Up close with Somdev

By V. Shourabh

India, in spite of being a populous country, still strives to make a mark in the global sports. One such reason could be the lack of proper awareness and education. But lately, the sporting sector is on the rise and is set to sky rocket in the next couple of years. Sports and fitness have become an integral part of human life. Who doesn’t love sports? It can be recreational sports or a professional sport. But every individual has been inclined to sports at some or the other point during the course of his life. With the recent surge in IPL, ISL, Kabaddi League and other forms of sports, India is taking the development of sports to the next level.

International Tennis Player Somdev Devvarman has a vision in his mind to promote sports in India and motivate the masses to choose sports to stay healthy. Star of Mysore got up close with him as he opines on the importance of sporting culture and sporting philosophy in India.

The Brand Ambassador of CS&MS Sports Management Programme conducted jointly by Shri Dharmasthala Manjunatheswara Institute for Management Development (SDMIMD) and Centre for sports & Management Studies (CS&MS), Somdev was at SDM-IMD to present certificates to the first batch of PG Programme in Sports Management (PGPSM) 2017-18 yesterday.

Somdev said, “Sporting ecosystem needs to improve in India at every single level right from the grassroots. There should be proper guidance and courses to educate and give direction to the passionate people who are eager to do good in sport. Here comes to importance of sports management; which caters to various aspects like sports marketing, talent management, event management, Operations management, etc. So it is very important that the current generation needs a lot of sports managers to cater to the sport development. People need to be made aware that opportunity exists in sports and through this we can tap the hidden potential in India. The main motive is to spread the sporting bug and expand the sporting ecosystem so that the people realise its essence. Sports is a passion play, and with proper guidance and management, the sporting philosophy will head in the right direction. Thus sports management is very vital in achieving this goal. We need to get people of their couches and get them playing the sport. So promotion of sports and sports management is very much important.”

“Sports management definitely plays a key role in the performance of the player too. Their key role is to provide the player the perfect care and platform to perform at his/her optimal best. Even in the recent FIFA World Cup, each team had several management departments — the travel and stay managers, Venue staff,  Mentors, Physios, Rehab staff, Public Relations Officers, Strategist, Goalkeeping coach, Defending Coach, attacking coach etc. Several people form the management core to ensure that the players are managed in the right direction. This is lacking in India as many players are mismanaged, not just by the sports managers, but also the members of their family as they have never experienced the essence of sports. Thus there is a huge need for a systematic management approach in the Indian sports which needs to bring in the sporting culture and philosophy,” said Somdev.

He also narrated a quote from the ‘Cool Runnings’ Movie — “If you are not enough without it, you’ll never be enough with it.” Emphasising on the need for hard work, he adds, “The process is the key. Give your best, do your job and be detached. Winning is a by-product. Ensure you do the process correctly.”