Sporting role models are being created: Viren Rasquinha
Olympian and former Indian hockey captain, Viren Rasquinha is also an MBA from the Indian School of Business in Hyderabad. As the chief operating officer of Olympic Gold Quest, a not-for-profit programme which is committed to supporting Indian athletes to win Olympic Gold medals, he now combines his skills acquired on the field and at B-school. He spoke with Ishani Duttagupta about the combination of management skills and sport and how that was helping to create winners for India.
As the former hockey captain of India and an MBA, how are you supporting the cause of sports in India?
At Olympic Gold Quest, we have tried to achieve a fine blend between the credibility of the sporting world and the corporate world. Our founders are Indian sporting legends Geeth Sethi and Prakash Padukone , who set up the programme to assist potential athletes to achieve their dream and win Olympic gold medals. Our board of directors has the top names from sports in India. For me, as the hockey captain of India, it was my aim to win the Olympics Gold which we couldn’t. So I’m in a position to analyse the mistakes that we made and see that they’re not repeated. That’s what I bring to the table.
What do you think the Commonwealth Games will do for sports in India?
The Commonwealth Games has created some world class sporting infrastructure in India, make no mistake about that. And for me, these facilities will help in taking sports to more and more people in India. Of course, proper utilisation and maintenance are necessary and the infrastructure that has been created should be made available to common people and not just the athletes after the Games. Only then would the huge investments that have been made yield long-term results.
Do you see new role models being created at the Commonwealth Games?
That will definitely happen. There are many sports in which young Indian athletes are doing very well at the Commonwealth Games. This will generate new interest among young Indians to join these sports. The Games are a showcase for world class performances and Indians athletes are winning many medals—all this will help create role models in India outside of cricket and help in generating the sporting culture. Besides their performances on the field, sportspersons become positive role models of coping with pressure for young Indians.
What is your role at Olympic Gold Quest?
I played for India for eight years but retired early at 27. The time was ripe for me to take up another challenge and I found my stint at the Indian School of Business very exciting. At OGQ, we are like the stepping stones in creating Olympics Champions. It is my job to identify athletes and help them become the best in the world. We are looking at the 2016 Olympics when scouting for talent. I’m also responsible for co-ordinating research which will help us in selecting athletes who show a lot of potential.
After analysing results of the reports that our team works out, we present the potential candidates to our board for selection. My role also extends to talking to potential athletes and their families and mentoring them after the selection process is complete. We support young athletes in finding the best coaches for them. But, it’s not just helping in connecting them with the best coaches, but also with mental trainers, doctors, nutritionists and a host of others who will make a difference when it comes to winning medals.