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PVP Ventures owned by Prasad V. Potluri has jointly with Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar bought the Indian Super League franchise based in Kochi, Kerala. I spoke with Rajeev Kamineni, the Executive Director of PVP Ventures, about the Kochi ISL franchise buy and more.
Congratulations on winning the Kochi franchise of the ISL! What does it mean to you?
Thank You very much! It means a lot in terms of the excitement this league has created. Kerala was the cradle of Indian football for many years and it has been slipping-up in recent times, but this gives us an opportunity to connect with the local fans and bring back the glory days of Kerala football and also Indian football.
Why are you investing in Indian football? Is it more about the sport itself or rather the business behind it?
It is more to do with the sport itself. As you are aware, it will take a very long time for a sports club/franchise to start making money so the business angle is not the only interest but an urge and passion to ensure that Indian sports doesn’t remain focused on just one sport.
Why was Kochi your preferred location for your ISL franchise?
Because we felt that Kochi/Kerala is the cradle of Indian football and sadly the state football has been in decline for the past few years. With such a glorious past, we were confident that we can rekindle the passion in Kerala and our team will be embraced as their own.
Sachin Tendulkar is your partner in the franchise. How important is it to have such a sporting icon as part of the franchise?
Sachin Tendulkar is an international legend. His discipline and commitment are phenomenal! He is not just an icon for our team but he is an integral part of it, Sachin believes in encouraging all sports and he is a true Indian who belongs to the entire nation.
What are your aims with the ISL franchise?
To make our team one of the best and on par with the best in the world. To nurture talent and work with the goal of seeing the next Maradona from Kerala.
You also own the Indian Badminton League franchise, Hyderabad Hotshots, which won the inaugural IBL season. Any lessons you bring from IBL to ISL?
Yes, it is not all glitz and glamour but lots of hard work and single minded devotion to excellence. The biggest lesson that we will bring in from IBL is that if we keep our team happy and focused the results will naturally follow, so we will bring in the same work ethic from IBL to ISL.
Any words from you for the football fans in Kochi and across Kerala?
This is your team, without your support there will be no Kochi team, we are just the custodians but at the end of the day if you embrace this team as your own, we will together work towards building a world class team and leave a legacy for the future generations.
