Sports Entrepreneurship

There are several avenues we can lead our lives into. Some can be chosen to fetch money, some taken for pleasure and some to gain power and popularity. Entrepreneurship is fantastic; the thrill that one gets in fostering something which is one’s own is superb besides freedom from being bossed. Looking out for ventures where one can convert their passion into a successful business is the way to go. There are dozens of way to explain the appeal of sports, the fervour and emotions it brings out and yet no way to make it comprehendible to all. Either you get it or you don’t. India has thousands of frustrated sports aficionados who are motivated and ready to work for the betterment of sports in the country. Sports fans are a formidable customer base. So if you love sports the only thing that can limit the possibilities of sports entrepreneurship ideas is your imagination. Simply think business first and then apply sports to it. If you are not sure what type of business you can start, here are a few ideas:
· Website: you can sell licensed merchandise, books, DVDs etc online or offer discussion boards, chat rooms, scores, articles, fantasy sports leagues etc
· Player Management: includes everything from enhancing your client’s potential on the field to taking care of all legal, financial, marketing, PR and travel operations. (do a Jerry Mcguire)
· Sports tourism: arrange travel for purpose of participating/viewing events as well adventure sports activities.
· Sport themed restaurant or bar: who wouldn’t like a tasty bite/sip while watching their favourite team play.
· Printing/Publication: you could target a fan base with magazines, posters or themed post cards. · Sports Camps: if you want to serve the game by working at the grassroots level, you can organize learning camps which can be popularised by bringing in current or former stars of the game.
· Sports related franchise: if you have always dreamed of creating computer games go ahead and develop sports video games. Else bring out a sports drink or energy bar or a retail chain of sports equipment. You can specialize in training athletes – helping them increase speed, stamina, agility and preventing injuries or treatment of injuries and recuperation.
The list goes on and on.
In 2006, Nandan Kamath, Joseph Ollapally and Hakimuddin Habibulla dared to envision big when they founded GoSports Pvt. Ltd. Hakkimuddin Habibulla is a former Olympian swimmer who represented India at the Sydney Olympics. GoSports aims to help shape up sporting careers and also boosting India on the international sporting sphere. Their goal for 2010 is to ensure their athletes grab 10 Commonwealth Games medals. Furthermore, at the 2012 London Olympics, GoSports aims to nurture at least 20 individuals who will represent and secure multiple medals for India. In 2007, Virdhawal Khade was stuck in choosing between his 10th standard board exams and the opportunity to participate in the World Swimming Championships. Thankfully GoSports convinced his parents to let their son give the exams later. The move bore great fruits as the young swimmer qualified for the Olympics, creating history by becoming the youngest Indian swimmer to do so. Outstandingly, he has since gone on to win 6 medals at the Commonwealth Youth Games. Such success stories have brought them into spotlight and a number of talented athletes are seeking their services.
IndiaKhelo is a start-up by a group of IIT-Madras students. IndiaKhelo is being incubated in RTBI Cell at IIT-Madras. Their mentor Professor Ashok Jhunjhunwala, Padam Shri, has been named as one of "The 50 Most Powerful People in India” by Business Week magazine. IndiaKhelo Team collects the match-results of the local matches played at schools, colleges, & sports clubs all around India, analyse them and upload them on IndiaKhelo.com. Through this initiative each grass-root player gets a chance to play organized matches, based on his daily performance get national rankings, and showcase his sports talent to friends and family. A large number of talented youngsters have been overlooked because of the absence of a system to uncover talent. IndiaKhelo was set out to provide solvents to all these problems. They have also started a Sports-fitness report card (equivalent to academic report card) for school students giving them sports ranking, sponsorship and recognition to excel in sports.
Neel Shah, an IIM Kozhikode PGDM graduate was always on the lookout for ventures where he could convert his hobby into a profit-making venture. The merger of Sports and Stocks appeared to be the beacon for multiple reasons. With the recent market downturn, a stock market devoted to sports would not only provide entertainment but also be a platform for beginners to learn the trading fundamentals while dealing with virtual money. Neel Shah’s SPOXCHANGE is an entertainment portal that lets fans use their knowledge & understanding to trade in stocks of their favourite sports players.
It is tremendous how these men have soldiered on in the face of adverse economic conditions. These go-getters are a great source of inspiration for trusting one’s instincts and working hard to convert dreams into reality. As youth of this country who know the prevalent laws of economics in sports, it is easy to agnise the lamentable condition of our overall sporting prowess. It would take the efforts of exceptional individuals willing to sweat to make the dream of Indian supremacy in sports a reality. It is an onerous task but much can be achieved with an entrepreneurial spirit to bring change.