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On 12 December, 2019, Rohit Sharma’s name was splashed across all the back pages in the country courtesy a breath-taking display of stroke-play under the dazzling lights at the Wankhede Stadium. During that game, the right-hander became the first Indian to hits 400+ sixes in international cricket, thereby scripting another chapter in a rather storied record book.
A few hours later though, the Indian limited-overs vice-captain again etched himself into history when he signed up for the La Liga as the league’s first ever brand ambassador in India. To put things into perspective, the cricketer became the only non-footballing personality to be associated with the Spanish top-flight in such a capacity.
Unsurprisingly, Rohit was grinning from ear to ear when asked about the opportunity to work with the La Liga. On being asked how he felt, he quickly replied,
When I got the chance, I was feeling over the moon. It was just like scoring a hundred or winning the match for India as that feeling didn’t sink in initially. I am extremely glad to be a part of this journey.
Furthermore, the Mumbai Indians skipper elaborated on how the Indian footballing landscape had changed over the past few years and how he envisioned a much greater upward trajectory in the years to come.
When quizzed about how the aspects he loved about football, Rohit was quick to chalk out a variety of elements. He remarked,
Football showcases teamwork as the players have to hunt in packs to score and defend. Also, it is a game of passion and emotion and you can see it on the players’ faces when they win or fail to post a victory. And, while cricket is my love, football will always be close to my heart. After all, as a sportsperson, I love watching other sports and I believe sports is the best teacher.
Inevitably, with Rohit portraying such knowledge of the beautiful game, one couldn’t resist the temptation of questioning him regarding his favourite club, international team and of course player. He said,
I love Zinedine Zidane as a player and also the fact that he played some stylish football for my favourite club, Real Madrid. Internationally, I support Spain at FIFA tournaments.
Consequently, the conversation moved towards the batsman’s views on Indian football and how the ISL had contributed to its success. He quipped,
Indian football has taken giant leaps and has become more competitive while the infrastructure has also improved immensely. In addition, the skills of players have been enhanced courtesy the ISL and it has acted a bit like the IPL where an adequate platform has been provided for youngsters to showcase their talent. I had a brother-in-law, who wanted to take up football professionally but couldn’t because of the condition a few years ago. However, now I can say that many youngsters aspire to become professional footballers and that just shows the development of Indian football.
Having said that though, Rohit emphasised that the worst thing the ISL could do was rest on its laurels and think that its job had been accomplished. On the contrary, he suggested that any league, whether it be the ISL or the IPL, needed to be continuously searching for avenues to get better and subsequently evolve.
Accompanying the Indian cricketer on stage was Jose Antonio Cachaza, the Managing Director of La Liga India. He too echoed similar thoughts when talking about how the ISL had quickened the time-line for the growth of Indian football. He opined,
I feel that there are three precursors for a country to be successful. Firstly, it needs to have a healthy ecosystem comprising of a good grassroots program. I feel India is on the right track on that parameter and it is visible by the international brands that are wanting to associate with the country. Secondly, the national league is paramount and the ISL has taken significant strides in the past few years. Finally, comes the national team and India has been performing well on that front too. I believe it was important for them to host the FIFA U-17 World Cup and that has been very helpful for the game across the country.
And, finally, when Rohit was asked about where he saw the Indian national football teams in the upcoming continental and international events, the cricketer emphasised that while the above remained the ultimate goal, it was vital to accord the sport the adequate time and environment to flourish. He told reporters,
I think we need to be very patient with Indian football. Obviously, the signs have been encouraging but we need to understand that it will take time for the national team to blossom into the team that can become a superpower. Even with cricket, there was a lot of time before we became a dominant force. And, though I would like the football revolution to come around a lot quicker, we need to ensure that the process is not unnecessarily sped up.
Apart from their views on the current state of footballing affairs in the nation, the pair was asked on how the partnership between Rohit and the La Liga would work. On that particular facet, Cachaza said,
Obvisouly we will help him meet players and see games, hopefully the Clasico in March at the Bernabeu. Also, we would try to bring our brand closer to the fans and make it much bigger commercially. Additionally, we would try to bring the game closer to the fans by bringing them broadcast through Rohit Sharma’s Facebook page.
Thus, the unveiling of Rohit as the Brand Ambassador of the La Liga signified that the league wasn’t afraid to think big and chart an upward curve that would eventually see them overtake their fellow leagues, when talking about commercial elements.
More tellingly though, the partnership could have an enormous impact on Indian football, especially with someone of the ilk of Rohit on board with the beautiful game. And, that, could help awaken the ‘sleeping giant’ and provide the Indian faithful with as compelling a footballing spectacle as any they’ve ever witnessed.
