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Harmit : Please tell us about yourself and how you became a Lecturer, Sports Management at Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management.
Ans: Since my childhood, sport is my biggest passion. I decided to convert my passion into profession just after completing my M.A in Economics. The Sports Management Course of IISWBM gave me the opportunity to materialize my dream. I did this course in 2006.
My first job was with Comperio Research, a part of IMG. All India Football Federation (AIFF) was me next place of work, where I was offered the post of ‘Event Coordinator’. After AIFF, I joined a Bangalore based Sports Management Company, New World Consulting. Finally, I returned back to Kolkata as the Lecturer of IISWBM in June 2009.
Harmit : What does some one going through the Sports Management course learn?
Ans: Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management (IISWBM), the first Management Institute in India, conducts a one-year full time Post Graduate Diploma Course in Sports Management since 2003. The course is designed to give the students an understanding of various aspects of sports, such as, the application of Managerial Tools and Techniques in sports, Economic Impact, Structure and Functions of Sports Administration, Sports Marketing aspects and Sports Law. The Programme helps the students in acquiring requisite skills in Media and Public Relations, Sponsorship and Sports Broadcasting, Sports Medicine, Sports Psychology, Entrepreneurship. The course covers eighteen papers in a period of one-year.
The programme also provides one-month Internship opportunity with various sporting organisations. The current batch of students completed their Internship with the Hockey World Cup 2010 held at New Delhi.
We assist students in getting suitable placement. The students of the course are successfully working in a number of Sports Federations and Sports Management Companies in India.
Harmit : How often the course content gets changed and how it was designed?
Ans: As I have already mentioned, the duration of the course is one year which is divided into two semesters. Each semester contains nine papers. The semester examinations are held after the completion of each semester.
We provide one-month internship opportunity in the month of January.
The world of sports is changing rapidly. Nobody can survive in the dynamic world of sports without having proper understanding of the changing concepts of sports business. Hence, we modify the course content time to time so as to enable our students to operate in the ever-changing world of sports.Harmit : What are some of the key elements of the course?
Ans: Some of the key elements of the course are:
The course is designed to make the students aware of the applicability of the management theories and practices in the field of sports.
We invite eminent persons from the Sports Industry to give lectures on various topics, including, Sponsorship and Broadcasting, PR and Journalism, Sports Science, Sports Finance etc.
The course also provides an opportunity to the students to gain a practical exposure in the sports industry during their internship.
We also assist the students in getting suitable placement.
Harmit : What is the criteria for joining this course and what is the duration of this course?
Ans: There are two criteria for joining this course:
i) Minimum qualification is a graduation degree (preferably with honours) in any discipline from a recognized University.
ii) Maximum age limit is 30 years, relaxable in case of a person already working in sports bodies, academies and organisations
The duration of the course is of one year, from July to June.
Harmit : What are your thoughts on where the Sports Management industry is headed in India?
Ans: Sports in India is a billion dollar industry. We must admit that, despite of many controversies, IPL added a new dimension to the world of cricket. It’s a perfect mix of cricket and glamour, ‘cricketainment’, a combination of cricket and entertainment, which is expected to grow in future.
Football in India is also progressing towards professionalism. I hope that the I League will gradually transform into a complete professional league. AIFF has already introduced ‘Club Licensing Criteria’ for making the league and the participating clubs professional. Corporate sector is showing interest to promote Indian football. Coca-Cola, Panasonic, UB have already joined the board and there are many more who want to join. Even the Kolkata Football League, a State level League, is sponsored by Sahara Group. Most of the clubs, participating in the I-League, are having corporate sponsorship.
The successful organization of the World Cup Hockey shows the potential of India in organizing large scale sports events.
Commonwealth Games 2010 will provide a new dimension to the sports industry in India in terms of sports infrastructure and talent development.
The success of Indian sports persons helps to create a demand for sports in India. I hope, the success of Abhinav Bindra, Saina Nehwal, Vijender Singh, Leander Paes will play an instrumental role in inculcating sports culture in India.
Another positive aspect is that the Government of India has increased the funding of the sports industry considerably, from Rs. 270 million in sixth five year plan to Rs. 46 billion in the eleventh five year plan.
The increasing demand for sports in India creates an opportunity for a number of sports management companies to start or expand their operation here.
In my opinion, the sports industry in India is growing and there is an indication of higher growth in near future.
Harmit : Are there any consulting projects that your students or your faculty members and yourself have participated in that you can tell us about?
Ans: At present, the Department is involved in some sports projects. I am not in the position to give you the details as I have to maintain strict confidentiality on these projects. I shall surely inform you once the projects will get over.
Many thanks for making time for us and sharing this information with our readers.
