Those into it say it’s the future

PUNE: A passion for sports and a fire in the belly are must-haves for sports management aspirants, former captain of the Indian hockey team and an accomplished sports management professional, Viren Rasquinha said.

Rasquinha, after retirement, graduated with a business management degree from Hyderabad and though he did not specialise in sports management, he got an offer from sporting legends Geet Sethi and Prakash Padukone to handle the operations of Olympic Gold Quest, a non-profit foundation, whose mission is to empower India to win more gold medal in the Olympics.

“I did my MBA, but never with the intention of continuing with sports. When Geet and Prakash made the offer, I could not refuse,” he said.

He is now involved in the marketing, facilitation of coaching, training, medical help and raising funds for top players in the country. Rasquinha felt sports management has a bright future, but it lacks trained professionals.

“Although it is nascent, it will grow in the coming years. Sports is the only industry where a person of any age can connect easily. Moreover, many companies want to be associated with sports through sponsorships and endorsements,” he said.

Rasquinha has some advice for aspirants. “Passion and through knowledge of every aspect of the industry will take one a long way. There must be inherent understanding of the industry to become a successful manager.”

Vivek Singh, another sports management professional and joint managing director of Procam International, said, “Aspirants must have an emotional connect with sports to take it up as a career. The competition to be there will hot up with India hosting mega sporting events and club sports becoming popular because of the Indian Premier League.”

A beginner earns between Rs 15,000 and Rs 25,000 depending on the job. “But entry to a good organisation, club, managing body, national team or sports channels can be lucrative,” he said. Rahi Sharma who has been working with a sports channel for two years, said, ” The profession is highly creative and innovative. Since there are not many competitors and there is a dearth of sports management professionals in the country, it is a good career for fresh graduates.”