Pushing for the need for transparency in sports administration in India, the former cricketer Javagal Srinath has said that he took to administration because he wanted to make a difference in sports.
On the closing day of the two-day IIMBue 2016, the IIM Bangalore annual alumni meet on the theme ‘Start, Scale and Disrupt’ here on Sunday, Mr. Srinath said, “As a player, you travel around the world and see the infrastructure and the transparency out there and you want the same for your country.”
Mr. Srinath, who is also a former secretary of the Karnataka State Cricket Association, felt that corporates could change the landscape of sports administration by investing in sports and the fitness industry.
He also spoke about the need to change the perception of sports among parents, citing a survey at a cricket camp in Karnataka. “We found that nearly a quarter wanted their kids to become the next Sehwag or Tendulkar. Only a small percentage felt the goal was that they learn to handle success and failure,” he added.
Joy Bhattacharjya, director, FIFA U17 World Cup, and a former director of Kolkata Knight Riders, felt that there was a need to target parents and school principals. He told a story of how he convinced the principal of a convent school to hold a football camp in the school. “The principal in her nun’s habit kicked off the ball, and 600 girls got to play,” he said.
Earlier, Kunal Shah, founder of FreeCharge; Aprameya Radhakrishna, CEO of TaxiForSure; and Karan Bhagat, CEO of IIFL Wealth, discussed the temperament needed to run successful startups.
They concurred that it should not be launched just to make money. “I started TaxiForSure to solve a problem. Because the focus was there, we created a lot of value,” Mr. Radhakrishna said.
