9% in upper primary and 5%

in secondary and high secondary schools.

üTo overcome this, the sports policy calls for physical education and sports to be

made a mandatory part of the curriculum up to higher secondary level.

üThe evaluation scheme in case of the physical education should be made more

stringent with a system of external examination and evaluative practices

soundly ingrained in the system to strengthen the implementation mechanism,

and maintain quality standards in training and development of talent as well as

engaging the civil society.

Another area that needs emphasis for inclusion in the sports policy is the development of

sports research, especially towards talent development and sports medicine. A policy

towards social acceptance can be housed under a separate wing in the Ministry of Sports

and Youth Affairs, with representation from other relevant ministries like Ministry of Health

and Family Welfare, Ministry of HRD amongst others.

There is a need to assess the sports infrastructure in individual States for different sports

and identification of the existing gaps and centralized database of existing talent in various

sports at the National, State and Zonal level. Such a study should be carried out at regular

intervals to gauge the progress of infrastructure development.

The National Sports Policy 2001 lays emphasis on the promotion of sports tourism and

innovative resource mobilization efforts for sports, especially from corporate houses,

through an appropriate package of fiscal incentives. The comprehensive DRAFT National

Sports Policy, 2007 adds to this and recognizes the importance of tourism as an economic

spin - off in the development of sports in the country and leveraging sports for National

Economic Development by encouraging sports tourism, both through participation and

viewership, including adventure sports in the country, in close association with State

Governments, Tour Operators and NGOs promoting adventure sports such as rock climbing,

rafting, skiing, paragliding, rappelling, trekking, sea exploration, scuba diving, snorkeling

amongst others.

However, the draft policy does not provide a specific roadmap for developing sports

tourism within the country. The incentives provided for promoting sports tourism may be


adapted individually to States, but some broad guidelines / examples from other countries'

success stories in promoting sports tourism should be incorporated in the draft policy (as

has been done by providing the examples of Cuba and China to show how much India is

lagging behind in terms of Sports Development) to give it a more holistic view and clearly

define the expectations from the States as well as the Nation. Convergence in the vision

plans of Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of Sports & Youth Affairs would also provide

further insights into promoting sports and adventure tourism in the country teeming with

geographical diversity.

The current Sports Development Bill focuses on developing India as a sports

powerhouse, beginning with good governance in the sector through a Sports election

commission and transparent rules of membership in sports committees and federations.

However, as the Bill does not clearly authorize Central Government as a governing body, it

often leaves the sector at the mercy of local federations and clubs, which are at times

unable to grasp the bigger picture. Also, creation of multiple nodal agencies like

Government accreditation body in addition to National Olympic Committee and the

International Sports Federation will only create confusion in the system. The need is for

one single Nodal Agency with a Board of Governors, from various sport disciplines

which can advice provide an action plan to federations for implementation of good

governance.

The bill effectively needs to bring the focus back on:

üEncouraging Public Private Partnership (PPP) model for Infrastructure Development

& Talent Grooming

üIndia as a manufacturing hub for sports equipment

üJob Security and incentives to sportspersons.


4. Enabling India to Becoming a Sports Superpower

Enabling India to Becoming a Sports Superpower

4


th thIndia is currently ranked 55 in Olympic rankings, down from 50 position in the Beijing

Olympics. Despite a large population of 1.2 billion, India has only 0.003 medals per million

people, which is not only fractional to top nations like China (0.075) and the USA (0.361),

but even lower than countries like Ethiopia (0.088) and Jamaica (3.931).

The London Olympics 2012 saw

Indian contingent bagging six medals,

from 732 athletes across sixteen

disciplines, supported by 129 Indian

and 21 foreign coaches and 65

support staff (including 4 from

abroad). Approximately ` 135 crores

were spent on training since April

2011, when Operation Excellence

(OPEX) was started. ` 70.35 crore

was spent on foreign exposure alone.

There were 103 National Camps

across the country during this period.

Thus, the crying need for planning, in

order to succeed in Olympics or for

that matter in any international meet,

is very well identified. While in short term, identifying talent, grooming and specific road

maps need to be chalked out, in medium term these sportspersons need to be frequently

exposed in the international arena. Sports still remain individual-driven in our country, but to

succeed internationally, it is important that the Government takes special steps to

acknowledge and groom our sportspersons.

As sports become even more competitive, the skill-sets of our participants need to be

continuously augmented through professional coaching and world class infrastructure. The

fact that the Central and State Governments together spend only around 2 paisa per capita

per day on Sports highlights the need to accord greater importance to sports.

Our goal of success in the Olympics depends hugely on the successful promotion of sports

as a career option in the country. Awareness build-up for society in sports needs to be in

tune with student's preparation for International Maths Olympiad, as an example.

Duty

ImmunityPPP

ModelsPower

Liability

4.1 PPP as an Enabler in Sports Infrastructure

Policy-wise, sports activities are still

under the entertainment category and

needs to be looked at again. The

segment at present is plagued by the

l a ck o f i n f r a s t r u c t u r e , p o o r

m a i n t e n a n c e a n d u n f o c u s e d

construction. To give the sector a high

quality categorization and quality that

most sporting facilities demands, it is

important that the sector is given an

industry status.

It is the viability of infrastructure that,

to a large extent, affects the

sustainability of the projects that can

bring about meaningful private

participation. Sports development

needs to be monitored by the Centre

and at the same time, the States

should develop meaningful sports

policies that critically address the ways

and means to overcome the gaps in

sports infrastructure and promote

sports development in all respects.

Analysis of the State of policies as well

as the Infrastructural Development in

Sports in Indian States supports the

context of regional diversity in sports in

India. This diversity implies that some

States are leaders in this field while

others are still working towards making

their presence felt, moreover, different

regions specialize in different sports.

According to the Haryana Sports Policy,

2011, the superlative performance of

the State is attributable to five factors -

population, per capita income, past

performance, climate and the host-

effect. Climate and Past Performance

of any State with respect to sports are

primarily governed by the policy and

Neighborhood Sports Centres through PPP

Neighbourhood Sports Centres can be set up

through Public Private Partnership in top 100

cities in India to make a stronger Nation for

sports.

There is a need for a Vision and Framework at

National, State and City level.

The funding can be jointly done by the Mission

Directorate under JNNURM and Sports

Ministry. The Ministry would come up with a

broad policy framework for capacity building to

strengthen the institutional arrangements also

including involvement of private institutions,

encouraging academic and professional

institutions to build Neighbourhood Sporting

facilities on PPP model.

The activities taken up for financial support

should usually be completed within a time

span not exceeding two years, unless

otherwise decided by the Sanctioning

Committee. 50% financial support under the

JNNURM funds should be extended to the

identified institutions/Cities/States for the

following:

1. Setting up of Neighbourhood Sporting

facilities

2. Conducting expert training

Salient Features:

üPPP can be on the model of BOOT with a

revenue sharing between the Government

and the investor.

üRevenue sharing in the ratio of 80:20 until

exit from the project/transferring the

project.

üWith a pay back to the tune of 2.5 times of

the initial investment on an annuity for a


institutional set up in the States and the

remaining factors such as population,

per capita income are endemic and

influenced by a number of other

factors.

The sports policy of most States is

formed with the same objectives of

`sports for all' and achieving 'excellence

in sports'. However, the micro aspects

under various categories contribute

towards the diversity in performance by

different States.

The buzz word in Infrastructural Development in sports is Public Private Partnership (PPP).

While some States like Gujarat, Rajasthan have defined the role of Public Private

Partnership in their sports policy; other States like Madhya Pradesh have conceptualized

and are moving ahead with the development of Sports Cities on PPP mode. PPP needs to

be pragmatically integrated into the sports policy of most States.

The economic costs associated with the urban development in cities are huge; reduction in

the number of open spaces being an important one. Sports policy of States like Haryana

have explicitly explained the organization of new residential / commercial spaces keeping in

mind the need of developing places for development and promotion of sports. Such

provisions can have a long term impact on improving the sports culture in every State.

Timely planning and development of sports infrastructure seems to the current problem.

The Social Equity Model derives itself from the basic Public Private Partnership (PPP)

approach for the infrastructure sector that is based on Build-Operate-Transfer. However this

model attempts to holistically include the community as an active project partner. This

model represents a shift away from the regular grant and subsidy model to a social equity

model that is based on PPP, implicitly trying to make it more sustainable in the long run.

Most often, this equity would also need to be provided directly or indirectly by the public

agency; however ultimately it will be the individual members of the concerned community

who will have stake in the project.

The raison d'être of the social equity model is to involve the community in the process of

development in order to assure sustainable and inclusive development. The model focuses

on involvement of all the stakeholders and provides positive returns to all of them. With a

stake in the project, the community is assured of being involved in the decision making and

hence assured of all the policies of the project directed towards their well-being. Sports

infrastructure development on these lines can address several of the society-driven hurdles

and challenges faced today.

4.2 Sustainability through Multi-party Stakeholders

period of 15 years from the day of entering

into a MoU based on NPV.

üThis model is currently being adopted by

Government of Kerala.

The sporting facility will boost sports in

different sections of the society. It will house

State-of-the-art equipment and facilities for

players and coaches, and will cater to different

types of indoor and outdoor sports. (Global

Initiative for Restructuring Environment and

Management).


üThe community can participate in sports projects by entering into agreement with the promoter and forming a part of the SPV by providing part / whole of the required land for the facility.

üThe agreement would also ensure that the community actively participates in the

running and management of the facility so as to protect their rights and prevent

incorrect use of land.

üThe children of that community would also be given admission to the facility at a

subsidized fee.

üIt would be most prudent if the sports facility were linked with the nearest educational

institute thereby catering to an assured clientele.

However, it must be realized that the social equity model is a developing concept and not a

miracle cure that can innovatively resolve all the social issues and brings about sustainable

and inclusive growth. It is a complex contract because of the risks that will be allocated to

the parties. Perhaps the biggest challenge is that of actually getting the community to have

stake in the project, particularly in India, where a vibrant democratic system relates to a

multiple socio-political, religious and culturally diverse society. However, these cannot be

considered as barriers to further developing the concept of Social Equity; and knowledge-

based institutions can take up the task of studying how to overcome these challenges.


Social Equity Model for Sports

Promoter (Entrepreneur/s or Company)

NGO(s)

Government

Special Purpose Vehicle

Knowledge Advisory

Financiers / Investors

Local Community

- Development & Implementation

- Capital & Overall Management

- Private Sector Efficiency- Branding

-Govt. Facilitation-Fiscal Concessions / Social Equity Investment

- Structuring/ Social Equity based inclusive debt

- Advisory, PPP implementation, private participation

- Facilitators- Synergetic Partnerships

- Equity in Project- Employment- Empowerment

- Land at commercial rates

- Structured Participation in Management

This knowledge publication has made an effort to present the Vision of making India a

Sporting Nation. While research and business understanding has given a broad perspective

of the kind of investment and policy impetus required to give sports sector the much

needed boost, it is important that we also look at the views of the stakeholders and experts

from various sporting sectors to understand the grass-root reality.


5. Guest Contributors: Views from the Field

India, for long, has only been known as a cricketing nation. However, going from winning

eleven medals in twelve Olympics between 1928 and 1980, to setting the new best for the

country winning six total medals in four sports in one Olympic alone, held in London in the year

2012, India has come a long way. Thanks to the media, the Government and a few corporate

initiatives, there has been a rise of sports other than Cricket in the recent past.

Talking about our group's association with boxing, I would like to share that with the intent of

strengthening the focus on sports in the country; we have established Monnet Sports

Foundation. As a first step, we have associated ourselves as the official sponsors of the Indian

Boxing Team, to contribute in the development of the sport and also as this sport representing

power, strength, agility and endurance, syncs perfectly well with the Group's business

operations i.e. steel manufacturing and power generation. Over the years, the boxers and the

boxing sport has witnessed considerable growth and has been bringing many laurels for India

on national and international levels. Infact, the London Olympics 2012 witnessed the largest

ever boxing contingent participating in the games. It further gets validated through the success

of the 'Golden Girl' of India and five-time World Boxing Champion, M.C. Mary Kom, who has

done India proud by winning a Bronze Medal at the London Olympics 2012 and the

unprecedented haul of three gold and four bronze medals at the Commonwealth Games, 2010

along with the stellar performance of Vijender Singh in the Asian games, 2010 give just a

glimpse of the golden period of Indian Boxing.

The success of boxers and of boxing sport in the London Olympics, 2012 and other

international platforms has garnered interest amongst the younger generation and has proved

to be a source of inspiration to innumerable budding boxers, particularly young women and

girls. Infact these achievements have been acting as a catalyst in transitioning the sport from

mere hobby to a full-time career option and have opened new avenues for aspiring boxers to

follow their dreams.

However, the challenges posed to India in the world boxing arena are many, the primary being

the lack of proper administration and adequate funds for the development of this high-on-

adrenaline Sport. There is an urgent requirement of proper training facilities for budding boxers.

Also, the potential of most boxers-in-the-making is nipped in the bud with their nutritional

Is India Losing Steam after Boxing Laurels? Challenges and Opportunities

– Sandeep Jajodia


requirements not being fulfilled. Besides addressing these challenges, another major

roadblock is the insufficient media attention the Boxing sport attracts. The power of media to

create icons cannot be undermined. It is, thus, important to create hype around the fastest

growing game of India.

In India, the opportunities in this sport are immense. The huge unrealized potential that India

possesses in terms of future boxing stars has the ability to take on even the best Boxers

around the world.

The Monnet Sports Foundation (MSF) has been witness to a number of aspiring boxing

champions. Through our efforts in this direction, we have been able to closely link ourselves

with some of the most promising boxing champions in the making, residing in small towns but

filled with the enthusiasm to conquer the world. It gives me immense pleasure to mention

here the case of Anu Rana, the daughter of a security guard at our Raipur plant. A student of

Class VII, in Monnet DAV Public School, Raipur, Anu has amazing boxing skills and has won

seven Gold medals in the Chhattisgarh State Boxing tournaments and a Gold medal in the thweight category 40-42 kg, in the 7 Sub-Junior Women Boxing Championship. Her

accomplishments at such a young age are exemplary. Anu's dedication and the aspiration to

represent India in the sport of Boxing inspired us to take the onus of fulfilling her dream.

Monnet Sports Foundation takes care of her nutritional needs, so that she can undergo proper

training regimes, while also providing proper boxing kits to her in order to ensure her safety.

Thus, we are continuously striving to take small steps towards our vision of making India

known in the arena of world boxing.

Monnet has commenced its journey towards the fulfillment of its vision by becoming the

official sponsors of the Indian Boxing Team. We also have plans to set up Monnet Boxing

Academies to identify and nurture the untapped boxing talent of India. It is important for us to

realize that there is an urgent need to support our budding boxers who have the potential to

help India rise and shine on various international platforms. I strongly believe that India has the

potential to register itself in the history of world-boxing. India is not losing steam on its boxing

laurels, infact, it is just a phase that shall soon pass and Indian Boxing will bounce back with the

same zeal and gusto. However, the need of the hour is strong administration and infrastructural

support from all quarters - Corporate Organizations, Government Bodies, Voluntary

Associations along with the Media playing a responsible role in creating awareness about

Boxing and the opportunities associated with it , while also giving due recognition to our boxing

stars.

Here's hoping that the Indian Boxing, mired in controversies in the present times, will brave the

storm and continue its growth trajectory in times to come.

The author is Vice President, ASSOCHAM and CMD, Monnet Group


Sports connects people across the world, it dispels stereotypes and has often ignited the

patriotic fervor amongst communities and countries. In India though, sports activities are a

pass time and yet to be seen as a professional career by students and parents alike. What we

lack is a sports culture and an environment conducive for budding athletes to flourish; this is

made worse by the pittance allocated to Sports year after year in the budget.

If we look at the budgetary allocation for sports and games last year, it was ` 792.72 crore of

which ` 45 crore was earmarked for urban sports infrastructure schemes. Do the math,

compare that to China's USD 42 Bn splurge on the Olympic Games and you will realize why

India's billion strong population - of which over 700 million are under 35 years of age - do not

look at sports as a serious career choice. Adding to years of Government apathy is the scam of

the CWG, which many believed could have been a turning point for sports in the country.

However, inspite of that, at the age of 14, many years ago, I decided to pursue cricket as a

career. I was selected to the U-19 team that played against England at Delhi and Patiala and

captained the Punjab U-19 cricket team that won the All India Championship. From being a

cricket player I took on the role of a sports administrator at the age of 25, becoming the

youngest person to lead any sports body of repute in the country - the Himachal Pradesh

Cricket Association. Presently I lead numerous sports bodies such as the BCCI as Hon. Joint

Secretary, Himachal Pradesh Olympic Association as its President, Hockey India as its

Associate Vice President and the Indian Olympic Association as its Vice President.

With great responsibilities, come greater challenges and there in lie immense opportunities.

My love for sports and passion for cricket took shape in the creation of the picturesque

international level Cricket Stadium at Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh. Built on a budget of ̀ 60

crore, it also has an Indoor Stadium & Rehabilitation Center and will soon be home to a Cricket

Museum in honour of Sachin Tendulkar. We have hosted four successful seasons of the IPL,

matches between UK & Indian MPs and Bollywood Stars & Indian Parliamentarians. Two

Sports Academy's will be run in association with Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh. Being a

sports enthusiast, I decided to develop world class infrastructure across my State and have

pledged to build 12 National level cricket stadiums in each District - HQ of which five are already

operational. I also plan to build nearly 250 playgrounds across the State and upgrade other

sports facilities.

Building the Future of our Communities through Sports– Anurag Thakur


If world class sports infrastructure can be built at such low costs even in a hilly terrain like

Himachal Pradesh, why not across India in every district? As cities grow, spaces for recreation

become limited, but why can we not convert our terraces into small basketball courts, our

gardens into volleyball or badminton courts and build small hockey fields above parking lots?

The recipe to doing that is a vision and passion, the rest fall in place.

Young India is looking for change, they dream of living in an India that offers them hope,

confidence and new opportunities. Let us, together and give them that future through sports.

The author is Member of Parliament and Joint Secretary, BCCI


The reference to hockey and the term 'returning to its former glory' has been used extensively

by media, fans, former players and the public alike for the last couple of years whenever there is

a positive change in the sport. Ofcourse, those of us working in Hockey Administration are well

aware that it will take more than one tournament or the hiring of that One coach to change the

fortunes of Indian Hockey.

So much of the success of any sport lies in the success of its National teams in international

competition, and the consistent performance of those teams on the elite stage. In Hockey

India, we understand the importance of this success and have taken a two-pronged approach

to the success of the sport.

Firstly, we are working closely with the Sports Authority of India and Ministry of Youth Affairs &

Sports to ensure that there is no compromise with the programmes for our national teams and

the best available support and resources are provided to the athletes. Through the success of

the National team, the sport receives increased recognition, athletes receive monetary gains

and we see an increase in interest from Governments, PSU's, schools and colleges to include

hockey in their programmes. The success of the 2013 launch Hockey India League, provides

players with unprecedented opportunity to earn money and become professional athletes, and

provides the youth with a viable option for a future in the sport.

Secondly, it has been our goal in Hockey India to put in place a strong governance model with

practices and processes that provide a solid foundation for the growth of the sport. All the

plans, activities and actions being undertaken by Hockey India are about ensuring the long-

term sustainable and prosperous future for our athletes and sport in India.

Hockey India has been in existence for almost 5 years, and we are extremely proud of what we

have been able to achieve in this short space of time. We are already starting to see some of the

rewards for this hard work through the increase in members, participation numbers across the

country and the extraordinary support that we are receiving from our corporate and broadcast

partners. The faith shown by the International Hockey Federation in the granting of one

international tournament to India each year for the next 5 years, including the pinnacle of the

sport, World Cup in 2018.

The author is Secretary General, Hockey India

Charting India's Return to Glory in Hockey

– Dr. Narinder Batra


Can Indian sport make a belated sprint to medal glory in the 2020 Olympics? Is it possible to

win 20 medals?

Seems completely far-fetched, but consider the achievements of Indian athletes in the last

Commonwealth, Asian and Olympic Games despite the diabolical antics of officialdom and an

unconcerned Government, and one gets an idea of what is possible if the talent is spotted,

encouraged and allowed unfettered expression.

The exploits of Saina Nehwal, Tejaswani Sawant, Gagan Narang, Mary Kom, Sushil Kumar – to

name only a few – in the past 18-24 months reveal not just rich talent, but also the ambition and

hunger to excel, despite the heavy odds. Imagine then if such athletes – and more like them –

could be spotted, harnessed, given the best facilities and training, and then asked to compete

at the highest level.

So what needs to be done? I see a far greater role for the private sector of Indian sport, whether

it is through not-for-profit initiatives like OGQ, or the direct involvement of corporates (even as a

CSR function) as the ` 700 crore largesse for football from Reliance and Mahindras's tie-up

with the NBA to nurture basketball at the grassroots level.

This does not absolve the Government of its responsibilities. Not just yet. The two best

systems at work today for development of sports as reflected by medals won in multi-

discipline mega-event events are that of China (State funded) and the USA and Australia

(privately funded, run on broad Government policies and objectives).

India must, I believe, lean heavily towards the latter model as time passes, when the economy

matures completely and the ethos of the country become ̀ sporting' enough for private funding

to be par for the course. But for the present, the Government must play a major role to the

extent of increasing sports funding, and loosely overseeing progress made by the federations,

without actually trying to run the sport.

Why am I bullish? Demographics and economic growth projected for the next decade should

actually facilitate India becoming a sporting giant. With a huge young population and all the

The State of Sports Governance in India Lessons from Cricket

– Ayaz Memon


infrastructure, support services and expertise that money can afford becoming available, what

can prevent this is Government sloth and public indifference.

The dismal state of Indian sports is not so much because of graft as poor governance and very

low accountability. Not seen as a priority sector, most federations leading up to the Indian

Olympic Association, have become dens of maladministration and related shenanigans rather

than focusing on excellence and results.

In order to stop the rot, sport needs to be saved as much as possible from political interference

and Government control and handed over to professional management. My recommendation

is to set up a National Sports Council which will formulate policy and oversee execution of

blueprint set out by the Government.

The United States and Australia, for instance, don't have sports ministries. Indeed, success of

the Australian Sports Council shows how the Government need only play the role of providing a

vision and funds, and the sports council takes over from there.

We also need, and this is vital, to have a national auditing body under the Sports Council which

will not only monitor the progress of the various sports federations – for everything from

financial responsibility to results – but also set down best practices and standards.

Nothing of this can be effective if talent is not identified and nurtured from a very young age. A

National School and Collegiate Sports Council is the next step. For sporting prowess to be

taken seriously by both parents and educational institutions, a career in sport has to be more

real and accessible than the generally held impossible dream of becoming one of 11 players in

the Indian cricket team. An Indian Institute of Sport – on the lines of our famed technology

institutes – is a long overdue idea and will be a sure way of getting a sports career in India on a

professional tack.

Steps to Progress:

1) A National Sports Council formed, reporting say to the President. The NSC is funded by

the Government, but run independently.

2) The NSC looks at Infra, education, competitions, Audit/Compliance of federations,

interface with IOA, health and HRD ministries to pursue national vision.

3) The NSC board is drawn from people from various strata of society. The Australia Sports

Council chairman, for instance, is Warwick Smith who is also chairman of ANZ Bank in

New South Wales; other board members are made up of technocrats, former

Olympians, a media-person etc.


4) The NSC would be run by a CEO who is accountable to the Board / Council.

5) Big thrust in schools and collegiate sport, run independently by the National Sports

Council.

6) Audit and compliance faction looks at money spent as well as progress made by

federations. A rating system comes into place. Poor performing federations will have

their budgets slashed. Federations can look at swelling their kitties through private

sponsorship for events / rewarding athletes.

7) Indian Institute of Sports will be with HRD ministry – looks into aspects of nutrition,

fitness, management of sports, sports science/medicine, performance parameters,

development of Elite athletes.

8) Crucially, the autonomy of various Federations and the IOA – which reports consistently

to the world bodies governing the sport – is not compromised. But new system makes

them accountable for the money/grants it receives from Government increasing

transparency.

Why is being a ̀ sporting country' so vital? Apart from the obvious benefits to the health index,

this also reflects the soft power of a State. I can't think of one major country – in the modern

world and past civilizations -- that was also not a powerhouse in sports.

There is a strong feeling of achievement and pride in the Indian psyche now. Indians want to be

winners, not merely participants. Young India is ready to get, set, go! Are the powers that be,

and we the people too?

The author is a Senior Sports Journalist


There is probably nothing that brings as many people together – in amity and enmity – as sport

does. But big sport is also big money, and big power, and that's probably what has led to things

going a bit pear-shaped over the years. Too many administrators, around the world, are looking

at sport through the prism of economics. Only through the prism of economics. At the cost

of everything else that makes sport what it is. It's not too different in India where, rich or poor,

every sport is in trouble in some way or the other.

I don't think anyone has an exhaustive enough blueprint to change this, but since I have been

asked to send in some words on what can improve world sport, here's my two-bit on the

subject:

The fan must come first

It was in early 2012 that Bayern Munich came to play a football match in New Delhi. I think it was

converted to being Bhaichung Bhutia's farewell match. I was there at Jawaharlal Nehru

Stadium, where the game was played. Not one fan – and the stands were packed – could sit on

the bucket seats installed at the stadium for the Commonwealth Games, which took place

barely two years before the match. Why? Because every seat was lined with bird droppings.

More recently, I was at Eden Gardens, watching a domestic cricket match. Again, the filth on

the seats meant people had to spread newspapers on them to sit down.

Being a journalist and usually sitting in the press box when at matches, people like me don't get

to know about these things. When we encounter them, it becomes clear why spectators don't

go to the stadia to watch sport.

And the examples I just gave are of showpiece events – a big domestic cricket match and a

football match featuring a global giant. What about smaller matches, less prominent sports,

lesser sportspersons? Think kho-kho or wrestling or boxing. I have been to national-level boxing

events where people need to stand all through. At a women's boxing event – I am talking about

the Asian Championships in 2004 in Hisar here – the boxers had to walk through massive

groups of men to their changing areas. Areas - not rooms. And wrap towels around them to

change after finishing a bout.

Five Things that can help Improve Sports in India

– Shamya Dasgupta


Where, in the rest of the developed world, going to a stadium to watch sport is an experience,

an outing, a picnic almost, why is it such an ordeal in India? Is there anything at the venues to

attract people? Are there clean toilets? Are there food stalls, forget stalls with moderately

hygienic food? Is care taken to make spectators feel that they are stakeholders in the game?

Money must be directed towards sportspersons

Sport is a microcosm of life, it is said, and that's so true in India, where corruption is almost a

way of life and, therefore, sport is not immune to it. For every administrator of a 'small' sport

that tells you he has no money to improve that sport, you'll find ten documents confirming that

money has, indeed, been sent their way. What the money was used for, of course, is anybody's

guess.

It's a no-brainer that money must go towards sportspersons. Not to their pockets, but in terms

of facilities that will make them better. And facilities don't just include a great training area. It

includes incentives, nutrition, scientific research for better performance and much else. An

athlete, a top-level athlete, must not have to worry about anything apart from the job at hand.

That's what money must be able to do.

Make sport a lucrative profession

As a corollary to the previous point, far too many athletes take up sport for wrong reasons. It's

not their fault. It's the fault of what we vaguely call the system. A lion's share of our non-elite

sportspersons comes from extremely poor families, where two square meals or an education

are negotiable. When they turn to sports, they do so to earn a living and to get a Government job

and a quarter that would take care of their needs.

I have spoken of this in the past, many times, but it needs to be said again: when a person

becomes an athlete to get a job and a Government quarter, it's stupid to expect that athlete to

dream of an Olympic medal.

People must be brought to sport for the right reasons. Yes, give good athletes jobs and quarters

and whatever else you have to, but make the most talented athletes in the country aspire for

glory. Whatever it takes.

See what the BCCI has done right

A lot of us blame cricket for cornering a big chunk of the sponsorship money and attention of

the people, but that's about as stupid an excuse as possible. Cricket gets the money and

attention it does because it deserves all of it. Cricket's administrators have managed to create a

product that people are willing to consume. Few other sports have had administrators doing

even a fraction of what cricket has had. Sitting back and blaming others for your mistakes will


only get you so far. The initiative to get up and do something constructive has been sadly lacking

in our sports administrators. Till that remains the case, not much is likely to change. And cricket

will take away even more of the money and the attention.

Honesty and integrity – the right people in charge

Which brings us to the final point – about having the right people in the right places. All four

points above culminate in this – if the right people are placed in positions of authority, each of

the other things can happen.

Who should these people be? Former sportspersons? Politicians? People from civil society? I

don't know. There's no reason to believe any of them would do the job better or worse than the

others. The key is intent. It all goes back to what many people have said about Indian sport in the

past – the problem is that we don't have a sporting culture. True. But that can't be undone. What

can be changed, however, is the mindset. If the right people with the right intentions can be put

in positions of responsibility – in sport and elsewhere – India, and Indian sport could change.

For the better!

The author is Senior Editor, Wisden India


Sport in our country has come a long way. The common public can even name you a couple of

shooters which would never have been possible 10 years ago! That being said, for sport to be

absorbed into the mainstream we still have a long way to go.

With all the Olympic qualifiers for Rio 2016 coming up this year, it is safe to say that we once

again embark on the cycle of sporting life where there will hopefully be new stars rising to the

top. However, the biggest hurdle we face is the lack of planning.

Other countries have already set wheels in motion for 2024. The experts will tell you that you

need at least 10 years to create Olympic athletes who can compete for medals. So we need to

be now shortlisting juniors who can eventually go on to be serious contenders.

While India now has the funds and the talent has always been there, what we need to focus on

is expertise. The country just doesn't have enough coaches to create world class athletes; we

also don't have the experts for peripherals like sports medicine, physiotherapy, mental training

and administration. This coupled with the lack of a proper system, just ensures that we don't

harness all the talent possible.

The vision for 2020 should be just to get a good and clear understanding whereby the

Government, Federations, Sports Authorities, and Private Sector all work together towards a

common goal. Right now, it is all these agencies working on their own and while there have

been some results it is hardly enough.

Nothing unites a nation like sports, and this year is going to be quite a bonanza; World

championships, Asian and Commonwealth Games all within a span of 6 months is going to be

great not only for the fans but also for the athletes. The fact that the media does cover all these

event will allow for a lot of exposure.

The sports industry is still in its nascent stages in the country, but as we do better and better on

the world stage it will keep growing. For sports to breakthrough to the mainstream, it is

imperative for the school system to adopt competitive sport as part of their programs.

However, the single biggest factor is quality. If we can produce enough world class talent and

the domestic levels are high competition the rest will take care of itself.

Vision Olympics 2020: Inculcating a Sporting Culture among the Youth

– Manisha Malhotra


IPL style leagues are the main attraction with all sports trying to come up with their own

versions. This is great for the exposure of the sport and also makes the overall industry grow.

These packages which are now using sport as another avenue for entertainment definitely

creates jobs and more importantly a buzz. Just as in most of the other industries in our country,

there is no systematic path being followed and the industry seems to be growing in a

fragmented manner. It will be some time until we see sport as a viable career option but I do

believe we are seeing green shoots of that trend. We are a nation that thrives in organized

chaos and it will be interesting to see if this works for the sporting business

The author is CEO, Mittal Champions Trust


When I was 18 years old, I was asked to participate in Beijing Olympics in 2008. My mind set

was still immature, but I played and reached the Quarter Final of that chapter. I lost by a narrow

margin to the Indonesian player, Yulianti, who went on to win the bronze medal. I was denied

due justice in the decider, and I lost by 3-11 to her, else I might have done it.

Subsequently, I worked hard and prepared well and got honoured with various awards and

accolades such as the Commonwealth Gold in 2010, the Arjuna Award, Rajiv Khel Rattan,

Padma Shri and several Super Series Badminton Tournaments. In June 2012, I defeated Lixuari

who had previously won a Gold medal during the 2012 Olympics in August.

I was determined to win an Olympic Medal for my country and with best of training from my

coaches, particularly Shri Gopalchandji, and the relentless support from my parents, I achieved

what I aspired for. I am thankful to my admirers, who gave me all the strength to show my

talent in winning the Olympic medal. I still have a lot of badminton in me and I wish to perform

well in 2016 Olympics. I pray to almighty to keep me healthy and injury free in my mission for

2016.

India is a leading country where a number of young players, both women and men, are ranked

amongst the world's top 30 badminton players. Our nation has been able to achieve this feat in

the last 5 years because of the initiatives taken by Govt. of India and the Badminton Association

of India. A lot of development is taking place nowadays and Badminton players are being given

all the necessary amenities infrastructure in facilities such as Gachhibowli and Gopichand

Academy which have world-class playing courts; coaches such as Mr. Gopi Chand and a few

foreign coaches (mainly from Indonesia); renowned physiotherapists; good food in national

camps; and a lot of travel opportunities to travel to different countries and participate in

tournaments. All this has been possible because of the efforts of Ministry of Youth Affairs,

Ministry of Sports and the keen patronage provided by the Badminton Association of India.

These facilities should be constantly improved and the infrastructure should be broadened and

extended to more aspiring players in all the major cities of India. I am hopeful to see better

results and winning medals for Indian Badminton in the next Asian Games, Commonwealth

Games and Olympics.

'My Olympic Journey': Steps to Encourage and Popularizing Badminton in India– Saina Nehwal


Money is an important factor for players to participate in tournaments. Several Indian Financial

Houses have contributed to the sport and helped making IBL a big success. They helped

creating a competition with lucrative prize money which motivated the youth to opt for

Badminton as a sport. This truly was the motive of IBL. Moreover, such competitions are bound

to give better results for the promotion of the game in any country and India also did it very

successfully in 2013. I wish this tournament continues and many more are created in the

future. The overall impact will be for the betterment of the sport and many young players will be

benefitted with some healthy competition.

Recently, a lot of talented Badminton players, including Lee Chong Wee – World No. 1 in the

Men's category have visited India. This has encouraged the youth to follow Badminton and

given them an opportunity to take inspiration from some international players. I strongly feel

that the IBL has played a very crucial role in promoting Badminton in India

The author is an Indian Badminton Player and an Olympic Medallist


For a change there are a lot of good things to talk about Indian badminton at the moment. Not

that there are no negatives or controversies in the game. But overall things are moving in the

right direction.

To begin with, Indian players are doing well on the international scene, with Saina and Sindhu

leading the way. These two girls have shown that we are not only capable of breaking into the

Top 10 in the world, but can also win medals at the Olympics and World Championships. There

is a lesson here for the Indian men shutters'. Even though we have 5-6 Indian men in the top 50

in the Men's Singles World ranking, not even one player has been able to break into the top 10

and remain there for a fairly long period. There could be 2 reasons for this: Either they feel

satisfied with what they have achieved or they need to put in much more effort and be more

focused to remain consistent. Not that they are not focused at the moment, but just that it is

not enough to get them to the top 10. They quickly need to realize this and make adjustments

accordingly to reach the pinnacle.

It is an irony of sorts that we have two girls in the Top 10, but after that, one has to admit that

there is a big, big gap. On the other hand, in the men's category there is a lot more depth but

not even one player has been able to perform consistently at the highest level. Even at the

junior level there are far more promising boys than girls who are likely to do well internationally

going forward.

While our singles players are doing reasonably well, our performance in paired events has not

been that encouraging. Barring Jwala & Ashwini in the Women's Doubles, no other Indian pair

has achieved anything worthwhile on the world stage. We have a long way to go in the paired

events.

BAI needs to do a lot more for the Double's Players. They need to have a separate coach only for

Double's & start training players with a flair for Double's right from a young age. Ideally the

Single's & Double's camps should be held separately and not combined. There should be a

totally different set of players, coaches, venues, training schedule etc. for paired events. Right

now there is too much focus on singles. This trend has to change if we have to improve

considerably in the Doubles events and it will not happen on its own. BAI will have to make sure

that it happens by taking some pro-active steps.

The Future of Indian Badminton– Prakash Padukone


The wind of Positive changes in Indian Badminton is there for everyone to see, the recent

success of the Indian Badminton League is a case in point. BAI should ensure that it is rightfully

taken to the next level. They should not be too greedy & try to handle everything on their own as

they just do not have the expertise to run an event of this stature. On the other hand, they

should try to strengthen the domestic circuit. There is a sudden spurt in the number of players

playing the game and also in terms of new courts coming up in Tier 2 & Tier 3 cities across the

country. This is a good sign that needs to be tapped.

In conclusion, Indian Badminton is on a high, having said that, a lot more needs to be done by

BAI to take the game to the next level, whether that actually happens remains to be seen.

The author is a former Indian Badminton Player


While golf has enjoyed a fair share of corporate sponsorship and media coverage in recent

years, the sport and its related industry is in its infancy compared to even neighbouring

countries like Thailand and Malaysia.

The key requirement is for new infrastructure in terms of driving ranges and public access golf

courses. Despite the success and popularity over the past two decades of Delhi's Delhi

Development Authority owned Siri Fort Driving Range and Qutab Golf Course, other civic

bodies in the country have not followed the example other than Chandigarh and Panchkula. In

2013, Mumbai has developed a high quality 9 - hole public course and range in Khargar, but

besides these examples, no new public facilities have been built.

The Professional Golf Tour of India can further thrive as a spectator sport just like soccer and

American football do, provided the public is educated on terminology, rules and strategy

required so they can watch the game on television or at the venues. Active marketing of the

tour to the public is also critical to attract eyeballs and crowds. A lot is to be done on these

fronts as even though an active twenty week long professional tour exists in India, as, since

2011, growth has been negative in terms of sponsor investments and prize money on offer.

Golf is unique in terms of the real estate industry's affinity to the sport. Golf course views and

access adds value and marketability to high end real estate. In 2014, fifteen such new golf

based real estate projects across the country are in various stages of delivery. The potential

demand exists for many more provided roads going outside the cities improve so access time

shortens to areas where vast tracts of land become available for golf related real estate. Golf

real estate projects require project sizes of anywhere from 75 acres for a 9 - hole course to 500

acres, for an 18 - hole championship course.

Golf Tourism worldwide is a multi-billion dollar industry with Thailand Tourism alone recording

750,000 golf specific tourist arrivals in 2013 with an average spend of 100,000 baht (` 2,00,000

approx.) per visiting golfer! Malaysia and recently Turkey also, have cashed in on this lucrative

opportunity making investments in purpose built golf tourist resorts. India has the competitive

advantage of cool winter weather in the north and year round pleasant weather in places like

Bangalore to offer golfers. However, to establish a Golf Tourism destination, a minimum cluster

Raising the Popularity of Golf in India– Rishi Narain


of six to ten World Class Championship Courses connected to international airports, five star

hotels, shopping, nightlife and other tourist attractions is the requirement. Currently, the

National Capital Region and perhaps Bangalore come close to this description. The Ministry of

Tourism has made strong commitments towards promoting India as a golf destination and in

the coming years, with better services at golf courses and active marketing, India could see a

trickle of visitors coming in for golf.

To grow any sport; the need for trained coaches and well managed academies to introduce

students to the game are required. There is a huge shortage of skilled manpower in India for the

golf industry. Establishment of an academy with world class coaches, physical and mental

trainers, physiotherapists and psychologists is required. Today, keen students from India are

travelling across the world for coaching as they seek updated, state-of-the-art analysis and

instruction.

All these factors are well within reach in the coming decade but a concerted effort will need to

be made by various stakeholders in order to deliver on the vast promise that golf holds for this

country.

The author is Former Golfer and Founder, Rishi Narain Golf Management Pvt. Ltd.


Even after my retirement from international football, I have been fortunate enough to be

involved in the development of the sport in India on various fronts. While the challenges facing

Indian football are many, I am excited by the potential of this country and its youth, which I have

experienced on account of my travelling far and wide through during my football career. It is

now my aim to connect the stakeholders in the country for the benefit and growth of this

glorious game with those who participate in it.

At first we look at the role played by the governing body, the All India Football Federation

(AIFF) in ensuring overall development of the sport in the country. The major objective of AIFF is

to strive towards achieving technical excellence of the sport at all levels and thus build a

National team that can bring pride, joy and happiness to the people of our country through its

winning performance. Long-term success of the national team is crucial for a sport to advance

in any country. This is the reason one can see millions of dollars invested for technical

excellence every year by various clubs and countries across the world. In my role as Chairman

of the Technical Committee of the AIFF, my aim is to ensure that all the development programs

of the AIFF including performance of the national teams are implemented in the right way in

terms of ideal philosophy, methodology and spirit.

Another key factor is the role of infrastructure. It is imperative not only to develop high-quality

infrastructure but also to make available such infrastructure to football players of all age groups

which can help them hone their skills. The Technical Committee of AIFF recognizes this and my

challenge will be to bring together various stakeholders such as the Sports Authority of India,

the AIFF and private bodies for this common cause.

Most importantly, for national teams to be successful, we need to develop excellent Indian

footballers. With increasing competitiveness in world football, it has become very important

how we develop the youth talent at the grassroots level. We have to ensure that the basics of

the sport are taught in the right way and at the right age. It is not common to find that several of

our youngsters are taught football with wrong concepts at the grassroots level which in turn

act as a hurdle for the talented youngsters to become a top quality footballer. This aspect is a

vital cog in the wheel of the Technical Development Plan of AIFF under its vision document

'Lakshya'. Through the grassroots initiatives, i have founded, Bhaichung Bhutia Football

Schools (BBFS) and Indian Football Foundation (IFF). We have worked closely with the AIFF

Solving the Great Indian Football Jigsaw: The Way Forward– Bhaichung Bhutia


in co-authoring its master plan Lakshya. Now, as we strive to implement the planned vision, the

BBFS team is working with Rob Baan and Scott O'Donnell to develop the coaching curriculum

for AIFF at various levels. While covering one aspect and imparting the right skills to the

children, it is also vital that we do not miss out on a potential “Messi” or a “Ronaldo” due to

socio-economic reasons. BBFS is presently India's largest grassroots football training program

and with the help of our not-for-profit organization, Indian Football Foundation we wish to

extend these services to needy or under-privileged and talented youngsters by providing

financial and technical scholarships.

Finally, we often forget about the players, who are the biggest stakeholders of any sport. They

make sacrifices for their career in the hope that the sport will give them what they want in life.

The players can give their best performance only if they are given adequate resources in terms

of technical support and playing conditions. The Football Players Association of India (FPAI) was

formed for the welfare of Indian players. Now as Asia's representative to the Technical

Committee of FIFPRO, the world footballers' association, my job will be to further the cause of

players in the continent at the global stage.

India is a large and diverse country, while that makes our talent base very rich, it also poses

complicated challenges. Much will depend on how the stakeholders collaborate for a common

purpose so that we can start solving bit by bit the great jigsaw that is Indian Football.

The author is Founding Trustee, Indian Football

Foundation and India’s longest serving football Captain


Like most footballers chasing their professional dreams in India, my journey has been one

involving struggle and hard work in equal measure. If there was any consolation, it was the

support my parents lent me during this phase. Football has been a part of the family DNA with

my father turning out for the armed forces team while my mother took to the sport in Nepal.

Afternoons as a six-year-old were the most awaited time of the day for me. Not because it was a

chance to win, but a chance to kick around a football with my father after he returned from

work. We beat the heat every day and all he would tell me was to never give up till I think I have

given my all.

The Kolkata phase of my life done, we moved to Delhi where I was fortunate enough to get

admission in the Army Public School. I was in grade seven when a coach by the name of Mr.

Ghalay was convinced that I should attend trials for the State team. He even convinced my

parents to let me go. While my parents loved sport, academics were equally important to them.

Fortunately, I wasn't too bad with books either.

While in school, I turned out for a local team and we happened to do well and qualify for the

Durand Cup. It was a tournament where big guns like Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Mahindra

United turned up and it was an honour for me to be playing against these teams. The

tournament proved to be a blessing for me when I was one among the five players from the

Durand Cup who stood out.

One thing leads to another and before I knew it, I had signed for Mohun Bagan while in class

twelve. That was the beginning of my career in professional football.

But while a lot changed for me, the one thing that didn't was the sight of parents shouting for

me from the stands. Even today, things are no different. I owe everything I have achieved to my

family and friends who have stuck by me through thick and thin.

My advice to the young aspiring footballers isn't something new but is very important - there

are no short cuts to success. Hard work is the key. Believe in yourself and play to enjoy the

game. Your coach always knows best.

Creating a Mark on the International Football Map: India's 5 year plan

– Sunil Chhetri


I congratulate the AIFF for its fantastic job and winning the hosting rights to the under - 17

World Cup in 2017. They also deserve credit for giving a club like Bengaluru FC a chance to play

the I-League. The club is nothing short of amazing with the best facilities and professionalism.

Teams like Bengaluru FC promise to go a long way in changing the scenario of Indian football.

Will the new proposed league offer to be a game-changer for Indian football? The proposed

League may be a good proposition if it promotes Indian football and attract crowd in the

stadium to watch the matches. Though there has been some confusion among clubs, players

and the AIFF over the league but its best that all concerned parties come together to work

something that will benefit the football lovers and the Indian football.

The author is Captain, Indian Football Team


There is no doubt that football is a hugely popular game in India. Being a club owner myself, I

have first-hand been able to experience how truly popular the game is. Whether in Kolkata,

Shillong or Bengaluru the passion that the fans have for the game is second to none. However,

the game is still far behind in terms of popularity when compared to cricket, hockey,

badminton, tennis and others. I believe that it is the performance of a country's National team

that truly determines how popular the sport and in turn its domestic league becomes. Is it

merely a coincidence that the IPL is the most popular league in the country, followed by the IBL

and the IHL? If one looks at the National teams standing in those various sports, one will

understand why. Thus in order to create a truly successful league in India, it is going to be

imperative for the performance of our National team to improve. This is where, the league, the

clubs and the fans will play a huge role.

It is very important that India does not try to reinvent the wheel. Looking eastward and

westward in order to see where the other powerhouses have succeeded will be crucial. There

is a lot to learn from countries such as England, Brazil, Spain and Japan to name a few. Today

India is in a position of advantage, as we can see what has happened in leagues across the

world, we can incorporate the positive aspects and weed out the negative aspects by creating

the adequate checks and balances. It is no secret that football clubs the world over grapple

with the habitual and chronic problem of economic instability, over-spending and bad financial

management, the recent examples of River Plate football club, the Glasgow Rangers and

Portsmouth FC show that no matter how big the club, no club is safe from the perils of poor

financial management. Further, big clubs the world over, lose money and depend on Billionaire

owners to bail them out year after year. We must not follow this. We must create a league

where clubs are managed and grown sustainably.

What we can see in successful leagues across the world is that the more financially secure

clubs are the more successful; the clubs with the bigger fan base and thus bigger revenue do

better than the smaller clubs. The simple truth is that with more money comes better talent,

more competition and financial stability. Commercially speaking, clubs typically have three

main sources of revenue: TV rights, sponsorships and match day revenues. I believe that if we

are to make our league more sustainable, these three issues need to be addressed head-on. In

Sustainable Domestic Leagues in Indian Football

– Parth Jindal


successful leagues all over the world, TV rights typically form the biggest source of revenue for

clubs. Take for example the Barclays Premier League. For the big 5 teams in the premiership

(Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City), television revenue

contributes to approximately 30-40% of total revenue. Furthermore, in the 2011-2012 Season,

6 of the 20 EPL clubs relied on TV rights for over 70% of their total revenue. Going forward,

television revenue will be a huge factor in determining whether the Indian league is successful

or not. In order to do this, clubs will have to build a proper fan base, a fan base similar to what all

the leading clubs in Europe and Asia have built not only in their localities but world over.

Today fans in India, support clubs from all over the world. I myself am a diehard Arsenal fan. Is it

my local club? Did I grow up in London? No, then why is it that I support Arsenal? The truth is,

growing up I happened to watch Arsenal and a certain Dennis Bergkamp play. The manner and

style with which they play under Arsene Wenger till today is the reason I started watching them

and is the reason I continue to. World over, people support Manchester United, Chelsea,

Barcelona etc for much the same reasons. Having said this, do I feel a genuine connection to

Arsenal? My personal connection and those of millions of fans in India to these clubs is very

thin if at all. It is here where the opportunity lies, if India is able to create a proper league where

every city or region in a city becomes passionate about their club and roots for them, we will be

able to create true fans. I am not saying that fans in India will stop watching the Premier league,

they probably won't as it will take a great deal of time for Indian football to match up to

European standards, however it is very possible that they will be willing to support their local

team as well. Similar to what Mumbai feels about Sachin, Ranchi about Dhoni and Kolkata

about Ganguly, football clubs and the local media have to help the fans feel that sense of

"apnaness", that sense of oneness with their clubs. It is in the filling of this void where the

opportunity truly lies. If the media, along with the clubs are able to do this, football frenzy will

grip this nation and TV rights will become lucrative for the broadcaster as well as the clubs.

Although on the face of it, the onus lies on clubs to start building its brand from the bottom-up

and look to seek this revenue on merit, if the clubs are not adequately supported by the TV

channels, the print and electronic media then no matter how much we as clubs may try, fans

will prefer to watch the better televised European leagues.

In order to generate sponsorship and match day revenues, the Government, the State football

associations and the AIFF have to allow individual club owners to redevelop the stadiums.

Today, fans are used to the match day experience that a cricket match provides them. If football

stadiums continue to remain in their current sub-standard state, clubs will never be able to

provide their fans with a true match day experience which makes them want to come back for

the next game. Providing instant replays, bucket seats, food and drink is the least a fan expects

in India now days. Failure to provide this will not attract the fans. We at Bengaluru FC have tried

to create a unique match day experience in the context of Indian football and we have seen that

it works. Sold out stadiums is something we have got used to seeing. Our experience has


shown that fans are willing to spend money to support and see quality football – but they

expect the club to put on a show that is worthy of their money and time.

Further, creating a sustainable league is also about ensuring a healthy youth system with a

competitive structure that facilitates the growth of indigenous players. This will go a long-way

towards ensuring that the future of the sport in the country is secure. Who knows, there could

come a time when the top clubs of Europe are scouting for talent in India. If done right, this

could become another income stream for the clubs as it has in Brazil, Turkey, and Spain etc.

All in all, the beautiful game in India can have a very beautiful future if all the key stakeholders

come together. The fact that football is getting so much prominence and is being discussed in

forums such as these just shows how much interest there is to truly improve the sport in our

country. With a little support, every Indian football fans dream of one day seeing their country in

the World Cup can be achieved. Be rest assured, Bengaluru FC will leave no stone unturned and

will make all efforts to contribute as much as possible to the growth of this wonderful sport in

India.

The author is CEO, Bengaluru FC and Economic Analyst, JSW Steel


If Indian football is to improve, we would need a strong domestic football structure; this would

include but not limited to a strong domestic league. This needs to be coupled with a reserve

league, year round age group tournaments and grassroots development activities. Currently, a

lot of I-League teams focus on their U - 19 teams but by the time a player is 16 or 17 years, it is

already quite late to teach him technical aspects of the game. In an ideal youth set up, clubs

should start coaching players between the ages of 8-10 years.

India's premier football tournament is the I-League. Currently, thirteen teams participate in the

I-League, which lasts for approximately 8 months (this is in line with Asian Football

Confederation's criteria), the top team gets to play in the Asian Champions League and the

bottom team gets relegated.

The I-League is very competitive, and very often the I-League winners are decided during the

last round of matches and relegation battles are just as fierce. Contrary to perceptions, Indian

footballers' salaries are quite high when compared to other Asian countries and the average

attendance for I-League is also one of the highest in Asia.

Another common misconception is that football is only popular in the larger cities, but the truth

could not be further from this. The best example of this could be the 2014 Federation Cup.

Kerala hosted the 2014 Federation Cup at two venues Manjeri and Kochi. Kochi is a much larger

city with a population of approximately 2 million people but only a couple of thousand people

turn up for games, but Manjeri with a population of just over a lac sold out every game with over

ten thousand people attending each game.

Manjeri Kochi

Sustainable Domestic Leagues in Indian Football

– Nandan Piramal


However, there are certain issues that also plague the I-League:

Pan India appeal

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has identified this problem and has taken the

necessary steps to improve the I-League's footprint. The AIFF has put a cap on the number

of I-League / Division 2 teams that can participate from a particular State & City. Apart from

this, the AIFF has also started selling I-League franchises in cities that do not have an I-

League team.

Club Structures

The AIFF has also made it compulsory for domestic clubs to fulfil the club licensing criteria.

In the past, expenses for football teams were written off as a part of the corporate social

responsibility expenses of larger companies. Due to this, there was little or no attention

paid on Fan Development / Community Development / Youth development at the club. The

new club licensing criteria has made it compulsory for football clubs to be separate legal

entities and has also set up guidelines fan development, community development and

youth development. There is also a salary cap in place, which has made it compulsory for

clubs to invest on football infrastructure.

League's Structure

Currently, I-League clubs get a subsidy but are not stakeholders in the league. Due to the

above, there is less incentive for clubs to invest in the marketing of the league. It has been

seen globally that values of leagues go up considerably when clubs have stake in the

league.

For a country as large as India with a population of over a billion people, we cannot have

only thirteen professional clubs for players to showcase their talent. We should encourage

teams to participate from the smallest towns and villages. An ideal structure for Indian

football would be an inclusive one, where district leagues feed clubs to the State league

which in turn become a feeder league to the national leagues.

The author is Executive Vice- Chairman – Sports,

Ashok Piramal Group and co-owner, Pune FC


Indian football is hoping for a better future as hosts of the upcoming 2017 FIFA Under - 17 World

Cup. It gives India the much needed push to set its house in order in regard to overall youth

development.

The All India Football Federation under the guidance of world football governing body FIFA, the

Asian Football Confederation and its own technical staff led by Technical Director Rob Baan are

working to create a self-sustainable Indian youth development system. This has led to the

creation of AIFF Regional Academies besides an AIFF Elite Academy for the India Under - 19

boys. Further an AIFF grassroots program has been initiated by the federation and efforts are

on trying to it spread out across the country.

At the moment, these programs are restricted to certain pockets as not all State Federations

have adopted it and they are waiting to reach the masses, which is the aim of all of the AIFF's

initiatives across India. The vision is, these programs shouldn't just be about hand-picked

number of boys going through a proper youth development system, but rather as many

children as possible playing the beautiful game of football filtered through the system from the

bottom to the top in a pyramid structure.

India needs a grassroots program which is spread across the length and breadth of the country.

The country needs a program which goes into schools, football nurseries (training centres,

football schools, academies), works with NGOs, children in rural India and areas which are

difficult to access as talent knows no boundaries.

Millions of children, boys and girls, across the age groups of 6 to 12 years of age need to be a

part of the program best scouted by qualified coaches for further camps at the Local, District,

State, Regional and National Level. This way the development pyramid could take shape, but

results should not be expected overnight as development of such a program would need seven

to 10 years, if not more.

The challenges are many to execute the above program. AIFF needs huge financial support

and the appropriate manpower to run and implement a nationwide program. There would be a

need for hundreds of AFC 'D' and 'C' licence coaches, who could run the program.

Grassroots Development in Indian Football

– Priti Srivastava


There are no shortcuts to talent development and implementing the right, appropriate model is

the need of the hour for grassroots development in Indian football. And with the dawn of

preparations starting for the, upcoming 2017 FIFA Under - 17 World Cup, it is assumed that AIFF

with all its stakeholders and the Government will support in creating the right infrastructure to

implement grassroots programmes.

But surely, the culture and mind set in Indian Football is changing and the future lies in

Grassroots Development.

The author is Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Reliance Industries


There is no denying the fact that the three pillars for development of football in India in the

future are going to be: a) youth development, b) enhancement of technical knowledge capital,

and c) infrastructure development. There is also another aspect - macro-level marketing of the

game through strengthening and professionalizing competitive leagues. However, any growth

will be sustainable in the long run only if there is real value creation within the system and at the

grassroots. So, it is important to understand some of the practical challenges and explore

possible solutions.

Youth Development

For the promotion and development of football in India it is imperative to spread the sport in a

structured and professional manner to those who will be at center stage of competitive football

in the next 10 to 15 years. Clearly, the target demography is the age group of 4-14 years, which

includes largely all school children across the country. Further, most of the children today in

India are involved in sports through their respective schools. In order to reach out to these

millions of school-children, we must take organized football to the schools.

Engagement at the school level involves various aspects of structuring and professionalizing

the sport. This involves consideration of how it is administered in the country, as well as

projected to the youth. Notwithstanding the seriousness of the initiative, of crucial regard is

the target audience—children—to whom these initiatives must be attractively presented, to

ignite a long-term interest.

In a nutshell, it is important to unify proposals taken across the country at the school level and

integrate them into a National level pyramid of progression. The All India Football Federation

(AIFF) has a huge role to play in this regard, including but not limited to the introduction of

school programs in the form of Zonal, Regional and National Level ongoing youth leagues on

the same lines as the prevalent professional I-League structure. This form of exposure is

organic and directly engages the youth without forcing to choose between education and

sports (in a professional manner).

Taking Football to Schools: Community Development, Administrative Hurdles and Winning Formula

– Kishore Gam Taid


Infrastructure

Beyond the structuring of school programs (as highlighted above), development of

infrastructure is one of the biggest challenges in our country as unanimously agreed by all

stakeholders of Indian Football. Even before improving the quality of existing infrastructure, it

is necessary to first make available open spaces to our children which unfortunately are

dwindling by the day especially in cities. Given the huge demand and investment required in

this regard, we need to look for more economic solutions. Today custodians of most

playgrounds including football fields are the municipal corporations, private and Government

schools, State Governments and the Sports Authority of India. There is an urgent need for

these spaces to be opened up for the youth, the very beneficiaries for whom these

infrastructures were originally built. Given that most of the above custodians find it difficult to

maintain the infrastructure on an ongoing basis, it could be a win-win situation if partnerships

with other private entities (such as academies, clubs, associations etc.) are encouraged. Such

strategic tie-ups not only add to the quality of education but also help channelize CSR funds and

other financial aid for further developing the concerned infrastructure. Bhaichung Bhutia

Football Schools has been successfully collaborating with several progressive schools in this

regard while also exploring possibilities with local municipalities to develop and better utilize

existing spaces.

Knowledge Capital

Developing world-class players starts with the identification of capable athletes and the

creation of a central pool of talent, before beginning to nurture them in the right way. This in turn

will depend on the quality of teachers, i.e., coaches that we are able to develop. We often

undermine this aspect of human capital, which in fact shapes the future of our talented youth.

Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools and the Indian Football Foundation are doing their bit by

collaborating with the AIFF to enhance the technical knowledge in this country as well as

conducting free training workshops for hundreds of coaches in the recent past. Conceptually

sound training expertise not just helps in faster development of skills in young players but also

helps engage the children more closely with the game. If there is a single most important factor

behind the success of Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools, it is the focus on human capital and

the kind of investments that is made in this regard.

For India to achieve a significant position on the world stage, we must recognize the

importance of starting young and create a long-term road map for the future, for which action

must start now.

The author is Co-founder, Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools


It's not a game anymore.

Sports and entertainment are increasingly influencing our lives today more than ever before.

Major companies are ratcheting up their sports marketing efforts by spending billions in

sponsoring upcoming global sports events and marquee athletes in a bid to boost sales and

enhance their brand image.

As a consequence, sports-marketing is emerging as a key element of integrated marketing

plans, from global markets to local store marketing areas, from incentive programs to loyalty

rewards, and from business-to-business strategies and consumer-product marketing. Why do

McDonald's, Hanes, and Nike pay huge amounts of money to be associated with sports, and

why do they choose celebrity endorsers, or buy in-stadium advertising opportunities? For both

seasoned fans and casual observers, sports-marketing proves that “it's not just a game

anymore”.

Sports-marketing is a vast area to discuss and is constantly evolving and changing today. In a

cricket-centric sub-continent, we had more than a handful to surmount, in trying to build a fresh

brand from an already-existing bouquet of relatively known sports in India, namely hockey,

badminton, football, wrestling and tennis. It was akin to responding with a lift-shot to a cross-

court shuttle smash hit at 200MPH. Albeit, we were confident about Indian badminton right

from the start, given its glorious achievements in the past and a bright present, and a brilliant

future around the corner.

I would like to start with my own brand – the Indian Badminton League and wish to share some

of our experiences in building the youngest, but one of the strongest emerging sports brand

globally, called the IBL.

Goals are always in demand. There will always be a market for a

striker who is fast, scores goals regularly and is strong. I've scored

more than 100 goals and people know what they are buying

–Ronaldo “

“

Sports Marketing: Changing the Game– Ashish Chadha


How did Sporty Solutionz successfully market the IBL?

Saina Nehwal in cricket pads… And a tagline saying 'Is this what it takes to get your attention to

badminton'. Facing initial hurdles and blues IBL managed to make its mark. The review of this

ad campaign was mixed but it created a recall value. After IBL got over people still remember

our outdoor campaign.

One of the easy ways to connect with fans brand or product is to do a brand endorsement. For

IBL, the brand was promoted in six IBL cities in around 120 schools by the six IBL ICON Players.

Around half-a-million students were able to connect with the sports as a result of our school

activation programme.

There was a big buzz about badminton on the social media, arguably for the first time. The

outpouring of fans' response on the IBL social and digital media platforms was simply

smashing. Facebook and Twitter ran fan-based contests around the 'Shuttle Express' and the

IBL. All the IBL matches (around 100 hrs of LIVE TV) were also live on YouTube and it was a

miracle that the IBL site didn't crash.

The last but not the least initiative worth mentioning here, was the emotional connect that the

IBL TVC struck amongst both sports aficionados and the non-sports loving community as we

describe them. Bollywood superstar Salman Khan was amongst the first one to express his

solidarity with our 'Net Lagao Pyaar Badhao', tagline, which couldn't have been penned better

by anyone else than the brilliant Prasoon Joshi.

The IBL marketing campaign ran three weeks in advance before the 18-day League took off on

a six-city whirlwind tour over nine legs. It had taken us more than a year to plan and execute the

IBL, but the result was out in just six days – an overflowing NSCI Stadium on the Worli Seaface

in Mumbai, Lucknowites staying awake past midnight for a sporting reverie and Delhi-wallas

packing the state-of-the-art DDA Badminton Stadium, built to host the 2010 CWG, revving with

thousands of people on Independence Day to watch Saina vs Sindhu. The IBL brand was born!

The author is CEO, Sporty Solutionz


Return on Investment (ROI) on sports sponsorship remains an evolving science. In sports

marketing, ROI for a brand is at multiple levels. For some, association with a sporting event will

drive loyalty, increase consideration and deliver increased sales. For others, it generates brand

goodwill and strengthens the consumer's relationship with a brand.

Sports marketing goes well beyond transactions and links to personal stories, which are shared

and embraced by like-minded consumers. It entails touching an emotional chord with

consumers. As an industry, sport encourages a healthy lifestyle for its participants as well as

those who are inspired by their heroes and wish to follow in their footsteps. Sports branding

forges a deep bond with the consumer – connecting with personalities - from who we want to

be to what's appealing to us. And that connect is much deeper and stronger than any other

industry.

In the last couple of decades, hockey had started to recede from India's collective

consciousness to gradually becoming a memory. Realizing the need for something innovative,

Hockey India in collaboration with TCM conceived the Hockey India League. HIL achieved twin

objectives - it took the sport back to a large number of cities and provide opportunities to Indian

players to rub shoulders with and learn from a clutch of international achievers. The results are

visible in the emergence of top class internationals like Mandeep Singh and Manpreet Singh to

name a few.

HIL has also focused on bringing the fans back to the sport by creating the right emotional

connect. Together with its broadcast partner STAR Sports, it came up with creative campaigns

that convince the viewers to invest their time in what is popularly acknowledged as India's

national sport. In its second year now, it can be said without fear of contradiction that the HERO

Hockey India League has taken the steps in the right direction. And this has largely been

achieved by support of its partners. At each match, HERO gives away a motorcycle to a lucky

fan and Airtel has a golden goal contest for spectators. YES BANK has restored the pride of the

fan with its 'Garv' scheme in support of hockey.

I have deliberately chosen Hockey India League over the Indian Premier League since cricket is

already a hit in India and a new product did not need to be aggressively sold to the audience.

Sports Marketing: Return on Investment– Lokesh Sharma


Hockey, on the contrary, not only faced a challenge from cricket but also from other sport like

European Football, Formula One, American Basketball, Golf and Tennis that were beamed to

our homes from around the world.

HIL's success shows that sports-marketing is not only about delivering marketing messages

but about supporting events which are close to people's hearts and making them count. Come

to think of it, what we are speaking about is not so much sports-marketing as passion

marketing. It is not always about counting logos or logo placement since sport is a powerful

marketing investment, instead marketing provides an opportunity to engage with consumers

through passion and the chance to strengthen brand values.

Having said that, let me now try and share some ways in which ROI can be optimized. For any

sports marketing effort to succeed, it is important to reinforce key messages so that a sports

fan buys into it. It does not help to bombard the fan with myriad and diverse messages. Instead,

the focus should be on a singular critical message – Star Sports' The New Face of Hockey or

Hero's Phir Dil Do Hockey Ko campaigns – are good illustrations.

Sporting events get massive multi-media exposure at a time when advanced technology and

social media have combined to make sports viewing a more wonderful experience than ever

before. It is crucial that sports marketing teams know what they can and can't do in a particular

sport eco-system for ROI to be optimized. For instance, advertisers need to keep their

messages family-oriented, socially-sensitive, patriotic or even humorous. And, above all, a

sport should be supported over a sustained period of time to build a strong connect with the

end-consumers, instead of short-term commercial gains. Corporates who understand this

reap the benefits over long and uninterrupted periods of time. Sports sponsorship is not like an

advertising campaign which runs at a specific time and on a particular network. Sports events

and its sponsors remain in the memories of the fans forever.

The author is MD, Twenty First Century Media


Human Resource Management (HRM) is a distinctive approach to employment management

that seeks to achieve competitive advantage through strategic deployment of a highly

committed and capable workforce, using a range of cultural, structural and personnel

techniques.

Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) takes this approach further by mandating an

explicit strategy to use the human resources of an organisation to gain competitive advantage

over other sport organisations in the industry through better use of its human capital. While

HRM involves policies, procedures and processes designed to influence worker attitudes and

behaviour, SHRM links these processes to the aims of the organisation.

Strategy is the match or interface between an organization and its external environment or

sporting culture. The important aspect to be realized here is the involvement of an organization

with its related culture, where it operates and plans for the achievement of the targets set up

by the organization. The basis of strategy is the assumption that an organization and its culture

are of equal importance.

It is to be carefully understood that a concept of SHRM must be established on perceptions

about the nature of strategic management on one side and the wage-work bargain, employee

satisfaction and other socio-psychological, as well as socio-economic, aspects, on the other.

The success of any sport organization may largely depend on the quality of its strategic

decisions. Attracting, developing and retaining talented people can provide a sport organization

with the resources it needs to prosper, grow and ultimately gain competitive advantage. The

right coach, manager, CEO or player can transform the fortunes of a sport organization from

bottom of the pile to world champion.

Going back to human resource management, in sport organizations, it is essentially about

finding the right person for the right job at the right time and ensuring an appropriately trained

and satisfied workforce. This seems quite simple – as though the HRM, along with SHRM will

easily deal with various types of situations arising in different organizations. However, things

are often not as simple as perceived, especially when the organizations are multifaceted and

not only have a variety of services to provide to its customers, but are also answerable to the

controlling bodies such as the Government or the society as a whole. The HRM, as well as

SHRM, will have different perceptions about dealing with the employees or workers in both

Leadership in Strategic Human Resource Management

– Prof. Vivek Pandey


these cases. It involves a process of continual planning and evaluation and is best viewed as

part of a cycle in which an organization aims to meet its strategic goals. It is therefore both

person-centered and goal directed.

It is recommended that the employees and volunteers be treated as investment assets, who,

through a series of organizational practices, develop a strong psychological commitment to the

organization and unique ways of working together that delivers a superior performance level. It

could be made clear from this perspective that the human assets or the workers of sport

organizations are of prime importance and play their role in the performance of such

organizations.

Coming to the most crucial question of management or strategic management of these

assets, in specific, or the organization as a whole – who is behind all this, that plays a pivotal

role; or, who is the managing and motivating factor keeping all these running in the desired

manner for getting the best outcomes? The person behind the planned human resource

deployment has to play a crucial role, with strong psychological commitment, in order to help

the organization reach its goal and deliver superior performance. The person has to maintain a

balance between work-wage bargain and employees' satisfaction, to bring out the best from

them and help the organization give its best. He has to play the role of a co-coordinator, a

director, a partner, a guide, an expert, a role model and, sometimes, a dictator – seen quite

often in coaches, like Alex Ferguson, former coach of ManU. The person playing all these roles

is the leader of the organization or group, and his HRM or SHRM skills play a pivotal role in the

success of the group.

Leadership involves diagnosing situations, determining what needs to be done, and

marshalling collective effort sufficient to achieve a desired future or avert significant problems.

Leadership sets new direction or vision that others follow; a leader is the spearhead for the

new direction. The same approach can be realized in sport organizations or educational

institutions – where the head of the organization takes up the responsibility of leading or

controlling the various aspects of the organization, whereas the sections or departments

involving different categories of employees are responsible for managing the regular functions

of the institution.

Management is about: Leadership is about:

Planning and Budgeting Establishing direction

Control and Problem Solving Motivating and Inspiring

Systems and Structures Focusing on People

Coordinating Developing

Organising Innovating

Path following Path finding

Doing things right Doing the right things


Today's leadership, from the Human Resource Management and Strategic Human Resource

Management viewpoint, has to look towards the process where leaders are not seen as

individuals in charge of the followers but as members of a team. Result-based concepts, rather

than person-based or position-based leadership, are becoming more feasible in today's

scenario. In the competitive world, hard work always pays and experience is the best teacher.

Strategic management has its own place when it comes to the implementation of plans. The

leadership and the leader must have proper knowledge of SHRM to give the best results. Sport

organizations must follow the principles of SHRM to achieve their strategic goals. The task-

related and people-related behaviour of the leaders is more practical. The frontline 'doers'

need not follow step-by-step instructions, and need to have more liberty and flexibility to

decide and work independently in order to achieve organizational goals .

Organizations should present themselves in such a way that it becomes difficult for their

competitors to match them, and their offers become the automatic choice of the customers.

The meaning of strategic management is to be understood from these perspectives, so that

the organizations prove themselves to be well-prepared to face the challenges of the

competitive environment and give their best to the customers, as well as the stakeholders.

The key ideas behind SHRM and the success of some sport organisations are Operational

Effectiveness – performing similar activities better than rivals; and Strategic Positioning –

performing different activities or similar activities in different ways. Increased globalization,

commercialization and accountability in the sport industry over the past few decades have led

sport organizations to adopt more sophisticated management systems and become more

business-oriented.

Similarities to Business

The last 20 years have seen a drive for sport to become more professionally structured

and managed

Large segments of sport have copied business practices and values

Paid employment of players and administrators

Strategic plans

Branding

Fans/Customer service

Corporate sponsorship

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü


Inimitability of Sport

Fans who support team at the foot of table

Financial mismanagement

Transfer fees

Wealthy team owners who lose money

High professional salaries

Low support staff pay

Volunteers for major events

Community sport club organisers

In conclusion, Strategic Human Resource Management or the quality of the strategic

decisions within any sport organisation can mean the difference between success and failure

of that organisation.

The author is Professor at Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü


Sports have the potential to impact the basic parameters of any Nation – be it National

confidence, health or the very ideology of fair-play. Unfortunately, empirically this sector has

been given little importance. Furthermore, in terms of Government set up, it is a part of neither

the education sector, nor the health sector and it does not enjoy budgets that global giants

receive in sport. This arcane approach to sport has ensured that India struggles as a nation

when it comes to building a national competitive spirit in our youth, as well as performance at

international level in Olympic sport. But sports is an industry that has huge opportunity. Major

competitions are set up in 3 or 4 major team sports that vie for television presence, as well as

cater to adulating fans.

We at TransStadia believe that the key to revitalizing this sector is to ensure that sporting assets

– such as major stadia and sports complexes are re-structured and re-positioned to cater to

India's demographic needs.

Until the 1990's, Government of India played a huge role in development of infrastructure in

sectors like aviation, telecom, roads and highways, steel, oil and gas exploration etc. and then

passed on the baton to private sector to take it to the next level of size and scale across the

length and breadth of the Nation, creating international benchmarks in terms of penetration,

development and revenue. The question that now stands is; is there an opportunity for the

private sector to take over the sports infrastructure as well?

Like any other sector, the business of sports infrastructure cannot survive without a vision – A

Community Vision. Forever, stadiums around the world have typically been those grandiose

palaces of concrete and steel, built to last forever—even though their original purpose didn't

last longer than two weeks. But the United States and Europe have shown leadership in

changing this and building sports infrastructure on the back bone for the 4 fundamental pillars –

Community, Legacy, Sport & Revenue. For these parameters to be realized, it becomes

important to feed sports infrastructure with the right environment of talent development,

competitions, technology and media to allow various sports to grow from the grassroots level

to the elite level.

Sports Infrastructure as the Key Driver for Growth in Sports

– Hiren Pandit


Multi-use sports infrastructure –

A Community Center

Media Rights Management

Hosting Mega Events / Competitions

Mixed Use Urban Development

Non-Core Sports Infrastructure

Sports Infrastructure Technology: Improved

Utilisation

Core Sports Infrastructure

Sports Assets Management

Talent DevelopmentAthletes & Coaches

As broadcasters, continuously reinvent media platforms that provide revolutionary sports viewing experience to engage fans from their homes, it has become important to provide fans with the 'home experience' in a stadium. It is now, more than ever, that the opportunity for Public Private Partnerships in sports infrastructure has become apparent.

Sports infrastructure needs to be developed as iconic city centers rather than white elephants that burden the system. Some State Governments such as in Gujarat, Kerala and Jharkhand have looked at this as a business opportunity rather than just social upliftment – as one without the other would be meaningless.

The need of the hour thus is, to develop community centers with smart-use development, coupled with stadium technology that improves utilization, to enjoy broader utilisation with predictable revenue streams. The opportunity lies in building sports infrastructure facilities as part of larger urban development schemes benefiting a wider community rather than just sports fans. Stadiums alone may not be an attractive investment option for the private sector but potentially higher returns can be secured from commercial, entertainment, hospitality and other revenue generating development surrounding the core sports infrastructure thus allowing sport to take its time to develop to a sustainable level without hurting the investment returns of the sponsors.

The author is COO, SE TransStadia Pvt. Ltd.


While cricket still dominates the Indian sports landscape, India has been progressively moving

towards active embracement of other sports in recent years. The coming years may see India

emerging as a powerhouse in many such sports and the country's sports-broadcasters have

been at the forefront of this process.

The Indian viewer today is being serviced by over 10 dedicated sports channels that ensure all

events of consequence in most major sports across the world are being provided to

consumers. A number of these are powered completely by sports other than cricket a trend

that was unimaginable a few years ago. In addition to this, the broadcasters are also actively

promoting and supporting local sports leagues in various sports such as cricket, football,

tennis, badminton, hockey, golf, etc thereby providing opportunities to experience live sports

up-close and enable sports to emerge as a viable career alternative.

The Indian viewer today has more choices than most of his counterparts in other countries and

the entire service is reaching him at less than 5% of costs in other countries (including most

developing nations).

I believe that the sector is poised for more activity, innovation and evolution in the coming years

which would transform the sports consumption experience of fans. There has already been

considerable investment in regional language feeds in recent years and this is likely to increase

further into more languages. Live sports on internet and mobile devices have seen large

investments and are poised for significant growth in the coming years. All these promise

significantly greater interactivity, connect and flexibility to sports fans.

These developments have been enabled and supported by factors such as advent of DTH

sector, onset of cable digitization and rapid strides in mobile penetration. But it is important to

stress here that a lot still needs to be done. This enhanced service to consumers has not been

supported by any perceptible change in pricing in the last decade. And the broadcasters are

still to see the full financial benefits of digitization and addressability in cable.

Also support of other stakeholders has not kept pace with the commitment by sports

broadcasters. As a result, there is threat to sustainability of such investments and maintaining

this pace of growth. The broadcasting sector, which has borne the brunt of rapidly escalating

Changing Dynamics in Sports Broadcast in India

– Prasanna Krishnan


content costs and inadequate monetization opportunities, would need the support of everyone

including Government, sports federations, corporates, distribution partners and consumers in

this process.

I remain very optimistic on the growth opportunities in sports and believe that the pace of

development would accelerate even further in the coming years and hope that the sector gets

the support it needs from all stakeholders to achieve sustainable profitability while continuing

to delight the sports fan in the country.

The author is Business Head, Sony Six


6. Roadmap for Development of Sports & Sports Infrastructure

Excellence in sports, bolsters National pride and patriotism, and fosters cultural harmony.

Sports sector is developing in India with Government schemes now gearing towards

promoting capacity building and creation of infrastructure. India as a nation is highly

motivated towards achieving eminence in the international sports arena. Institutional

reforms coupled with strong corporate and community support can propel the development

of sports in the country:

üDeveloping better co-ordination between different departments of the Ministry of

Sports and Youth Affairs, the Centre and the State Sports Departments to expedite

the overall process of Sports Management in the country and solve the issue of

demand supply mismatch with respect to training facilities, trained sportsperson and

available infrastructure.

üIncreased budgetary allocation for sports development by the States and the

Centre: The investment made by most States in sports has been negligible. An increase

in State budgetary allocation towards sports is required to provide universal and barrier-

free access and to create a national sports culture. Moreover, besides State allocation

for sports, the budgetary allocation for Sports at the National level has to increase after

priorities for Sports Infrastructure Development have been defined. India has only

allocated 0.32% in 2010-11, which incidentally was the year of Commonwealth Games.

Comparing it with the allocation of 2011-12, it has disastrously gone down to 0.09%.

üRecognizing sports sector as an Industry: Industry status

will allow the private sector to gain from options related to

financing available to the private sector. The private sector

companies will be able to raise funds from debt and equity

markets apart from banks and financial institutes.

üMove towards a PPP framework: Public Private

Partnership should be looked upon as a viable option to

provide the necessary support and capital outlay required to

meet the State welfare responsibilities, and budgeting for

them in their forecasts. An effective policy can also successfully direct the current focus

of private sector on a few major sports and provide initiative for them to broad-base the

investment. Besides moving towards a PPP framework, efforts should be made to

assist the private partners in procuring the necessary land on ownership or lease basis.

Roadmap for Development of Sports & Sports Infrastructure

6

Prioritize, and allocate

resources and

performance support

to individuals / teams

having greatest

chance of winning

medals


üThere is an urgent need to recognize the importance of tourism as an economic

spin-off in the development of sports in the country and leveraging sports for

national economic development by encouraging sports tourism, including adventure

sports in the country, in close association with State Governments, agencies and NGOs

promoting adventure sports such as rock climbing, rafting, snow skiing, paragliding,

rappelling, trekking, sea exploration, scuba diving, snorkeling and wild life safaris.

üRole of Sports Talent Management And Execution Committee (STMEC)

1) Identification of High Impact Sports / Medal winning Disciplines

Disciplines such as Shooting, wrestling and boxing have not only been competing well

but have provided medals for India in the last three Olympic Games. Identifying sports

disciplines as a thrust area for excellence and focused interventions such as

establishing new high performance leadership and coaching structure for high impact

sports can ensure sustained success in Olympics 2016, 2020 and beyond.

2) Identification of Regions for Sports Excellence

Developing indigenous talent, with identification of regions for sports excellence in

various disciplines would help discovering the best sports talents in the region and

transform them into world class athletes thereby creating a stronger sports culture.

3) Identification of Talent

Identify promising student-athletes through State associations or federations and

develop them into Olympic champions.

Incorporate systems to identify and nurture talent through timed events. Ensure

communities are well aware of such efforts, to be able to

effectively channelize talented pupils from school to

international platforms.

Local clubs with qualified coaches should assist school

teachers to identify and monitor talented children.

Student athletes should be directed to elite schools/

academies which have the expertise and facilities to nurture

young talent.

ü

ü

ü

ü

Develop Regional

sports center

excelling in popular

sports for instance

Football is popular in

Kerala, West Bengal,

Goa and the

Northeast


4) Training and Execution

A Committee to undertake the following task:

üRope in former sportsperson of repute – International

performers, record holders and national awardees.

üExperts in the various sports disciplines and support

specialists in the field of health, nutrition, equipment and

gear.

üFormer/Current Coaches – Identify and enlist former,

current and foreign coaches of proven ability in various

sports disciplines.

üForging partnerships with international education

institutes may prove instrumental in developing

indigenous talent – both players as well as trainers.

üReview high level coaches and their deployment.

üAssessor training for local coaches and apprentice

schemes at various levels – district, national and

international for potential coaches.

üProvide management support to clubs, committees and

federations

Emphasis on right

training programme will

play an important role in

turning grassroots

talents into world

champions

Works Cited

National Skill Development Corporation. (2012). Skill Gap Study for Sports. New Delhi: National Skill

Development Corporation.


Knowledge Partner

Date post:	13-May-2018
Category:	Documents
Upload:	lenga
View:	219 times
Download:	3 times

development of sports & sport infrastructure - YES BANK · Indian Premier League (IPL), Hockey...

Documents