The Making of a Sports Star

The sports industry in India is growing with each passing day. Now, I don’t want to make this piece into an economic information chart, but in recent years the Indian market has been the playing field for many international takers, and the sports industry has benefited from this change. Sponsors are willing, the pay-packages for players are rising considerably and sportspersons are being openly rewarded.

Unfortunately, this high profile life has only been restricted to cricketers in India. They are the ones with the high bank balance and the expensive cars. They are the ones with the demi-god status and the mega sponsors, but what about the other sports? In the US, four sports dominate the rest, they are baseball (MLB), basketball (NBA), football (NFL) and hockey (NHL). The sporting glory and the revenues are shared by all four sports, but in India, its cricket all the way. Such biases towards a particular sport, raises a question regarding the integrity of the Indian fans and the capabilities of other sports as well.

However, what people forget to realize is how well cricket is marketed in India. Marketing is the driving force for all major sports across the globe. With the advent of the Indian Premier League (IPL), cricket authorities have ensured that global stars and cricket of the highest caliber is played on Indian soil. That is one method to boost the sport in the country and that is the area where other sports lag behind. Basketball, if it wants to establish itself in the Indian market, needs big names to make a tour of India.

The World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) saw India as a potential market very early on and even made a tour of India in 2003. They continue to send their superstars on frequent visits to India. We are yet to see a Kobe Bryant or a Shaquille O’Neal or a Lebron James here to stamp basketball’s growing popularity.

The sport of NBA gained popularity through the virtual world, as its games were a big hit in India. But I think it is time to pounce on this growing fame and organize a tour of India with all the mega stars on board. Have them play some matches with the local teams, so that the fans can identify with the sport and the witness some of their heroes in flesh and blood. Basketball, like cricket, has immense potential to grow in India. Considering the low area it requires and the limited accessories required to play the sport, many schools have also started giving high priority to basketball and encouraging children to take up the sport from a very small age, that’s a refreshing change! Not only it is a great sport to play, but it’s also a very healthy activity that can promote health care amongst children from an early stage. The bottom line is that the NBA needs to take the game to the Indian fans for it to happen in this country.