Blogging Matters!!! : Travelling With Sports

Day 57.

-- Sports : Any physical activity that enmeshes competition, includes organized rules and done in a specific area. Usually played for fun or people need exercise to stay fit.
-- Tourism : the commercial organization and operation of holidays and visits to places of interest. (Oxford Dictionary)
-- Sport Tourism : Pertains to travel that engrosses viewing and/or taking part in a sporting meet nesting separated from its common surroundings.

-- Today, Sport Tourism is playing the role of a catalyst in global tourism industry. As far as the global travel industry is concerned, the sector of sport tourism is advancing like a speedball (no pun intended) and equates to six hundred billion dollars, a year.
-- Tourism is a product and over the past decade sport tourism has mutated into an academic field of study. Today, sport and tourism are developed nations' most pursued leisure trip.
-- If we look back in time, then we would see that in Ancient Rome and Greece, people used to travel to distant places to participate in sporting events. So, in the modish scenario, the roots of sport tourism can be traced to the ancient practices, making the concept a better and refined version.
-- A couple of days ago, I wrote about state industry partnership and how it can improve standards of sports in India. Besides, using Sports for socio-economic development, for instance promoting intersections of sport with various industries - e.g. Tourism, can help a lot. With India's wide geographical diversities, a lot of amazing abodes are there for those who love adventure sports and the picture above is an example of such activity.
-- Today, business tours colligated with sporting activities is becoming quite trendy. Sports like Golf are a prime example of such activities. Golf tours organized at different venues, allow the players of this managerial sport, an opportunity to do business deal, which in turn has introduced the concept of corporate golf, but I digress. Yesterday, Formula 1 race was held in India and the eyes of the world were set upon us. There is little doubt in my mind that F1 race wouldn't have resulted in some bulky business deals.

That's all for today. My notion was to briefly acquaint y'all to the concept of sport tourism, but I'll be doing another blog some other time and deliberate over sport tourism in the Indian context.
Your turn Readerland, tell me what you think about tonight's work and write your own suggestions or anything and thanks for reading.

Thought Of The Day : - ''The most beloved of deeds is the one that is continuous, even if it is little.''

Blogging Matters!!! : 'My 5ive' - Movies and Gambling

Day 56.

Erstwhile, I wrote about Sports Gambling and explained to you, the development of the Casino games and the Industry. Well, tonight's blog is about some of the finest movies made which have splendidly showcased the concept of gambling in casino games. So, rather than zeroing in on movies made on gambling in casinos, my list will try to focus on 5 movies which show how this industry was established and is run.
Let's get the list rollin' now, shall we? -

1.) Casino -

Directed by Martin Scorsese, the 1995 made movie Casino is a reflection of the best movie ever made on gambling in casinos. The movie is packed of stars like Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci and the two of them flawlessly bring their characters to fruition. The movie is about mobsters who move to Las Vegas, Nevada and their engrossment in casinos of the 1970's and 80's. The movie perfectly shows the development of casino games industry in Vegas.

2.) Ocean's Eleven -

Directed by Steven Soderbergh and made in 2001, Ocean's Eleven is the story of a gang which sets out to rob a casino. George Clooney who plays the role of Danny Ocean delivers an impeccable performance. The execution of robbery in casinos has been shot in a very suspensful manner and really makes the ripping of three casinos very entertaining. The success of this movie was followed by two sequels.

3.) Bugsy -

Made in 1991, the film Bugsy was directed by Berry Levinson and stars Warren Beatty as Bugsy Siegel. Now, this movie ain't exactly about the gambling in casinos but rather it shows how mafia people established the industry of casinos in Las Vegas in which gambling happened later on. It's a story of Bugsy's vision to establish something worthy and in doing so he doesn't care how much money he's spending. Moreover, it shows how Flamingo, a very prominent casino joint was set up.

4.) Rounders -

Rounders was made by Director John Dahl in the year 1998 and stars actors like Edward Norton and Matt Damon. This film is about the notorious terra of high-stakes poker and loan sharks in which two friends step foot, to earn cash in order to pay a huge debt. The game of poker is displayed in an exciting manner gambling scenes are really engaging and give a tutorial about the game of poker.

5.) Owning Mahowny -

Owning Mahowny is based on a real-life story about gambling addiction and was made in 2003 by Richard Kweitniowski and stars Philip Seymour Hoffman in the key role of Dan Mahowny. Mahowny, who is a bank employee is a compulsive gambler who due to his quirks, is involved in the largest fraud in the history of Canada. This movie is like a detailed description of a man's gambling groove in the industry of casino games.

Thought Of The Day : - ''The thing that weighs most heavily in the balance (of good deeds), is a good attitude.''

Blogging Matters!!! : The Assets Of A State

Day 55.

Sport - 'Physical activity governed by fixed rules and often engaged in competitively.'
Asset - 'A useful or valuable thing or person.' (Oxford Dictionary).

- India is a developing country and a lot of money has been and is being spent on constructing sporting infrastructure. Sport is a very peculiar thing. In India, Sport is a subject of State. For sports to develop in all the Indian States, it is to nth degree vital, that states work along with industry and this is possible under the concept of PPP (Public-Private Partnership). Now, I won't delve much into PPP, but talk briefly about the role of states.
- India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories making a total of thirty-five. Now, these states and union territories are further subdivided into districts. Every state plays a far-reaching role and every one of them have to be looked as a nation. A nexus betwixt State and Industry could certainly aide in delineating sport axioms of India.
- When we think about Olympics and we talk about India in them, then what if each of the 35 states and union territories could give us one Olympic medal. Surely, we would be among the top three nations in the medal tally by the 2020 Olympics. But, we have to also see how states can use assets, lands? What can the states do? Well, one thing that can be done is to divide states into two parts with sports for the public and sports for excellence. Also, states don't have all the resources, so they have to be careful while rewarding the athletes.
- There is also a need for governance and policy reforms to achieve excellence in sports at State and even National-International level competitions. States like Kerala who aren't big enough are a good example in this category. About seven new stadiums in different districts are in the building process on the PPP model. They are also creating sport facilities where children can play. The ulterior motive being to initiate sport as an activity in children before they graduate.

Thought Of The Day : - ''A man's worth depends upon the nobility of his aspirations.''

Tactics for cutting production costs

Eliminate night scenes. Shooting at night requires powerful/expensive lighting and the payment of nighttime rates to the crew. Broken Arrow cut costs by millions of dollars by getting rid of the night scenes from the script. Many directors choose to use the 'day for night' technique.

Avoid location filming in famous or commercial areas. Shooting a scene on, for example, the Golden Gate Bridge, requires stopping traffic with a resultant drop in revenue to the city of San Francisco. Filming such a scene for Interview with the Vampire cost Warner Bros. $500,000. Shifting the location to the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge for close-ups could save hundreds of thousands of dollars in location fees. Some locations are more willing to allow filming than others - commercial enterprises such as hotels and nightclubs. Some producers of low-budget features avoid paying location fees and seek to capture shots by subterfuge
.

Film action scenes early on Sunday morning. Stopping traffic for a car chase scene is easier in the early hours of Sunday morning, when traffic is at its lightest.

Use unknown cast members rather than stars.


Ask above-the-line talent to defer their salaries. In exchange for dropping their large upfront salaries, actors, directors and producers can receive a large share of the film's gross profits. This has the disadvantage of cutting the financier's eventual takings. It has the further disadvantage of ambiguity. ''gross profits is customarily defined as the profits remaining after production and distribution expenses are subtracted from revenues. Disagreements over accounting methods can lead to audits and even litigation, as happened between Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema over dividing up the profits from the hugely-successful Lord of the Rings film trilogy, which grossed over 2 billion USD.

Use a non-union crew. Not an option for studios that have signed contracts with the unions—the Directors Guild of America (DGA), Writers Guild of America (WGA), and Screen Actors Guild (SAG). Directors Robert Rodriguez and Peter Jackson have been known to use the skills of experienced non-union crews for their films.

Film in another region. For example, many Hollywood movies set in U.S. cities are shot in Canada to take advantage of lower labour costs, subject to fluctuating exchange rates. As well, they take advantage of federal and provincial subsidies designed to grow and sustain the film and television production industries in the area. Many U.S. states have responded with tax incentives of their own (Movie production incentives in the United States). The Czech Republic, Australia, and New Zealand are other countries in which Hollywood movies are often filmed.

Blogging Matters!!! : 'Sports Career' - What Do We Need? (Part 3)

Day 54.

In the last 2 blogs of this series, I talked about sport as a career and also discussed with you the prerequisites to grasp lore about sport, if it is a career. Tonight, in part 3, we'll be moving a tad deep in what we learned yesterday. So, without further ado let's get things rollin' -

• The industry of sports offers a wide range of fields to work in, to talented and skilled people. Every year, the demand for coaches, trainers, sport managers, nutritionists, sporting event managers, sport commentators, etc, is amplifying. Some people are cognizant of what they want to actualize in this industry while there are others who just want to find a job and work in some capacity in this industry, and there are also those who aren't even aware of the opportunities, training, etc. to make a career in sports.
• I mentioned some points in last night's blog about the prerequisites for the better understanding of sport as a career and I also divided the two facets, and now let's look at some approaches with which the gap in those two facets can be shrunken. -

a.) The first question or the first approach is about the training which is provided in schools and colleges. The question that needs to be answered is, whether this training is aligned to the requirements of the sports environment?
b.) Today, broadcasting of sports is playing a more complex and more crucial role than ever before, and the commentators are also a very vital component in this field. So,we have to see if there are enough sports commentators?
c.) The quantity and quality of the resources that we are discussing to bridge the gap is another point which is of paramount discussion. It has to be seen that only trained and skilled professionals join this industry and in their numbers are also to be noted.

• It is all about connecting the dots. How do we align a work force which is mentally and physically able to take up sports? We need 1.33 million school experts. for every 1100 people on the field, we need 55 coaches, 15 trainers, 25 medicine experts. Also journalists, bio-mechanics, media, etc. We need at least 8 lac 71 thousand coaches by 2017. (Figures given at FICCI, thought they were worth mentioning).
• Today, if 100 kids are introduced in sport in schools, then 90-95% leave it. There is a need to provide some job opportunity, so that they can make a career in the industry of sports. There are no indications of slowing in sports. And, this is where our Government, the NGOs, as well as the people interested in sports, need to capitalize.

To conclude, I think I can say that Sport is a business. I think I can also relate it to the definition of Democracy, given by Abraham Lincoln, i.e. it is of the people, by the people, for the people.
Similarly, Sport is a people's business, it is of the people, by the people and for the people. If you want to work in or at least around some areas of this industry, then even under cases like budget dearth or losing of a team, etc, you must be able to work together with other people.
Thanks For Reading.

Thought Of The Day : - ''Love for other people what you love for yourself.''

नियो टी . वी और प्रसार भारती में टकराव

पिछले दिनों खत्म हुई मैचो की श्रंखला के रेडिओ प्रसारण को  लेकर नियो स्पोर्ट्स टी .वी और प्रसार भारती की बीच विवाद सामने आया | जब नियो टी .वी द्वारा प्रसार भारती से प्रसारण का ५० परसेंट मुनाफा माँगा गया तो | प्रसार भारती देने से इंकार कर दिया|

जिसमें सूचना प्रसारण मंत्रालय ने बी .सी सी . आई  से मामले में सीधा हस्तक्षेप करने को कहा|

मंत्रालय का कहना हैं की नियो द्वारा क्रिकेट प्रेमिओ को   क्रिकेट कमेंट्री सुनने से कर दिया गया हैं|

जबकि नियो चैनल ने इसे खेलों के प्रसारण एक्ट का उनंघन बताया हैं| जिसके तहत मुआफा ५० -५० बनता जाता हैं|सूचना प्रसारण मंत्रालय के अनुसार किसी दुसरे प्राइवेट रेडिओ  चैनल के पास लाएव कमेंट्री का अधिकार नहीं हैं 

आखिर स्टेडियमो से क्रिकेट क्रेजियो का टोटा क्यों

अभी हाल ही में पांच मैचों  की एकदिवसीय श्रंखला जो भारत और इंग्लैंड के बीच खेली गयी| भारत ने इंग्लैंड में हुए  अपने सफाए का बदला भी ले लिया|  लेकिन  एक चीज़ जो सबसे कम प्रतीत हुयी वो थी दर्शको की संख्या

(१) यहाँ हैदराबाद में शुक्रवार को श्रंखला के पहले मैच  में स्टेडियम  लगभग आधा भरा हुआ था | उप्पल के राजीव गाँधी स्टेडियम में ४० हजार दर्शको के बैठने की जगह हैं| लेकिन वहां केवल २२ हजार लोग ही मौजूद थे| 

(२) करीब करीब ये ही हाल मोहाली में भी दिखा| वहां भी मैच को लेकर कोई खास उत्साह नहीं दिखाई दिया| इधर भी आधे से ज्यादा सीटे खाली रही|

(३) देल्ही में भी हैदराबाद वाली स्थिति थी |

(४) श्रंखला के आखिरी और निर्णायक मैच के दौरान कोलकाता के इडेन गार्डन में भी अब तक का सबसे कम दर्शको का सूखा देखा गया| जो हैरान करने वाली बात हैं| इडेन गार्डन जो ६७,३०० सीटो वाला एक बड़ा स्टेडियम हैं वहां भी केवल २०००० हजार  दर्शक ही मैच को देहाने पहुंचे|

                                                  आखिर क्या कारण हैं 

(१) इसकी शुरुआत (आई .सी.सी ) विश्व कप और (आई .पी एल ) के बाद शुरु होती हैं|

(२)इसका कारन इंग्लैंड के हातो भारत की इंग्लैंड दौरे पर मिली शिकस्त को भी माना जा रहा हैं |

(3)दूसरा कारण अत्यधिक धकाऊ क्रिकेट को भी माना जा रहा हैं जिसके कारण खिलाडी चोटिल हुए और उनकी परफोर्मेंस गिरती रही| जिससे दर्शक अभी तक उभर नहीं पाए हैं 

(४)इसका एक और कारण आई सी .सी द्वारा क्रिकेट को ज्यादा रोचक बनाने के लिए लाये गये नियम भी हो सकते हैं |

(५) चोथा कारण T20 मैचो का आनंद ले चूका दर्शक वर्ग अब वन डे मैचो से मुह मोड़ रहा हैं| वरना लगातार मैचो में जीत और पूरी की पूरी  श्रंखला अपने नाम करने के बावजूद स्टेडियम में सुनापन समझ  से परे हैं| इस बार उपमहादीप में वन डे मैचो में दर्शको की कम दिलचस्पी को निराशा जनक माना जा रहा हैं|

(६) इस बार त्योहारों के दौरान मैचो के पड़ने के कारण भी दर्शक मैचो के टिकटों  पर ज्यादा खर्च नहीं कर पाए|

                               टी .वी दर्शक शमता  को मापने वाली एजेंसी (टैम)  के अनुसार आकडे 

• टूर्नामेंट /श्रंखला          महिना               चैनल                                                   रेटिंग
• चैंपियंस लीग T20    सितम्बर११         इ.एस.एस                                             १.६७
• इंग्लैंड में वन डे         सितम्बर ११       इ .एस एस /स्टारक्रिकेट                         २.०७ 
• भारत में वन डे          अक्टूबर ११         नियो ओ डी आई                                     २.17 

कुछ साल पहले तक खेले जा रहे  अच्छे क्रिकेट को देखकर दर्शक वर्ग खुश था| लेकिन शायद अब वो दर्शक प्रभावशाली चीजे देखना चाहता हैं इसलिए आज  क्रिकेट सीधे तौर पर  टी वी पर प्रसारित रेअल्टी शो से जैसे की 

कौन बनेगा करोडपति , बिग बॉस , इसके साथ  साथ महत्वपूर्ण राजनितिक विकास के कारण समाचार चैनलो ने भी अपनी जगह बाबा ली हैं |

Formula One will boost Indian sports

Force India's team principal and managing director Vijay Mallya said Wednesday that the inaugural Formula One race in India is a major step for Indian sports.

'I have been involved in motor racing for over 30 years, and it?s one of my greatest passions. I brought the first Formula 1 car over to India in the 1980s and it was always a dream of mine to one day see this great nation host a Grand Prix,' Mallya said.

'This weekend is a very significant moment and I?m extremely proud,' he added. 'It?s a major step forward for Indian motorsport, and for sports in general in our country. We are all looking forward to it.'

Mallya said being the first home race for Force India, the Silverstone-based team was determined to put up its best showing at the Buddh International Circuit here.

'This is a very important weekend for Sahara Force India and we are all determined to be as competitive as possible. I want to savour every moment of what will surely be one of the most spectacular events of the season and the start of a great Formula 1 tradition in India,' he said.

Mallya said the race will increase the popularity of Formula One in India.

'There is already great interest in Formula One in India, but having our own race has created a real buzz and will take the sport to an even wider audience. As soon as the ticket sales were announced, people were clamouring to buy them. Hosting the premier racing series in the world is a great privilege and there is great excitement in the country,' he said.

Asked about the team's latest partnership with Sahara India, Mallya said: 'This is yet another great milestone in the history of this team. The Sahara Group brings fresh investment. It has played a very important role in the development of sport in India and is an ideal partner to help us achieve greater success in the future.'

This weekend, Mallya will also select the one best driver from a billion young driver hunt.

'I made the decision to begin a driver hunt in India about 18 months ago. It was a massive undertaking to hold open trials in seven cities, but I was delighted by the quality of the drivers who came along to show their skills. Last week the top 10 youngsters visited Silverstone to complete their final assessments based on driving talent, fitness and media training,' he said

Blogging Matters!!! : 'Sports Career'. What Do We Need? (Part 2)

Day 53.

In yesterday's part, I laid down before you few points about career in sports and tonight, in part 2 of this series we'll be looking at some prerequisites that would aide in thriving a sports culture in which sports as a career is more sought after by the youth.

• Youngsters, who today want to be a part of the industry of sports often find their dreams shattered due to the subsisting loopholes in the management system. What we'll do is try and find some keys to solve this problem.
• Sport is not a fancy, it is a way of life, as old as life itself. Today there is a need to develop a sports education framework in our country and Ministries like Human Resource Development have a pivotal role to play in doing so. Also, the assistance from Nations and their experts, where sporting culture is well established, can provide a lending hand in shaping the youth of India.
•  Some of the necessities to make sports a career in this industry include -

a.) Firstly we need to distinguish all the sectors which are covered. This step also encompasses the identification of differing fields like health and fitness, spa, sports medicine (unani, ayurveda) as a part of sports.
b.) The second thing is to identify the employees of this industry. We need to question that are people who design the posters for a match or even design tickets, a part of it?
c.) Lastly, keeping in mind that sport is a State subject in India, we need to get the hang of the prerequisites of each State. There is also a need to determine those wants of States on the basis of different areas of skill.

• There is another side to the points I just mentioned. This side includes the dispensing of the resources that together with the clamoring side only, can help get the picture of career in sports industry. And, some of the points included in this are -

a.) First of all, we need to find out about the courses that are being made available in various schools and colleges of the country. Also, we have to recognize the training programmes which these schools and colleges are proffering.
b.) Now, in the first point which I wrote for the demand side, I covered some fields in sports industry . But, we also need to understand the fact that awareness in target segment is very crucial. So, we have to recognize if there is cognizance in the segments which are a part of development programme.
c.) Lastly, from the system that we create, we need to be aware of the number of trained people flowing every year. This also includes the flow of people on the basis of their skills.

With this we come to the end of part 2 in this series. Tomorrow, in the final part I'll be dealing with some other points which can help prune the gap amid the two different sides that we dealt with today. I'll also look at few other points to understand the current Indian scenario. Till then goodbye and thanks for reading.

Thought Of The Day : - ''Always render back the trusts to those to whom they are due.''

P.S. - A very smashing, bashing, and dashing Deepavali to every one.''

आलोक पर्व की शुभकामनाएँ

आलोक पर्व की शुभकामनाएँ

Blogging Matters!!! : 'Sports Career'. What Do We Need? ( Part 1)

Day 52.

In this series of BM!!!, we'll be looking at the career prospects in the sports industry. We'll also be covering the requirements that exist to make sport a career. In this part I'll just give you a general idea of the careers in sports industry and the changing scenario. As I've already deliberated over some careers in my previous blogs, so my area of concern would revolve around the strategies to aide in making sports a career.

• When we think of sports, games like cricket, football, tennis, etc come to our mind. But, the industry of sports is like a gargantuan edifice and has a lot more hidden in it than just a game. This industry is impacted in some way or other by individual participation also. When we go to watch a cricket match, we buy tickets, we buy food items, memorabilia, or when we watch it on t.v., then also we pay our cable operator. All of this generates direct and indirect economic activity. And, the amplifying number of participants is a litmus test for the sports industry.
• Sports is a field based on mechanics. In addition to the traditional careers that most people think of, over the years this field in its amelioration has produced several specialized career prospects. There are sport scientist, physios, expert coaches, tournament managers, media managers, sponsorship managers, etc. The demand for these people has been on a constant rise in the industry of sports.
• In the constantly changing world of sports industry, televised broadcast of sports has come up with outside opportunities. 20 years back, sporting events were heard on the radio, then television took the ball and ran with it and now, we have different channels for different sports. All of these events have produced outside chances which I just wrote.
• The industry of sports is a competitive one. Apart from all the glitz, glamour and gold, the career that an individual pursues in this industry, whether it is in the broadcasting, media or in the business or in the coaching area, there is ample amount of competition that he/she will find surrounded by. However, on the positive side, a person can get a job in this industry or at least in some areas of it, if he/she can make use of their skills, but for that they have to start thinking in an ingenious way.

If sport is a career, then we need to get the hang of the requirement and how are we going to fulfill those requirements. Also, the loopholes that are present in our system. prevent the talented people from pursuing a career in the industry of sports.
This is the end of part 1, in part 2 of this series tomorrow, I'll talk about these points and more.
Thanks For Reading.

Thought Of The Day : - ''Humility and courtesy are themselves a part of piety.''

Blogging Matters!!! : 'My 5ive' - Games and Gambling (An Introduction)

Day 51.

Gambling : - ''the activity of playing games of chance for money and of betting on horses,etc.'' (Oxford Dictionary).
Erstwhile, I wrote a blog on Betting in the Industry of Sports and familiarized you with the concept.Tonight, in another special edition of BM's!!! - 'My 5ive', we'll be taking up 5 things to learn a subject. And, as the title and the image suggests, I'll be acquainting you concisely with Gambling and the Industry plugged into the games played in the casinos.
So, without further ado, let's get the list rollin' -

1.) Las Vegas -
When we talk of casinos and gambling, the first place that comes to mind is Las Vegas, Nevada in USA. Rightfully so, the state of Nevada especially the city of Las Vegas is the best known destination for gambling in the entire world. Gambling has also been legal in the state of Nevada from the year 1931 forming the backbone of the state's economy. Today, Vegas is the fastest growing city in US and a major income generator for the States.
2.) The History -
Talking of Las Vegas and the augmentation it has had in developing the industry of casino games and gambling, we need to go through a bit of its history. Vegas has been identified as a gaming center as well as a resort destination since the 1930s. As the population grew in Europe, people started migrating to America to the city of New York and its citizens included lawyers, doctors, engineers as well as the mob or the mafia people.
3.) The Builders -
Nevada which is in the west and was a desert at that time was never sought by anyone as a lucrative place until a few men saw the potential concealed in it. Mobsters from New York such as Benjamin Siegel a.k.a.Bugsy Siegel was the first person in history who made the decision to build a casino named Flamingo. Bookmaking operations and expansion of the gaming industry in the form of organized crime was his ulterior motive. Another man who took Vegas to new heights was Businessman, Howard Hughes, who first rented all the hotel rooms and later purchased the casino hotels from the mafia.
4.) The Legalization -
The legalization of gambling in Nevada took place in 1931 and the Great Depression of 1929 had much to do with it. The people who were against gambling began to be cognizant of the fact that gambling in a legal form could be an answer for financial distress and a way to stimulate the economy. So with the legalization of casinos, parimutuel gambling (a system used in gambling on horse racing, lottery games,etc) also began spreading in the whole country. Cities like New York had other sources of revenue which I mentioned above, but in the case of Nevada gambling was legalized as they needed a source of earning.
5.) Extra Notes -
Today, out of the 50 states in the US, 37 have legalized lotteries and 26 have independent casinos. Casino games in which gambling activity is the most, include table games like, blackjack, craps, roulette and baccarat. Also, gambling is of different types like, Fixed- Odds Betting which is a form of wagering against odds offered by a bookie, Parimutuel Betting in which all bets are placed in a pool, Sports Betting in which prediction of a game's result is done along with placing of wager on the result.

There is a lot of history not only behind the construction of gambling/casino industry in Nevada or Vegas but in other states as well. However, Las Vegas being the most faddish and recognized city in this industry becomes the best option for anyone to introduce this industry. A lot can also be discussed on the topic of Great Depression and the legalization of gambling, but I'll do it some other time.
Thanks For Reading.

Thought Of The Day : - ''Many things in life will catch your eye but few will catch your heart. Pursue those.''

Turf 11

Students of Sports Economics and Marketing at FICCI HOUSE on 21 oct 2011 in GLOBAL SPORTS SuMMiT Turf 2011

Blogging Matters!!! : 'My 5ive' - Sports Betting and Movies

Day 50.

This is BM!!!. This is the 50th day of BM!!!. This is the 50th consecutive day of BM!!! and boy, I'm absolutely amazed when I look back and see at how far we've come in this sojourn of the bloggerland.

If you folks can bethink, then I did a blog which briefly introduced us with the concept of Sports Betting. An issue which is indeed a serious one and constant checks and balances are needed to provide the fans a fair play. However, this activity in some way or another takes place and movies are an interesting way to have deeper lore about this activity.
So here's for y'all a list of 5 movies which are based on the concept of Sports Betting -

1.) Eight Men Out -

Made in 1988 and Directed by John Sayles, Eight Men Out is perhaps the most caught on movie made on betting in sports. This film is based on the infamous scandal of the Chicago White Sox Baseball Team whose 8 players had a deal with gamblers to intentionally lose the World Series in 1919. The gambling syndicate was lead by Arnold Rothstein, played in this movie by Michael Lerner, pays the team extra bucks to play badly. However, the truth breaks out after two years and 8 members of the White Sox are indicted and banned for life from the game.

2.) Diggstown -

Directed by Michael Ritchie in 1992, Diggstown is a story about betting in the sport of boxing. A con man named Gabriel Caine, played by James Woods proposes a grand bet that he will find a boxer that can knock out 10 men in a boxing ring. Then comes a ton of double-crossing and surprises till the end. A really entertaining movie with some good humour and sports betting too.

3.) Two For The Money -

This movie was made in 2005 and was Directed by D.J. Caruso and stars actors like Al Pacino and Matthew McConaughey. Brandon Lang ( McConaughey), a former football player is a score predictor in Las Vegas who later on meets Walter Abrams (Pacino), who is an entrepreneur in the sports betting business. And, together they start placing bets in sports and earn tremendous amount of money. The movie has its entertainment value and sports betting in particular is very well highlighted.

4.) Let It Ride -

This comedy-action movie on sports betting was made by director Joe Pytka in 1989 and stars Richard Dreyfuss as Jay Trotter. A day comes in the life of an unsuccessful gambler who cannot stay away from horse racing tracks. But, a day comes when he wins every bet that he places. The movie covers the issue of placing bets in horse racing in a light comedy manner which is its best thing.

5.) Bookies -

This small budget movie was made in 2003 by director Mark Illsley. The movie is about college students who start their own bookie business by taking bets from different people. However, as the wagers grow, they are trapped in a precarious situation where they win and lose multiple close calls. Furthermore they plan to fix a basketball tournament and act like professional bookies.

Thought Of The Day : - ''The world is darkness and knowledge is light; but knowledge without truth is a mere shadow.''

Blogging Matters!!! : The Extra Report

Day 49.

This is the auxiliary run down of the 3rd Global Sports Summit by FICCI. I've already covered the 2 days of seminar in my anterior blogs. But this one contains the unprecedented session which took place on Day 1 and it's a session which cannot really be overlooked.
So, without further ado, here's for y'all, the extra report. -

1.) Mr. R V Khanna, Senior VP, FICCI -

• Sports Federations in India are classified as NGOs, they don't come under RTI (Right To Information) Act. Its only appropriate that they should be accountable. On one side there is regulatory framework, on the other side there is autonomy also, so you need a balanced framework.
• We would like to see FICCI involved beyond cricket. Sport distinguishes between national identity. Sport is also as much a part of education as any other academic stream.

2.) Sonali Chander, Sports Editor & Anchor, NDTV -

• It is admirable on the part of Mr. Ajay Maken to bring the Bill despite the differences with his own party members.
• Larger issue is the accountability of Federations. People are saying that Mr. Maken has climbed down due to the pressure by the BCCI.
• We have IOC, saying that Indian Government is trying to take over, regulate sports federations. What is Mr. Sharad Pawar, BCCI, scared of?, about RTI?

3.) Mr. Ajay Maken, Minister of State, Sports & Youth Affairs -

• There are many other initiatives that are overshadowed due to the Sports Bill. One of these is the requirement of sport personnel, coaches.Our National Sport Institute in Patiala had only 173 coaches from 1980-2008.
• I went to China about 15 days back. They have a Chinese Institute of Sports Sciences. They have different departments fro every aspect, sports psychology, sports medicine,etc. We have decided to form a National School of Sport Sciences. By the end of November this will be registered into Societies Act.
• We are trying to give more power to sports persons. We are asking for Athlete's Advisory Council, of athletes who represented their sport. We are asking for 25% reservations. We are asking for tenure norms.
• In the last 3 years we have spent 453 crore rupees or $100 million in sports. We would like sports federations to work in more autonomy. Had this bill in place, Mr. Kalmadi would not have been the Chairperson of the IOA. I don't think there is any substitute to RTI. Transparency in financial functioning is badly required.

Blogging Matters!!! : TURF 2011 - The Report- Day II

Day 48.

This is the run down of the second day, i.e. today Oct, 21, of FICCI's 3rd Global Sports Summit. Yesterday, I did the run down of Day 1 and we shall commence from Session 5 which is was the point of today's initiation.

Session 5 - Creating Profitable Sports Properties :
Moderator - Mr. Sukhvinder Singh, Managing Director, Libero Sports : -
(Key Remarks) -

1.) Mr. Vivek B Singh, Jt. Managing Director, Procam International -

• Sport has really grown on age. Creating profitable sport properties is already happening. Due to the overshadowing by cricket we can't see building of sports properties in sports like horse racing, soccer,etc.
• Apart from cricket, every other sport is joining its place, it's happening slowly.

2.) Ms. Shagun Chowdhary, Qualified Olympic Shooter -

• Shooting is a sport where anyone can come to participate. You can relate it to cricket. Money is the driving force.
• We have developed huge stadiums. Due to the demand, there are hundreds of shooters. Over the past six years there have been more than 100 medals.

3.) Mr. Vijay Bhardwaj, Head-Research and Consultancy, Sports 18 : -

• There are brands looking to connect with people, which was missing 15 years ago. The key element to look is to look at sports as industry. In sports there are smaller and niche properties that can be created. Brands are entering as people are willing to pay.
• There is a need to go premium. Indian television is still young and amateur medium, unlike US or UK, where it is 50 years old. If you have a medium that old, there are patterns set. There needs to be an understanding of market and understanding of commerce, use of brands, use of technology as an asset.
• The key element is to identify and open up the revenue streams. Secondly, we need to understand that the consumption pattern of sports is changing. 20 years ago it was just about switching on t.v. and watching a sport. Today, its more about participation.

Session 6 : Dynamics of League system in Sports : Leveraging Hidden Demand -
Moderator - Mr. Anupam
Key Remarks :

1.) Mr. Vijay Bhardwaj, Head-Research & Consultancy, Sports 18 : -

• If you are a businessman and you have a monopoly, then you are happy. You need competition to survive, if you don't have it, you are dead. Leagues are basically of people with similar mindset, who decide how many elements will be structured. League is actually older as compared to association.
• Leagues in US were earlier localized, but after the growth of transportation, it spread. Leagues are nothing, but a way to put sport competition in pattern.

2.) Mr. William Wilson, Soccer United Marketing : -

• Concept is very essential. Soccer is a sport that's very unique. In US, challenges are same like English Premier League or Spanish La Liga.
• India is a new territory. We see this region with anxiety in interest like what will happen between IMG and Reliance?

3.) Mr. Rathindra Basu, Corporate Communication & Event Management : -

• After the phenomenal success of IPL, we saw a lot of IPL like leagues mushrooming in various states. You have somehow, cricket becoming a national integrator. We have natural propensity of making a league.
• When you start a league and make it financially viable, you need to look at basic infrastructure, how do you get people to buy in these leagues?, you have to create a fan infrastructure.

Session 7 : Will Sports (Development) Bill Strengthen the NSFs? -
Moderator : - Mr. Gaurav Kalra, Sports Editor, CNN-IBN

Key Remarks -
1.) Mr. Mathivanan.N, Executive Partner, Corporate Law -

• The Sports Federations should be strengthened. There is a requirement of good governance of sports federations, their accountability, their responsibility (social responsibility is an important item), their activities should be independent otherwise it loses autonomy.
• The governance should be on the basis of fairness. Fairness in representation of Board according to constitutional measures. You have to empower the Executive Board, so strengthening, giving due power to executive board is important.

2.) Mr. Morad Ali Khan, Shooter & Arjuna Awardee -

• When we compare Sports Management efficiency in India with foreign, then we realize how far behind we are.
• There is nothing in particular in this Bill, which tells taht you cannot run the federations with your money, with your process of development.Problems come with personal issue. If we remove them, there is nothing in the Bill that's against the federations.

3.) Mr. Viren Rasquinha, CEO, Olympic Gold Quest -

• I have read the bill myself and I don't think the bill is intrusive or draconian. Don't give generalised opinion that the bill is intrusive.
• At the end of the day, implementation is the key to legislation. If you bring in accountability, corporate sponsors will come in. The key here is to educate the people about the bill. You cannot please different stakeholders. Come to a consensus to what's a good sports bill in India.

Session 8 : Role of Corporate in Sports Development and Innovative Strategies -
Moderator : - Mr. Varun Palival -

Key Remarks -
1.) Mr. Charles Borromeo, Padamsri, Senior Manager-Sports, Tata Steel : -

• One of our tiers is at rural areas, we have sports for all. We invite community, people to identify the talents, in football, in archery,etc.
• Second tier is training mode. We have 15 training centres. Wherever the children are interested, we identify and because of these training centre models they are able to get better education.
• We in corporate world don't expect immediate profit. We want to create a healthy environment where we are operating.

2.) Mr. Dharmesh Jain, Chairman & MD, Nirmal Lifestyle : -

• Most children become serious sportspersons between 8-15 years. In India, unless you are a Sachin Tendulkar, parents pull you away from sports in 7th standard.
• In France, schools actually give marks for sports. If marks are given for sports at the grassroot level, dramatic changes can happen. With sports the key is to have a long-term vision and not a short one.

Blogging Matters!!! : TURF 2011 - The Report, Day I

Day 47.

Good evening friends and welcome to yet another acutely objective report edition of BM!!!. And, I will equip y'all with the session by session recap of the events that transpired at the 3rd Global Sports Summit 'TURF 2011', organized by FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry).
So, without further ado, let's get the report rolling now, shall we? -

Introduction/Inauguration - (Key Remarks) :-
1.) Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Secretary General, FICCI :

• Purpose of Summit is to try & foster greater Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in the country. Until Corporate Sector comes in a much bigger way, sports won't develop. Priorities given to sports must be higher in India. Smaller countries like West Indies, East Germany, have given so much emphasis to sports which provided them national identity.
• There is a huge sports infrastructure deficit in India. Like any other infrastructure for eg; railways, etc, sports infrastructure must be given equal emphasis.
• Sports Development won't happen until you involve private sector. Sport is not maximizing profits only, but National cause also.

2.) Ms. Lata Usendi, Minister of State, Women and Child Development, Sports and Youth Affairs, Chhattisgarh :

• Over the past 10 years, athletes from Chhattisgarh have earned about 150 gold medals. We've strived to provide better facilities in hockey. We've tried to colligate sporting world with corporates.
• We've come forward with PPP in the field of Boxing. And, the 37th National Games will also be held in Chhattisgarh. We've created new programmes for the development of sports.

3.) Brig. K P Singh Deo (Retd), Chairman, Sports Development Commission, India Olympic Association :

• One is astounded at the phase of development in Chhattisgarh. We were surprised by the revenue generated by Chhattisgarh in tribal areas in sports.
• Our programme 'Vision 2020', at IOA, in Sports Commision has found universal acceptance. First by FICCI, second by Ministry of Sports and just yesterday by the Planning Commission.
• The Common Wealth Games (CWG) 2010 had glimpses of PPP. We need to do analysis. This partnership can be very useful. The internal investment in CWG has been very good. The return on investment done by the Government, Sports Authority of India (SAI), has given 101% back, but it has fallen short for IOA with 125 medals.

4.) H.E. Shekhar Dutt, Governor, Chhattisgarh :

• We need to have a large mass of human resources developed. Sports is a hugely useful tool of management. India needs to have good managers who can lead in all the aspects.
• Sport is an organized activity. It cannot be achieved without all ingredients set out to form an industry. Sport is also a huge business, a multi-million dollar business.There has to be convergence of the corporate spirit with development of sports.
• India has to become a destination for medical tourism. We find that Sachin Tendulkar or Zaheer Khan, go for surgical repairs outside. Why can't we have eminent sport surgeons in India ? The time has come to take initiatives to set up sports science institutions in India, to cater Indian and world market.

Session 1 : Public Private Partnership - Developing Sports Infrastructure : ( Key Remarks)

[Moderator - Mr. Rishi Narain, M D, Rishi Narain Golf Management Pvt. Ltd.]

1.) Mr. Desh Deepak Verma, Director General SAI :

• In our Indian context, Sport structure is a support and facilitation service. Time has come to attain sports seriously as a business.
• In CWG, one of the criticisms was about the leagacy use of our sporting infrastructure. For using the infrastructure and also creating it, the role of private sector is very important.
• One issue in PPP is use of stadia infrastructre for non-sporting activities as many times it is done in the name of creating revenue generation, but sometimes such activities take over sporting activities.

2.) Mr. Tushar Pandey, President & Country Head, Strategic Initiatives, Yes Bank :

• Sport is a multi-billion dollar industry and is viewed a major entertainment venue. There are gaps in policies across the states in India. Lack of accountability plagues most sports authorities. Apart from some states like Gujarat and Rajasthan, PPP for infrastructure and development has still not been integrated in sport policies of states.
• Despite being a state subject, the allocation from centre is decreasing over the past 4 years. There are also several impediments to development of sports in India, like; sports research hasn't been developed as a separate department in the Ministry of Sports.
• Till you develop infrastructure, athletes cannot become the centre point. So, the government should not talk of medals without infrastructure.

3.) Mr. Andrew James, Director,Asia and Australia Populous :

• The difference between what is happening in Delhi and London is the planning for legacy. The key is that you have to plan the stadium and then built it.
• So, a part of legacy is to try and assess what buildings will be used after the games. So, temporary construction is also a key.

Session 2 : Triggering Investment in Sports and Creating Sports Culture -

Moderator : Mr. Yogesh Kocchar, Director, Microsoft Corporation India.

(Key Remarks -)

1.) Mr. Tarun Dewan, Executive Director, Sports Goods Exports Promotion Council : -

• Today, 70% of trade happens in sport apparels. There is sport equipment made in India of world level. Why investment in manufacturing of sporting equipment hasn't proven to be lucrative, we have to see that.
• Sporting culture needs to be developed at the grass root level. Sport has to be treated at par with health. Any state doing investment in sports, in the long-run their expenditure in  health will come down.

2.) Mr. Robert G Davies, Consultant, British College of Sports -

• India has a massive target of getting 500 million people trained. We have to understand the importance of sports in terms of social development, in terms of helping India's skill agenda, in terms of corporates.
• Another important thing is starting sports education. The key is human capital. In terms of development of sports we should be like farmers and plant the seeds. So, the key is human resource development.

3.) Mr. Yogesh Kocchar -

• About 80% of sports persons coming today are from rural India. If you go to New York you find football jerseys, memorabilia that helps in promoting sports culture. In India, not even 10% is done with cricket.
• The answer lies in packaging. We need to package goods to sell it in new areas.

Session 3 : Sports as a full time career : -
Moderator - Mr. Rajpal Singh, Additional Director, FICCI :
(Key Remarks) -
1.) Mr. Gurap Singh :

• Until and unless India makes an environment where coaches parents and children come together, winning in Olympics will remain a dream.
• We should also teach our players how to manage stress. What type of diets to be taken? They should be provided with world class infrastructure.

2.) Mr. P D Sharma - President Rashtriya Life Saving Society :

• There is a need to make parents realize that sports is necessary for a child's sound body. Sport gets discipline, it gets time management.
• It needs a lot of money. Our training is equipment oriented. You need safety boats, safety lifeguards. This is a new kind of game, which is more of a new opportunity.

3.) Mr. Ben John Gittus - Senior Programme Manager, UK Sector Skill Council on Sports :

• We need to find out how many organizations, level of degree courses exist in India. Sports needs to be recognized as a subject in schools, in higher education, sports medicine.
• Next thing is job creation, job development around athletes. There are many other jobs than coaching which can be developed around athletes. If you create a sector you also create conditions for the growth of sports.

Session 4 - Making Sports a State Asset :
Moderator - Mr. Siddhanth Aney, Senior Correspondent, Sports Illustrated India :
(Key Remarks) -

1.) Mr. Hakimuddin Habibulla, Founder, Winning Matters -

• We recognize that each state plays a key role. Each state needs to be seen like a nation. We have 35 states and Union Territories and if each of them could give us 1 Olympic medal, we would be among the top 3 countries of medal tally by 2020 Olympic Games.
• Sport is a state subject in India. World class sporting structure could help create revenue. So, size of a state doesn't matter. Ex - Manipur is number 1 in National Games including all sports. So, we have to see how states can use assets, lands.

2.) Mr. H S Kingra, IFS, Chairman & MD : -

• States are divided into 2 components, sports for masses and sports for excellence. Don't have any problem with Chief Ministers being head of sports, bu they should not put their own vested interests forth. Infrastructure should be in vicinity of states.
• There is a village where there is a FIH approved hockey ground, but no one is willing to play. Let us tell the political master, nobody should underestimate the power of states. Sports is a state subject and will remain.

3.) Mr. G P Singh, IPS Director Sports, Chhattisgarh : -

• Whatever budget is given to you, you have to use it in the right way. Most of the time when we start building infrastructure we spend money on unncessary elements. Money spent on ground is zero. This is due to technical incompetence.
• Make a climate, where we recognize the importance of sports. In Chhattisgarh, three things can be seen.- Training, Infrastructure and Creating Sports Eco-System. Infrastructure wise we are very weak and talent wise we have tribal belt.
• Sports do not mean galleries. It means right grounds. We have 1 course on infrastructure front. We are focusing on low-cost budgeting. The construction agency sent me a budget of 40 crores and the financial committee cut it down to 10.5 crores.

4.) Dr. Amit Mallick, CEO & Secretary, National Games Secretariat, Kerala : -

• All the places where sporting infrastructure construction takes place, we make sure that management persons come in. So, management is very important in construction.