An Indian engineer is the new Manchester United director!

Manu Sawhney

After the introduction of the Venky’s group in the midst English football, India’s Manu Sawhney is all set to be named as the non-executive director of Manchester United. Sawhney, now an ex-managing director at ESPN Star Sports will be joining the Premier League’s powerhouse as soon as next month.

He is one of the three non-executive board members, and the only Asian to have been chosen for this elite job at one of the most popular football institutions of the world.

Sawhney, 45, was at the helm of sports broadcasting in Asia as he was associated with the Asian business of ESS Star Sports group for the past 16 years.

He has been featured in the elite list of Sportcal’s most influential sports executives over the last two decades, and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Birla Institute of Technology & Science (BITS), Pilani, India. He has also attained a Masters degree in International Business from the reputed Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), New Delhi, India.

Confirming the developments, an elated Sawhney said, “It’s a great honour and wonderful opportunity to be part of Manchester United, a club with such a rich history.”

Sawhney also reflected on the global image of his new employee and the NYSE floatation from United. He said, “The club’s popularity has taken a big leap after it got listed on NYSE. As Asia has one of the biggest fan bases (approx 325 million) and is an emerging market, my job will be to assist in helping the club reach more and more territories across the continent.”

Sawhney managed to avoid all kinds of questions on his potential role in United’s management operations. However, he hinted a further utilization of United’s popular image all across the Asian countries. “If the club has to utilise its rich fan base, it will have to open more soccer schools across Asia,” he said.