final file_Most Promising Sports Management Companies In India_compressed.pdf

In the edition of Insights Success, Most promising Sports Management Companies in India to learn more about sport management companies.

4. Editor’s Note
hen the Indian Premier League was introduced
W
in India in 2008, it invited debates from several
quarters. Some were for the formation of IPL;
some were naysayers, while others were fence-sitters.
But it stayed for good and inspired many to follow suit.
Today, IPL's valuation has grown five times since its
establishment and has employed thousands.
The Indian sports scenario is undergoing a dramatic
transformation, and experts in the field believe that the
coming years will see more medals from international
events.
It is heart-warming to see the cricket fanatic India
embracing newer sports, though cricket will always be an
all-time favourite for many. As the sportspersons enter new
sports genres with a competitive frame of mind, the need
for excelling in these also grows. This calls for professional
management to provide an umbrella of services.
ENLIVENING
THE
PROFESSIONAL
FACE OF
SPORTS

5. Sports management companies are doing just that. They
are into planning, organizing, directing, controlling,
budgeting, leading, or evaluating any organization or
business within the sports field.
Sports management companies are responsible for any
event to be successful and grab the necessary publicity.
The past decade has seen this industry rise to a multi-
billion-dollar industry and is still growing. The Indian
sports management companies are coming of age.
The Indian Premier League, Pro-Kabaddi League, Premier
Badminton League are glaring examples of how sports
management can contribute to the success of sports events.
Sunil Chettri, P.V Sindhu, Saina Nehwal, Mary Kom, Hima
Das, and many other sportspersons have developed a love
for different sports in many Indians. Their profiles have
been well-managed.
The success of sports management companies and the love
for diverse sports in India also call for more sports
professionals who can work behind the scenes to promote the sport. This is the right time to convert your passion for
sports into a lucrative career in India.
Read this interesting edition of Insights Success - Most
Promising Sports Management Companies in India to learn
more about sports management companies. We chose some
exceptional sports management companies that have taken
the sports field to unimaginable heights.
Please read the articles curated by our in-house writers as
you go through this magazine.
Have a great read!
Sumita Sarkar
Editor-in-Chief
[email protected]

6. COVER STORY
08
Elite Sports Management
Building Brands with Sports

7. CONTENT
14
22
32
Article
Gameplan Sports
Enabling Innovative Brand
Enhancement Solutions
ITW Consulting Pvt. Ltd
The Global Sports
Management Partner
Sportnicians
The Training Grounds Capturing
the Magic of Sports
18 28
?

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9. Management BriefCompany Name
Jeet Banerjee
& Malavika Banerjee,
Directors
ITW Consulting
Pvt. Ltd
Neerav Tomar,
Founder
Rhiti Sports
IOS Sports &
Entertainment
Bhairav Shanth,
Co-founder
Gameplan Sports Pvt. Ltd. is one of India’s foremost corporate
branding agencies, working primarily in the fields of sports and
literature. We seek to present innovative and cost-effective ideas that
give sponsors maximum exposure.
IOS Sports and Entertainment are a one-stop agency for the
development and management of a diverse portfolio of sports and
entertainment properties.
ITW specializes in crafting and executing multi-faceted brand
management solutions & celebrity management across a vast number
of areas – Sports, Entertainment and Media.
Rhiti Sports provides access to a world of opportunity, with one
overriding common purpose: Create value for stakeholders.
Gameplan Sports
Pvt. Ltd.
Arun Pandey,
Chairman and Managing
Director
Sportnicians
We are focused to provide top quality premium sports services at
affodable cost to make India a true sports giant!
Ishraque J. Gulray,
Founder & CEO
Sportz Interactive
We strive to deliver the best in sports data and fan engagement using
innovations in social media, broadcast solutions, mobile products,
analytics, games, and video solutions.
Arvind Iyengar,
CEO
SPT Sports
We are a pioneer and a leading professionally managed integrated
sports management company dedicated to the development of sports
through its high quality events, own sports academy, and infrastructure
development.
Amit Kumar Saran,
Founder and CEO
Tuhin Mishra,
Managing Director &
Co-founder
Baseline Ventures represents and manages some of India's greatest
athletes and entertainment stars. It stages live events and branded
entertainment experiences, strategises sponsorships, and specialises in
media rights distribution, and brand licensing.
Baseline Ventures
Tuhin Bhattacharya,
Director

Cornerstone is India's leading talent management agency
in the spectrum of sport and entertainment alike.

Cornerstone Sport
and Entertainment
Nishant Dayal,
Director

Elite Sports Management is the journey of over ten years in
core sports marketing personalized player management, and
designing of Premier Leagues.
Elite Sports
Management

10. COVER
STORY
ELITE
SPORTS
MANAGEMENT
Building Brands with Sports
Being one of the top
sports companies,
Elite creates a 360-degree
approach into player
management and
brand consultancy
in sports
,,
,,

11. Mr Nishant Dayal
Director
Most Promising Sports Management Companies In India

12. In the vertical of designing Premier League, Elite designed
the first domestic premier league which was Telecasted
Live on a global sports channel in 2011, Jharkhand Premier
League. The challenge was such a small state and having
Live at Ten Cricket, was an achievement. It was a
franchise-based league, which full lustres of Live Player
Auction and matches in floodlights.
Player Management has been a very straight-line approach
and players like Saurabh Tiwary in their ‘under 19s’ to
playing for Team India was customized who could associate
quite a few brands to help in due course of their careers.
Elite Sports has spearheaded numerous appearances and
endorsements for many international cricketers such as CG-
Chris Gayle.
We worked hand-in-glove with them to redefine their
association with brands and created their own branding
example- ‘Universe Boss’ Chris Gayle and ‘Champion
Song Fame’ Dwayne Bravo.

Services/Offerings
• Brand Consultancy.
• Strategically defining entry-level of brand inception to
make it ready for rounds of investments.
• From Brand Planning to go to the Global market from a
step-by-step process.

The Inspiring Leader
Nishant Dayal comes with a rich experience of over 20
years in Sports Management. An MBA from Cardiff, a
sports enthusiast and an avid sports league designer.
T
he art of sports marketing is all about creating fan awareness through allegiance, enlightened ideals, and persuasive relationships. Athletes are viewed as
cultural products. We give them the means to develop their
own personal brands outside their sports legacy.
If we look at India then it is home to some of the best sports
marketing and management companies who are in
competition with global giants.
However, Sports management and marketing is a multi-
billion-dollar industry in India. Professional sports have
many fields around it which are emerging every day. With
increasing corporate investment, media rights, international
athletes, and the number of leagues in operation, there is a
need for efficient sports management companies and sports
management professionals to ensure that the sports industry
in India runs smoothly.
In 2021, sports was the only thing that kept everyone’s
spirits high despite the much gloom and doom around. The
Bangalore-based Elite Sports Management – a globally-
connected top player in the sports management and
marketing leagues, is proud to be the gamechanger of
people’s mood since 2000.
Established in 2003, Elite Sports Management is one of the
Top Sports Marketing companies in India. It has four major
verticals and works in a 360-degree approach. Elite has
expertise in its four verticals, which are – Player
Management, Sports Marketing, Brand Consultancy, and
Designing of Premier Leagues.
“We are essentially a solutions provider who try to provide
brands with the right match in sports, building authority and
recall with their functionality. It is nearly impossible to
achieve this in the plethora of media noise of today.
Therefore, we adopt apt strategies to support brands
through key solutions proven over a period of time,”
commented the esteemed Director of Elite Sports
Management – Mr Nishant Dayal.
Elite Sports Management is an 18-year-old sports company
that is into sports marketing, player management, designing
of the premier league and sports consultancy for brands.
Being one of the top sports companies, Elite creates a 360-
degree approach to player management and brand
consultancy in sports. Working very closely with key
cricketers of the world to handle top brands of the country,
Elite has reached the level of more than 100% deliveries
and customer satisfaction to its best.
Elite Sports also gave
away their concepts to
many Franchise-based
sports leagues and
is proudly recognised
as a Sports Contributor
,,
,,

13. Nishant’s ideation at Elite Sports has been incredible. Out-
of-the-Box thinking with a 360-degree approach is what he
specialises in. Apart from this, he has been instrumental in
building relationships with players in a personal way and
thus making the professional relationship more productive.
He is very organized and structured when it comes to
pulling the team and driving the sports events to perfection.
Elite has always seen the blend of interpersonal skills and
professional commitments to delivery at Pinnacle.
Being a part-time cricketer and full-time enthusiast, it was
key for Nishant Dayal, the Director of Elite Sports
Management, to come into the sports management space.
Having carved out many other different activities at Elite,
the saying is apt here – “When You Do Something You
Like, Work Becomes Play for You.” You can only excel in
this.

The Sports Management Space Today
Brands have realized that over a period of time one of the
reasonable ways to get brand recognition across the nation
is on-ground Branding at Live Games. That's the edge Elite
Sports has.

The Exciting Journey
The company’s exciting journey was the storyline with the
highest TRP at the ‘The Kapil Sharma Show’ where
cricketers were taken to be the guest of Kapil Sharma – the
Laughter King of the Country.
The most important aspect of Sports Management has been
the brand association, whether it is the Indian Premier
League (IPL) or Instadia Branding. With Sun Risers
Hyderabad, we have a few brands to Sponsor along with a
lot featuring in the Instadia Branding.
Elite got BYJU’S, a learning app, to the Cricket Branding
in 2016, and the brand never looked back. A long journey
for the biggest education technology brand – BYJU’S – has
Elite also redefined
foreign cricketers brand
association by working
very closely with
‘Universe Boss’ Chris Gayle
and ‘Champion Song Fame’
Dwayne Bravo
,,
,,

14. been centric to cricket in a bigger way. The growth of the
BYJU’S was directly proportional to the Branding
Quantum over the years – a true success story.
Elite has worked very closely with the following brands
naming a few – BYJU’S, Ralco, Attitude, Hike Messenger,
SOBHA, Iona Entertainment, Max Cement, Titan, Linc
Pens, DTDC, Manav Rachna, Videocon, ITM University,
Reliance Mobile and others.

Enduring Hardships
Although the field of sports management was very
challenging, Nishant Dayal’s challenge was not only to get
into one but to raise the bar to a different level to compete
with the global sports market. There was no trust in brands
to start with earlier as the company’s used to give
commitments, but the deliveries were far from the reality.
He took everything in his stride positively to commit less
and deliver higher than the expectation. This won accolades
for Elite Sports with every association.

Setting a Standard
Elite also ideated their concepts for leagues to the
Franchise-based sports leagues and is proudly recognised as
a Sports Contributor. Elite has experience in designing
leagues for 12 years now. Elite is working with 50 stadiums
and in 10 cricketing nations across the globe
Under the Aegis of Elite Sports Management, a foundation
is run – Dr Dayal Foundation (DDF). With other multiple
activities run under DDF, the most important and first-of-
its-kind was started in 2006 to distribute Cricket kits to the
Cricketers who have talent but lack resources. To date, Elite
still distributes Cricket Kits to people in Delhi, Bihar,
Jharkhand, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, etc. The first
recipient of the Cricket KIT was Varun Aaron.
The Pandemic Times
This pandemic was truly a tough time for everyone at Elite
Sports as it was for the entire world. “It was more our
foundation – DDF, which was active into activities but we
waiting for the right time to use this pandemic at home. We
conceptualized Bihar Cricket League (BCL) and did a ‘7
Day League’ without Generic Tickets at 50% Capacity with
all norms in place. By god’s grace, we were able to conduct
a COVID-Free successful league before the second wave
came around,” said the team over at Elite Sports
Management.
The latest of the league, which was pulled out in the midst
of COVID-19 was the Bihar Cricket League (BCL). Bihar,
being one of the oldest cricket associations, was deprived of
cricket for 18 years. Then Elite conducted BCL which was
Telecast Live at Eurosport and over 120 players got a
chance to play and prove their talent.

Scaling the Future
It’s all about the digital world today, we are here to create a
unique space that will have the requirements of the brand to
be met and structured differently. Also, about unique
branding spaces Instadia, like we saw the era of the printed
board to LED. Elite Sports has plans to create a different
sports university to make this more vibrant and also give
back to society differently.
Going forward, Elite has lots of plans in the grass root
levels of cricket and innovative Instadia Brand Planning.
Nishant Dayal, the Director of Elite Sports has been the key
to ideating the leagues and a guide to planning the activities
centric to the Sports Management.

Words of Wisdom
"The only thing which Sports require, whether on the field
or off-field is FOCUS. The young generation needs to stay
focused and ideate things, which hasn’t been done in the
past. Truthfulness is the key and you players today should
be “Man manager and Situation Manager”. Sports won't
demand but always appreciate if you do good..." concluded
Mr Nishant Dayal.
Going forward,
Elite has lots of
plans in the grass
root levels of cricket
and innovative
Instadia Brand
,,
,,

16. S
ports events are getting attention
globally and are creating new
opportunities to involve
sponsorships and branding agencies
that are working in the sports industry.
These agencies play a vital role in
powering these sports events by
leveraging maximum exposure for the
brands and sponsors, who play a
significant role in the success of these
events.
In the early days, organizers faced
many challenges and one of the
prominent challenges was to provide
adequate exposure for their sponsors. It
was a crucial need to find creative
solutions that deliver more customized
value for sponsors and put them in
front of the audience more regularly.
This is where Gameplan Sports Pvt.
Ltd. came into the picture.
Gameplan Sports Pvt. Ltd. is one of
India's foremost corporate branding
agencies, working primarily in the
fields of sports and literature. This
company specializes in presenting
innovative and cost-effective ideas that
give sponsors maximum exposure.
Jeet Banerjee and Malavika
Banerjee set up Gameplan Sports Pvt.
Ltd. and are both Directors of the
company. Together, they have made
Most Promising Sports Management Companies In India
Gameplan
Sports
Enabling Innovative
Brand Enhancement Solutions
Malavika Banerjee,
Director

17. “
Gameplan specializes
in presenting
innovative
and cost-effective
ideas that give
sponsors maximum
exposure
“
Several corporate houses gained
immense mileage by getting their logos
positioned prominently within these
columns – and therefore into the sports
pages – of several of the most widely
circulated publications in the country.
That was the start and there has been
no looking back.
Over the last two decades, both as
individuals and as directors of the
company, Malavika and Jeet have
become the trusted go-to persons for
top-notch companies looking for
unique ideas, premium engagements
with sports and the arts as well as with
usually difficult-to-access personalities.
The Prologue
Malavika and Jeet are sports
enthusiasts, and their love for sport is
pure. Bowling records and match
figures are at their fingertips.
After some years following separate
career paths - Jeet was managing
various family businesses including an
advertising concern and Malavika was
working as a journalist – and as a team,
scaring the wits out of other teams in
the all-India quiz circuit with their
knowledge of sports, this formidable
duo decided to venture into a hitherto
unexplored avenue in India.
Thus, was born India's first sports
marketing company. And the rest is
history.
Surmounting the Initial Challenges
Gameplan is a pioneering Indian
company in the sports management
industry. The requirement always
existed. The need was for someone to
articulate and concretize the various
sorts of offerings required and to
provide from one organization.
Sports Management in India is already
a multi-billion-dollar industry. With
ever-increasing corporate investment,
media rights, international athletes, and
Gameplan a redoubtable force in the innovative branding space.
Less than a year after its birth during
the 1999 ICC World Cup, Gameplan
made its presence felt in media circles
by bringing some of the biggest names
in the sport to the drawing rooms of
readers in the subcontinent, West Asia,
and Great Britain through syndicated
columns.
Jeet Banerjee,
Director
15 | December 2021 | www.insightssuccess.in

18. the number of leagues running, the
industry is on a steep growth trajectory.
When Gameplan ventured into this
space, the challenges were several. Yet,
they also took care of themselves.
From apex sports bodies such as the
Board of Control for Cricket in India
(BCCI) to the International Cricket
Council (ICC), leading media houses
all happily partnered with the
company, and as a result, corporate
entities extended their business to
Gameplan.
Diversified Quality Services
Gameplan offers marketing and
management of international and
domestic sponsorship rights in India.
This includes marketing and
management of Indian and
international cricket tournaments,
player endorsements, syndicating
content in print and electronic media,
in-stadia advertising, 3-D signs, and
event management – in more than just
sport – event promotions, hospitality,
and Insignia memorabilia.
Since 2012, Gameplan has also been
presenting the annual Kolkata Literary
Meet, which has become one of the
city's most eagerly awaited cultural
events, bringing together luminaries
from literature and allied arts. The
company has also collaborated with
Royal Stag Large Short Films to
commission and present some of the
most popular short films of recent
years.
Vanquishing Adverse Effects of the
Pandemic
When asked about the effects of the
pandemic on their business, the
directors were upbeat. Malavika
Banerjee said, “Everyone has been
affected by the pandemic. Every single
one of us. However, if we have learnt
anything from being in the sports space
for so many years, it is to get up, dust
ourselves off and start over again. This
is exactly what Gameplan did."
Jeet Banerjee elaborated, "From
arranging physical meet and greets
with fans to organizing online ones
while trying to maintain the excitement
and reward quotient, from travelling to
Dubai for the IPL to working within
bubbles – Gameplan has done it all and
lived to tell the tale."
Word to the Wise
"There is nothing as unifying and
powerful as sport for the morale. Also,
the economics of it - sports is a money-
spinner," says Team Gameplan.
"This might sound like a cliché, but
passion is key," adds Team Gameplan.
Team Gameplan's advice is simple -
"You must love sport first, and then
understand the economics of it."
"Sports is a physically demanding
business, even for those who work off
the field. You must have the acumen to
convert the intangible magic of sport
into saleable branding approaches," -
Team Gameplan.
Bigger, Bolder, Better
Gameplan's key strengths are two-fold.
One, seeing opportunity before others
and two, an experienced, skilled, and
professional team, united and
motivated by their passion for sports
and the arts.
The portfolio of Gameplan extends
from 3D signage (they were the first in
India to do this), Indian Premier
League, Kolkata Knight Riders, Indian
Super League, Pro Kabaddi, Tata Steel
Chess India Rapid and Blitz, Indian
Chess League, syndicated columns to
literature and art platforms such as
Kolkata Literary Meet, Bhubaneswar
Literary Meet, Jharkhand Literary
Meet on to Perfect Strokes and Large
Short Films.
This has resulted in a proven track
record of delivering national and
international events. For instance, Tata
Steel Chess India, India's only chess
super-tournament initiated a paradigm
shift in the perception of chess as a
non-spectator sport. More is to come.
16 | December 2021 | www.insightssuccess.in

20. Past to Vast
How has the
Sports
Management
evolved over the past
few
18 | December 2021 | www.insightssuccess.in

21. T
he most immersive, awe-inspiring,
emotion-evoking, engaging, and
enriching human activity from ancient
times is Sports (of all kinds). It invokes the spirit
of the participant and enthrals the audience
beyond imagination. It ensures inclusivity by
welcoming people under its enchantment,
bringing them together and uniting them. The
sense of fraternity, sportsmanship and nation
building which it induces is the best kind of
empowerment and entertainment.
For those magical spells of wonderous games,
behind-the-scenes sports management is
necessary. Otherwise, on-the-field play might
turn into chaos and off-the-field experience will
be a disappointment. It creates as many
opportunities as challenges. Opportunities in the
form of employment. And challenges in the form
of bringing every aspect of conducting a sport
activity under one umbrella. That umbrella, in
modern era is termed as Sports Management
Firm/company.
Sports Management Evolution: The Indian
Story
Sports management evolution led the entire new
age revolution of global sports industry. Neither
evolution nor revolution happens in a day, a
month, or a year. It needs at least few decades. In
the recent past, Indian sport business saw its own
major transformation.

Sporting leagues and tournaments have
encouraged and promoted various national and
international sports like Kabaddi, Hocky,
Badminton, Tennis, Soccer (Football), Cricket
etc. in India. They also enabled various
fraternities, enhanced institutional values, and
created new value-chains for the entire sporting
arena. All these sporting events brought in new

22. sports lovers including players, audience, job seekers,
sponsors' etc., creating a financially ballooning ecosystem
of economy.
India has a long history of hosting major international
sporting events including Asian games (1951,1982), ICC
Cricket World Cup (1987,1996,2011) and T20 WC (2016),
Hockey World Cup (2010), Commonwealth Games (2010)
etc. In the last few decades, especially, after Indian players
and teams started winning in their competitions, Indians
started looking at sports and sportsmen/sportswomen with
respect, passion, admiration, and adulation. Further success
of sporting events accelerated the interest momentum.
Post millennium, multiple start-ups entered the Indian sport
management space. They began positively changing areas
like sports infrastructure and logistical support, coaching,
education and training, sports technology, broadcasting and
data/content management, retail (online and offline), ticket
booking, venue, and event management, and of course
advertising, promotions, marketing, and sponsorship. These
ushered in a new vigour amongst the players, institutions,
enthusiasts, and fan-followers. It also created a need for
specialised jobs for various professionals who had the
requisite skillset, experience, and knowledge in the
respective fields of sports management.
Emerging Horizons:
In developed countries, sports management is occupied by
professionals. The systematic management there ensures the
short-term and long-term opportunities, success, and
benefits for all the stakeholders of the industry. Sports
industry worldwide is a dynamic sector and a major socio-
economic booster. In the last decade, thanks to the
evolution, Indian sports industry has emerged as a key
player in global sports markets. This expanded the scope of
sports management significantly. A report by FICCI, the
International Body of Sports Management, states that in the
upcoming years the industry demand for skilled,
experienced professionals will increase by 19%. That
means by 2022, industry would generate four million
professional opportunities.
Sport management contains end-to-end administrative
aspects of managing the business of sports in a professional
manner. It encompasses league/team/athlete/talent,
coaching, training, venue, and facility management,
managing associations/federations/clubs/franchises,
operations/logistics, media and communication, sporting
event management (from conception to planning to
coordination to execution), electronic and digital media-programming-marketing, sports data analytics, sports retail, sports tourism, etc. It is a prerequisite of all levels from schools/colleges, to local, to national to global, where all kinds of sports get played.
Emergence of local sports on the national/international level
due to the growth of competitive sport events is the best
thing which had happened for sports, its fans, and investors.
For fans, it meant sport engagement on a glamorous and
grander level. While Sponsors are cashing in on the
bandwagon and turning it into a win-win situation for
everyone involved. They are adapting modern technologies
like automation, gamification, immersive sports, and virtual
social media to further enhance the business aspects of
sports.
The biggest draw for Indian sports is the empowerment of
sportswomen. They are gaining recognition, rewards, and
fanfare due to their winning in the major global sporting
events like Cricket World Cup, Olympics, and
Commonwealth Games.
Sportswomen like PT Usha, Mary Kom, Saina Nehwal, P.V.
Sindhu, Phogat Sisters, Anju Bobby George, Sakshi Malik,
Mithali Raj, Sania Mirza, and many more have become the
pride of the nation and popular household names. They
proved to the society that talent is gender neutral. Simply,
they levelled the playing field.
Indian Sports Management: The Future
Indian sports today, is a million dollars industry. The further
emergence of technology, e-sports, mobile gaming apps,
virtual reality and increased sports consumerism is bringing
plethora of prospects for professionals. Indian education too
has been responding to the changes by providing
professionalised sports management courses.
In short, Indian sports and its management had truly
evolved from the past. It is further evolving into a sheer
vastness, the frontiers of which will keep expanding soon.
An inexhaustible list of sports is waiting to get mapped and
tapped. Once that happens, Indian will become a favourite
destination of global sports.
-Gaurav PR Wankhade
20 | December 2021 | www.insightssuccess.in

24. Consulting
Pvt. Ltd
The Global Sports Management Partner
C
hange is best when it brings positive
transformation. And at the turn of the millennium,
western professional commercialisation brought
that positive change in Indian sports and the Indian sports
management arena. Today, all the new national,
international, and cross-border tournaments have ushered in
a new era of sports promotion among youngsters, bringing
in new opportunities, audiences, money, avenues, and a new
business model for the market. For such tournaments,
professional sports management is a must. And one name
that stands out in this aspect is ITW Consulting Pvt. Ltd.
The core philosophy that you
need when you enter this kind
of an industry is – If you have
the skill, and the interest then
you will be the leader
‘‘
‘‘
22 | December 2021 | www.insightssuccess.in

25. With Eight offices and 1738 clients across four countries
and professional sports management experience of over a
decade, ITW has worked with all the biggies in the game.
Managing tournaments from IPL to WorldT20, and brands
from OPPO to CRED, it has also bagged numerous awards
for its humongous contribution to South Asia's professional
sports management work.
Let us know more about it from its Co-founder, and MD,
Bhairav Shanth, in an exclusive interview with Insights
Success.
Sir, will you please describe more about ITW in detail.
We are a consulting and management firm, and last year
were named amongst the top six Asian Sports Marketing
companies. Since we have a global presence and an in-
depth understanding of the International Sports and Media
market, we can help our clients to build stronger brand
visibility, media buying, awareness and recall a wider target
audience.
Having been associated with a diverse range of brands, our
expertise in sponsorship activation, sponsorship and event
management, has earned us an esteemed reputation in this
field. Our vision is to challenge the status quo and execute
novel ideas that would disrupt the convention. It drives us
to holistic solutions for a sporting event and guarantees the
highest quality. We have been a part of some of the biggest
sports campaigns in the country and have bagged 30
National and International awards in the past year for our
About the Dynamo
Bhairav Shanth, Co-founder, ITW Consulting Pvt. Ltd, has
spent over two decades revolutionising the field of sports.
He had experienced marketing through unconventional
business models, reinventing approaches, to tap into the
value propositions of the world of sports, media and
entertainment, for top clients across geographies, that is,
from Bangalore to Bermuda, from Mumbai to London. As
a Co-founder and Managing Director of ITW Consulting,
one of the world's leading sports consulting firms, he
currently leads ITW's Global Strategy to expand its
consulting map across Asia, Europe, UK, UAE, Australia,
South Africa, West Indies, New Zealand and the USA.
Since its founding a decade ago, Bhairav has led ITW on a
growth path up the value chain. With a 100-fold growth in
revenue, in the process, the company forged alliances
with the leading sports bodies around the world, as well as
worked with the biggest brands including Oppo, Byju's,
CRED, Unacademy, Pernod Ricard, Hero, Skoda, Xiaomi,
on the biggest stages, such as the ICC Cricket World Cup,
the Indian Premier League and the World T20. ITW's
reputation and penchant for disruptive business solutions
that have changed the game for how brands view the
platform of sport, derives from Bhairav's vision for out-of-
the-box, integrated strategic marketing solutions,
turbocharged by emerging technologies.
Today, ITW is pushing new frontiers in digital marketing and
brand experience solutions. Under Bhairav's leadership and
his ability to bring together cross-disciplinary teams, ITW
delivers projects that are changing the landscape of sports
marketing. ITW was named South Asia Consultancy of the
Year in 2019, and also named among the six best sports
marketing companies in Asia. He is one of the youngest
experts, who has time and again been able to predict sports
industry trends much ahead of its time. His network of
international sports professionals, organizing bodies and
global clients bring him that unique edge and exposure that is
unparalleled.
With a vantage point that allows him to look at the sports and
strategic marketing space end-to-end, he can connect
disparate dots - a skill that is key in building strategies for
this VUCA world - and bringing unusual insights, Bhairav
has established himself as a global thought leader in the
industry.
Bhairav Shanth,
Co-founder and MD
ITW Consulting Pvt. Ltd.

26. successful campaigns for clients like OPPO, Uber, Haier,
and Royal Stag. For the IPL, we orchestrated 12 deals,
including two official partners for IPL 2020 – Unacademy
and CRED.
What kind of offerings/services do you provide?
We personalize our offerings by considering the distinct
requirement of client's brands across multiple spectrums
under one roof.
The services offered are:
•Rights and acquisition sales
•Media Planning and Buying
•Talent Solutions and Management
•Influencer Marketing
•Celebrity Endorsement and Brand Ambassador
Collaborations
•Digital Media Sales
•Franchise and league development
•Sports investment consulting
•On ground and in stadia branding and activations
•Television rights and broadcast sales
•Sports production
How much ITW was affected in these pandemic times
and what were the steps taken by you to curb the
damages all the while helping your clients and
maintaining the safety of your employees?
We were always ahead of the curve. In the past one-and-a-
half year, in particular, we completely reinvented ourselves
and our business model and emerged from the pandemic not
only unscathed but actually stronger.
We launched our ITW 360 IO division, to accelerate our
digitalization and to offer a bouquet of digital services. Our
major sales pitches were a result of our detailed discussion
with clients, based on our long-term relationship rather than
the current disruptive scenario.
We expanded at the height of the pandemic when a lot of
sport was suspended. We tailored for multiple seasons
rather than a one-off event. By moving towards consulting-
based selling solutions to clients, we linked them to the best
properties, sporting or otherwise.
During the pandemic, we put employees' safety first. We
were among the few companies, to announce WFH ten days
before the country went into its first lockdown. All our
employees were safe from the pandemic, by not commuting
at all, right from the beginning.
Despite having tough months business-wise, during the lockdown, the silver lining was, we added more employees to our team, by hiring the best talents, and keeping the company afloat, by safeguarding our current employees.
What is the current industrial scenario of sports
management space?
Sports is a vast industry. Currently, it is at $95 billion and is
expected to reach $150 billion by 2024. The current growth
rate is 5.9%, compared to 2020, where it was 4.3%. Having
said that, sports management as such has been
revolutionized in India.
The last decade had been fruitful for the industry, thanks to
the number of leagues (Including Cricket, Kabaddi, Hockey
and Football) that have evolved in the country. The
opportunities of working with professional national and
international athletes attracts a great pool of job seekers. As
this kind of an eco-system requires finance, marketing and
operational support, it opens an array of requirements and
skills that shape up and becomes the driving force of this
industry.
What kind of challenges have you faced while entering
the sports management space?
The core principles of differentiation and disruption drive
us. When we entered the market, we found an industry
scape that was fragmented and ad hoc. Back in 2010, for
example, a lot of the cricket associations were known for ad
hoc spending and inconsistent exposures, driven by
personal love for the game, rather than aligning it with
marketing strategy or planning for efficient spending of
sponsorship budgets. Inefficient, ad hoc allocation of
marketing budget, and inconsistent alignment of strategy
and properties, were the key challenges we faced and set
about changing the perception and the process.
Where do you envision ITW Consulting to be in the long
run and what are your future goals?
On-ground sponsorship is one of our main businesses, but it
is also the platform from where we are launching ourselves,
up the value chain, for the future. We are looking at
opportunities in other media spaces - OTT, digital and the
like - as well as crossing over to the entertainment and tech
space, where we take our experience in crafting branding
solutions on-ground and are able to transfer that on to other
arenas - both offline and virtual. We work with cross-
disciplinary teams, by creating the possibility of offering
truly integrated solutions to clients is our biggest strength.
Most Promising Sports Management Companies In India
24 | December 2021 | www.insightssuccess.in

27. What made you venture into the sports management
space?
At the turn of the millennium, one of the biggest
demographic shifts that India saw was in its consumption of
sports, not just cricket, but a host of other events as well,
including European football and the World Cup. The
coming of the IPL supercharged that environment and
created a lot of opportunities for brands to exploit what was
essentially a far-reaching and blank canvas. But how the
whole process was organized left a lot of gaps, with most
brands associating with sporting events and properties on an
ad hoc, unplanned basis. That's where we spotted an
opportunity and felt that it was time to bring in the best
practices from around the world, to how the sport is
marketed in India, and how marketers in India leverage
sport.
As part of an experience, being an events company, we had
a brush with a cricket tournament, where we witnessed
some of the gaps firsthand and realized that we have the
talent and wherewithal to go about changing this whole
paradigm. That's how ITW was born. Incidentally, the
initials of the company were inspired by the book Into-The-
Wild, because that's the leap we were taking, into
unchartered territory.
What would you like to advise the young generation
who want to make their career in the sports
management space?
If sports commerce is your forte, then sports management is
the space to be in. But what does it mean to have an
inclination for sports commerce? It means that you are
someone who is passionate about sport; it could be any
sport, but being interested in it, following teams' fortunes
both on and off the field, being curious about the brands you
see around them, all of this helps.
With a lot of leagues that have evolved over the years in
India and globally, every sport has its own need to bring out
a successful tournament. Expansion of the leagues leads to
expansion of business, which means the manpower
increases and so does the demand to create opportunities in
the sports industry.
The core philosophy that you need when you enter this kind
of industry is, if you have the skill and the interest, then you
will be the leader. And this is something ITW has also
followed as a philosophy over the years, that we are in this
field and we encourage the youngsters to do so.
25 | December 2021 | www.insightssuccess.in

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30. F
or an athlete, physical fitness is a primary factor
that is required for an active lifestyle. Everything
depends on the strength, staying focused, expert
skillset, and endurance when you are going after the last
ball or for an exhilarating push towards the finish line.
Being best at all times requires preparation, training, and
patience. But that is not sufficient.
Your body cannot run without the essential vitals required
to engage yourself in physical activities. You must take
proper care and maintain it by consuming vitamins, and
other nutrients that provide you sufficient energy to stay
active.
Nutrients can help you to develop endurance and keep
yourself healthy. An athlete's diet is not much different than
that of any person who is striving to keep himself healthy.
You need to include choices from each of the healthy food
groups. However, athletes can or may need to customize
their diet plans concerning their type of sports and the
amount of time for their training.
Living Healthy
Every person has its ability and demand of calories
The
Importance
of Nutrition
for
Athletes
28 | December 2021 | www.insightssuccess.in

31. Primary Goal

32. depending upon physical activities. The amount of food
people usually require depends upon factors like age,
height, weight, and sports activity level. The number of
calories athletes require is much more than compared to a
normal person. Calories come in different forms of nutrients
like carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.
Carbohydrates:
Carbohydrates normally receive high attention in sports as
they play a vital role in athletic performance. It is an
essential source of the calories required for your body.
Simple foods enriched with carbs like fruits, vegetables,
and milk products are easier for your body to break down.
Simple carbs are essential for athletes as they can supply a
quick burst of energy.
They enhance muscles and vital body chemicals essential
for physical activities. They are preferred as a fuel source
for many athletes, particularly in high intensity and long
duration exercises as they can supply an ample amount of
blood glucose and glycogen.
Healthy carbs for an athlete's diet include whole grains,
such as brown rice, quinoa, oats, and starchy foods like
potatoes.
Fats:
Fats are essential in the diet to maintain bodily processes
like hormone metabolism and neurotransmission factor. The
more efficient an athlete becomes in their respective sport,
the easier it is for them to operate at a lower intensity while
maintaining the same level of work or maintaining the same
speed – metabolic efficiency. At a lower intensity, the fats
which are stored in the muscle are used as a fuel source.
Fats serve many functions in the body like protecting the
hormones, helping the body to absorb and manufacture
some important nutrients, and energize the body. A Diet
with an adequate amount of healthy fats can serve as a
concentrated fuel source for athletes with high energy
demands.
This has significant consequences on the athletes in
muscular endurance sports that require a burst of power to
have energy generated. Some athletes refer to ketogenic
diets to consume a sufficient quantity of fats.
Proteins:
Proteins also play an essential role in nutrients required for
sports activities. They provide the body with a sufficient
quantity of amino acids that help to build and repair the
muscles and tissues. Protein forms the main building blocks
of your organs and tissues. Consuming a diet enriched with
proteins can ease off the pains and help your body repair
quickly after a severe injury.
Protein promotes indulgence as well as a feeling of fullness
efficiently than carbohydrates, or fats. This is beneficial for
the athletes who often fuel up their bodies for long stretches
of time. Some of the high-protein diets for athletes include
soybean, nuts, eggs, and lentils.
Athletes need the same vitamins and proteins as everyone
else. An effective way one can stay healthy, and fit is by
consuming a balanced, and nutritional enriched diet. It
should contain ingredients rich in calcium, iron, potassium,
fibre, and vitamins like A, C, and E.
Micro-nutrients, supplements, and hydration
Most people can usually achieve an adequate intake of
vitamins, minerals, and proteins by consuming a varied and
balanced diet. Athletes can ensure that they are consuming
the essential vitamins and minerals to enhance their general
health and athlete performance.
Moreover, athletes should stay hydrated. Given that sweat
losses are a combination of fluids, and electrolytes like
sodium and potassium, athletes can stay hydrated by
constantly drinking water, energy drinks at times, to meet
their hydration needs.
Athletes have different nutritional requirements depending
on their sports category. People who are training or racing
at peak levels can find it challenging to consume enough
food. Such athletes can work with a sports nutritionist, or a
dietician to ensure that they are consuming enough calories
and nutrients to maintain their body weight, enhance their
performance, and maintain adequate protein content for a
quick recovery.
Their nutritionists or dieticians can provide them with a
personalized diet plan to ensure sufficient nutrition supply.

- Abhishek Joshi
30 | December 2021 | www.insightssuccess.in

34. T
here is an athlete in all of us. That is why we get
easily enamoured by sports and celebrity
sportspersons. Sport is not only a rejuvenator for
our physical but also for our mental health. It is like the true
education about life for a lifetime.
In Billie Jean King (the American tennis player's) words
"Sports teaches you character. It teaches you to play by the
rules. It teaches you to know what it feels like to win and to
lose. It teaches you about life.”
And sports' is the great leveller. It neither discriminate nor
divides. Yes, there are winners and losers. But everybody
can be a winner, and anybody can be a loser.
That is why every time we wish to feel lively, we engage
ourselves in sports, physically or virtually. Though being
engaging and entertaining, virtual sports pales in
comparison to the actual, physical on-the-ground sports.
And if you want to really feel that true sense of
enthrallment, there is one leading Indian sports
management firm which will reconnect you to your own
athletic true self.
It is behind the success of eminent sports personalities like Ronak Pandit (Gold medallist of 2006 Commonwealth Games), Uday Pawar (Silver Medallist, Asian Badminton
Championship), and Rama Asher (First Shiv Chhatrapati
Award Winner for Softball and First Indian Women Softball
Team Captain).
In our pursuit of 'The Most Promising Sports Management
Companies in India,' we found Mr Ishraque Gulrays, the
initiator, Founder and Owner of this one of its kind of an
idea called Sportnicians. In an interview with Insights
Success, Mr Gulrays tells more about himself and his
passion. The highlights of the interview are given below.
Sir, will you please narrate to us about the inception of
this unique idea?
Our aim in establishing this firm was, to drive every
individual's dream of staying connected to sports.
I had myself been an all India ranked ex-lawn-tennis player,
and I am inclined to all sports. I truly believe that playing a
sport can inculcate better habits and transform a person's
behaviour for good.
Most Promising Sports Management Companies In India
The Grounds Capturing the Training Magic of Sports
32 | December 2021 | www.insightssuccess.in

35. Sportnicians -
The Sports
People clientshelps
to with reconnect
the hidden sports
in eachperson
one of us
Ishraque Gulrays
Founder and Owner“
“

36. Though, I understand the lack of time and space in people's
lives as they play sports digitally and not physically. I want
to connect people back to playing actual sports and not just
virtual sports. It does not matter what sport they are
playing. That was the idea, which got transformed into
Sportnicians - The Sports People. As Mr Leander Paes once
told me in one of our meetings, we literally are the
technicians for sports.
What inspired you to venture into this niche space?
Our main intent behind incorporating a venture like
Sportnicians - The Sports People, was people's needs and
wants to enjoy every sport and experience them firsthand.
We are true believers in the magic of sports and want
people to experience them like they had never before.
In our daily life full of hustle-bustle, we offer proficient
services in the relevant skills. Also, we facilitate techniques
that are necessary to excel at various sporting events.
What makes your services different from your
competitors'?
We consider the fact that we have been a player and a
customer both at different points of our journey. In our
corporate journey, we have also serviced the customer,
whether it is B2B or B2C. Hence it is very easy for us to
understand how to treat our customers well. We also believe
and practice, 'never say no' which makes us arrive at a
consensus with our clients.
Who are your target audience?
Everyone is our target audience. From kids to schools, from
parents to employees and organizations, we serve everyone.
How are they benefitted? What can they expect?
They benefit by understanding the sport right from the
grassroot levels if they were not aware about it. We also
introduce sports of all kinds and not just focus on the
commercially beneficial sport.
Can you throw some light on your organizational work
culture?
We truly understand that urge to be creative and firmly
believe that every problem brings a solution with it. Our employees always put themselves in the customers' shoes to understand their needs. Yes, we hold our people
accountable as every other organization, but we also give
them the flexibility of doing a certain task their way. We
believe in fulfilling our commitments in a timely manner because time is everything.
'Sportnicians - The Sports People' helps clients to reconnect
with the hidden sports person in each one of us. That is our
mission.
How has been the growth aspect of the company in
terms of revenue, clients, investors, and geographical
presence?
Our mission helped us immensely in expanding our target
audience, revenue as well as clients. We are steadily
growing across PAN India and serving our clients with their
sports needs. We plan according to the budget available
with each and every client, which in turn is a win-win
situation for everyone involved.
What message would you like to put across to our
readers and your stakeholders?
Sports is the next big thing in our country. Schools,
corporates, our government, everyone has acknowledged it.
With multiple hashtags, many leagues coming up in the
country, school games, corporate games, in all of these,
ultimately, sport is going to be the winner.
Sportnicians will surely play a crucial role in promoting
sports whether it is coaching, infrastructure, tournaments,
casting, league management, events, consultancy,
merchandize, facility management and so on. Sportnicians
will work with each and every client in order to pull off a
successful sporting activity. We are just a call away.
34 | December 2021 | www.insightssuccess.in