Why Sports Management education is a major requirement in India

IPL has given a new lease of life to Sports Management

In India, the term ‘sporting superstar’ is normally associated with a player in the field of cricket. However, in the past few years, that trend has changed. Today, India not only has global superstars in the field of cricket but also have people evolving and making a name for themselves in other fields of sport, for example, Mary Kom(Boxing), Sania Mirza (Tennis), Somdev Devarrman (Tennis), Sunil Chhetri (Football), Saina Nehwal (Badminton) and many more. Besides seeing the progress of the stars, India has also introduced major global sporting events like Indian Premier League, Indian Badminton League, Hockey India league, etc.

What hasn’t evolved, though, is the means to manage and organise these kind of entities. India lacks almost everything when it comes to sports management. A NSDC (National Skill Development center) Sills Gap study in the sport sector has found that India will require the following by the year 2022: Sports coaches – 3,64,745, PE teacher – 9,76,938, fitness trainers – 3,63,605, skills for player development (physio, medicine, psychology) – 3,66,533, skills for matches (scorers, commentators, refree, etc.) – 78,291 per skill.

India as of today has only 4 football player agents recognized by the FIFA. This to an extent answers the question as to why India is not able to make a mark in football, even though there is an immense following for it. The year 2022 may be too far away, but the word ‘future’ plays an important role in the field of sport; if not acted upon now, then the numbers found by the NSDC study may not be achieved, and the sport scenario in India will be in absolute catastrophe. We are already seeing the problems faced by the Indian Olympic Committee and the Indian Hockey federation, where the sport is in absolute tatters because of the reckless management and governance. The government of India and the sport Industry must learn from its counterparts in the West where a career in sport management is considered as an important and prestigious choice.

To make a career out of sports management, one has to start from the grass-roots level. Now this is where India is facing problems. Parents in India are of the notion that their wards will have a successful career in sport only if they play the sport, and this spells the doom. According to them, making a career out of sport is not appreciable compared to becoming a doctor or an engineer. What they don’t realize is that it goes beyond playing at the highest level and is one of the most prestigious and lucrative career industry in the world. This industry requires professionals who may not have played at the highest level, but people who have immense passion for sports and who know how to deliver when it comes to management of sports resources, sponsorships and understanding the science and marketing of sports.

Sports normally is associated with the younger generation. The youngsters today want to follow their passion, which is sports. In India, cricket is considered as a religion. You either watch cricket or you play cricket; how many are thinking of getting into the business aspect of cricket, though? The truth is no one. Me being an avid sports enthusiast, I have closely kept an eye on how many job opportunities IPL, since its inception in 2008, has created in advertising, media, player management, etc. There aren’t many qualified personnel to carry out these jobs. This is applicable to other forms of sports, too. The main reason sports being neglected as a career choice is because it has no place in the Indian education system.

In India, you may find a core curriculum subject from mechanical engineering being taken out and flaunted as a new course (for example: Mechatronics), but there are few or no recognized degree courses in sports or its related fields. Even if a course is indeed conceptualized at the university level, it may take several years before it takes off considering the many regulations to be met. What is required is that the sport industry and the government of India must come together and strategize in making sports as a career choice. If not a degree course, a certificate course at a smaller scale need to be set up, which can later lead on to a diploma or a degree course.

If proper measures are not taken immediately, then the Indian sports industry may not be able to fully utilise the opportunities and tap other positive effects that a sport brings such as money, global exposure and the chance to become a global super power in sport. India may then fall back in the field compared as to where it stands now. If there is action on this regard now, then maybe 30 years later we may see India playing in the football World Cup regularly or the medals tally in Olympics going from single digit to double digits.

Sports management could be the next big phenomenon, the next big thing and the next big career opportunity in India.