Always stressed on the need of India having a sporting model, says Yuvraj Singh

Always stressed on the need of India having a sporting model, says Yuvraj Singh

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BCCI

Yuvraj Singh has stated that he has always stressed on the fact that India needs to have a sporting model and the athletes will get the benefit of that at an event in Delhi. Gymnast Dipa Karmakar, Shooter Anjum Moudgil and chess player Tania Sachdev were also present during the event.

The 2019 edition of The Sports Movement was organised by India On Track at the Hyatt Regency in New Delhi on Tuesday, 24th September 2019. The event was headlined by star cricketer and humanitarian, Yuvraj Singh, gymnast Dipa Karmakar, Shooter Anjum Moudgil and Chess Grandmaster Tania Sachdev along with the Premier League, and English football club, Chelsea FC. 

The Sports Movement emerged to be a platform for stakeholders to come together and engage, interact and explore potential investment and business opportunities within the world of sport. The seminar explored the business potential of Indian sport and what it would take to make India an international sporting destination. The discussions represented the current issues and opportunities in the sports ecosystem. 

The day's sessions focussed on multiple aspects of the sports landscape in the country and threw light on the ground realities and challenges across different sports. 

These included pertinent subjects such as sustainability in sports, making women’s football mainstream, driving fan engagement via content among others. The day also saw special showcases by Premier League, Chelsea FC, Six5Six, Portuguese FA and a special feature with Dipa Karmakar and Anjum Moudgil.

“In this conference today, we have taken a multi-sport approach. We are aiming to build a sustainable ecosystem for the growth of various sports in India, finding ways to improve success on the pitch and increase consumption for sports across all mediums,” said India on Track Founder and CEO, Vivek Sethia. 

Former India cricketer, Humanitarian and Entrepreneur, Yuvraj Singh started the proceedings with his opening remarks on how the sports landscape has evolved in India in the last few years and the growth of YouWeCan, and his foundation which focuses on scouting and supporting talent across sports. 

He added, “I have always stressed on the fact that India needs to have a sporting model where athletes are the ones who are benefiting the most from a positive sporting culture and environment. 

When you look at the top sporting countries around the world, they all have had a model where the athletes are championed and celebrated."

Dipa Karmakar, Indian Olympian (Gymnastics), Rio 2016, Anjum Moudgil, shooter, who has secured an Olympic Quota for India at Tokyo Olympics 2020 and chess player Tania Sachdev also shared their valuable thoughts on the challenges faced by sportspersons in India and the aspects various stakeholders should focus on to build a fantastic sports ecosystem in this country.

Five panel discussions on various topics related to the growth of sports in India were hosted throughout the day. Joy Bhattacharjya - CEO, Pro Volleyball League, Rishi Narain - Former Professional Golfer and Managing Director, Rishi Narain Golf Management, Anil Singh - Founder, Procam International, Gaurav Modwel - Chairman, India On Track and Chancellor, Global Institute of Sports Business, Hemant Dua - Mentor, Inspiranti Sports and Former CEO, Delhi Daredevils and Vivek Sethia -  India on Track Founder and CEO held a session on building a sustainable sports ecosystem in India.

A panel consisting of Nandan Kamath - Managing Trustee, GoSports Foundation, Ritu Jhingon - General Manager - Corporate Communication & CSR at CAIRN India, Kate Hodgkinson - Head of International Relations, Premier League, Diarmuid Crowley - Chief Commercial Officer, Portuguese FA and CEO, Druid Sport, Javier Cabrera - Technical Director, La Liga Football Schools India and Arunava Chaudhuri - Football Expert discussed the importance of success at the highest level and the key factors that need to come together to create an elite athlete. 

The journey of an athlete and the support he or she requires from the ecosystem during this journey was highlighted, with a focus on the realities of Indian sport at various levels.

Sara Abdullah Pilot, Chairperson / Co-Founder of CEQUIN and Chairperson of Women’s Committee, AIFF held a session with Roma Khanna - Tournament Director, LOC FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup India 2020, Shaji Prabhakaran - President, Football Delhi, Claire Ripley - Second Secretary, Australian High Commission, Juan Pablo Ramirez-Miranda - Section Chief and Programme Specialist for Social and Human Sciences (SHS), UNESCO about how to bring the narrative of women’s football into the mainstream discussion in India. 

Sara Abdullah Pilot made a pertinent point about the power of sports for women empowerment during the panel discussion.

“The fact that we have a couple of panels for women’s football in today’s conference shows the growth of women’s football in India. Now, the narrative and conversations surrounding women’s football are changing all over the world. I believe that not just football, but all sports have the power to change the lives of girls that step on the field,” said Sara Abdullah Pilot.

A media panel consisting of Bhargab Sarmah - Hindustan Times, Ullas Marar - Women’s Footie India (WFI), Abreshmina Quadri - News 18, Udita Dutta - Founder Director, Artsmith Concepts &Visions and Lora Krishnamurthi Prabhu - Executive Director and Co-Founder, CEQUIN further discussed about how to bring the narrative of women’s football into the mainstream discussion in India.

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