With Sanjay Dutt throwing his gauntlet into the boxing ring, will the sport benefit from Munnabhai’s star power?

When we talk of Indian sport, it’s cricket that comes to mind. The game is nothing short of a religion for us, complete with its Gods and demigods. But think of hockey (our national sport), boxing, shooting, or for that matter, any other sport, and it’s difficult to name icons from the current crop off-hand. So, when Sanjay Dutt recently announced that he would be the brand ambassador for Indian boxing, the cheers were loud and clear.

This is not sport’s first brush with Bollywood. Tough guy Suniel Shetty, had earlier been the brand ambassador for Indian hockey , which, despite Chak De! India, is in poor shape now. The eight gold medals in Olympics are history. For the first time in 80 years, we failed to qualify for the Olympics in Beijing. And now, hockey is making news for all the wrong reasons.

In badminton, Pullela Gopichand’s sports academy is facing a funds crunch. Short on corporate sponsorship, the academy took a long time to come up. “Corporate sponsorship was hard to come by. We had to take loans from banks to get it started. And now we need money to run the academy,” says Pullela’s mother Subbaravamma.

But can games like hockey and boxing ride piggyback on their players’ popularity and star value? Apparently not. Not much has changed for hockey , in spite of Suniel Shetty’s association with the game. Former hockey player, Gurbux Singh, member of the 1964 Olympic gold winning team, voices his doubts about stars being brand ambassadors for other sports. “No game can benefit much from such associations. Even the movie Chak De! India only created a hype for a while. The focus is back on cricket. In boxing, the effects are yet to be seen and we are halfway through forgetting sharp shooter Abhinav Bindra,” says a worried Singh. He adds, though, “With the money which the boxers won after their good show, more boys will be attracted to take up the sport.”

Arjuna Award winner Balbir Singh, too, has his reservations. “Star power can help attract young boys to watch matches and see their heroes in person. Celebs attach glamour to any sport and help to popularise a game. A star’s contribution is, at best, attending prize distribution ceremonies and seeing off teams for overseas tournaments,” says Singh

Commentator Charu Sharma puts the issue in perspective. “Sports can benefit by better management and better infrastructure. Alignment with a star will mean more mileage for sure. But the question is, are stars ready to go that extra mile for sports?” asks Charu.

But boxer Akhil Kumar, who reached the quarters at Beijing Olympics, is optimistic about Sanjay Dutt’s association. “Dutt is a popular figure and his name will gain favour with more sponsors. Even I play to attract the audience. If we can make our bouts attractive, more youngsters will take up the sport,” he says. The Bhiwani boxer even offers a suggestion: “The brand ambassador has to spend more time involved with the sport. If Sanjay Dutt comes to watch the Nationals, it will motivate the boys.” Celebrated boxing coach, GS Sandhu, too, appears hopeful when he says, “It is true that nothing can be taken for granted. But I’m sure the popularity of the star will get us more sponsors. Dutt had shown his interest in the game even before the Olympics,” says Sandhu.

Former India hockey midfielder Viren Rasquinha points out that no matter how big a star, it’s important to leverage the connection in a way that benefits the game. “Maybe Suniel Shetty’s star power was not utilised properly. It is also the responsibility of the sports federation or association to have a plan in place when they bring a celebrity on board,” he says. Hope the Indian Boxing Association has a definite plan in mind about tapping Sanjay Dutt’s Munnabhai value. Boley toh…