NEW DELHI: The innaugural Sports Movement conference was organised here on Tuesday.
The conference explored the business potential of Indian sport and what it would take to make India an international sporting destination. The discussions represented the current issues and opportunities in the sports ecosystem.
The day’s sessions focused on multiple aspects of the sports landscape in the country and threw light on the ground realities and challenges across different sports. These included pertinent subjects such as sustainability in sports, making women’s football mainstream, driving fan engagement via content among others. The day also saw special showcases by Premier League, Chelsea FC, Six5Six, Portuguese FA and a special feature with gymnast Dipa Karmakar and shooter Anjum Moudgil.
“In this conference today, we have taken a multi-sport approach. We are aiming to build a sustainable ecosystem for the growth of various sports in India, finding ways to improve success on the pitch and increase consumption for sports across all mediums,” said India On Track founder and CEO Vivek Sethia.
Five panel discussions on various topics related to the growth of sports in India were hosted throughout the day.
Two sessions covered building a sustainable sports ecosystem in India; as well as the importance of success at the highest level and the key factors that need to come together to create an elite athlete.
Sara Abdullah Pilot, chairperson / co-founder of CEQUIN and chairperson of Women’s Committee, AIFF held a session with Roma Khanna – tournament director, LOC FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup India 2020, Shaji Prabhakaran – president, Football Delhi, Claire Ripley – second secretary, Australian High Commission, Juan Pablo Ramirez-Miranda – section chief and programme specialist for Social and Human Sciences (SHS), UNESCO about how to bring the narrative of women’s football into the mainstream discussion in India.
“The fact that we have a couple of panels for women’s football in today’s conference shows the growth of women’s football in India. Now, the narrative and conversations surrounding women’s football are changing all over the world. I believe that not just football, but all sports have the power to change the lives of girls that step on the field,” said Ms Pilot.
Last was a discussion focusing on the importance of providing access to various assets and engagement opportunities to help rights holders get closer to their fans, build their brand and grow the popularity of a sport among the widest possible audiences and demographics.
