Blogging Matters!!! : Why Trade Fairs ?

Day 76.

image; http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3458/3310815629_064f134b07.jpg

Tonight's blog has its roots in the lecture that we had Mr.Tarun Diwan from Sports Goods Manufacturing Council, the Ministry of Commerce. This was the class when we touched upon the topic of Marketing Through International Trade Fair among various other topics as well. However, the recently held Trade Fair in New Delhi gave me the idea to bring this topic up for discussion.

Well, many of us must have visited the IITF held at Pragati Maidan or other trade fairs in other places. But, have we ever pondered over the fact that why are these trade fairs held? Why do people from all over the country and in some cases (like IITF) come from all over the world to showcase their products for about a week or so?

Why Trade Fairs? Well, I can write a lot on that but the following points should make things easy.

• Concentration of buyers and sellers.
• Meeting face to face.
• Audience open to receive information.
• Presentation and inspection of products.
• Immediate feedback and adaptation of communication.
• Reaching prospects which are otherwise difficult to reach.
• Viewing competition, its products and marketing techniques.

This was just a starter, there are a few more blogs that I will write in the coming days and will also deliberate over other things which I learnt from this lecture. So, read the blog and post your comments. Goodbye.

Blogging Matters!!! : What's In A Media Right? [Part 2]

Day 75.

image; http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4073/4898642188_367d6b2a47.jpg
Yesterday, in part one we talked about sponsorship deals and media rights and the difference betwixt the two. And, like I said yesterday, we'll be going further in our understanding of the concept of media rights. So, without further ado, let's get the things rollin' now, shall we?

• What is a Right? Yes, I should have asked this question yesterday, but still its not too late to bring up this question now, or is it? So, what exactly do we mean by rights. Well, if you look up at Oxford Dictionary (online btw) it says that right is a moral or legal entitlement to have or do something. In general, rights mean that you can or cannot do something. There ain't no interference of anyone else in it.
• There are many facets subsumed in Media like print, television, Internet, radio, etc. How is income earned from media? The answer is the very reason that people buy this right and sell it. And, there is a market where this happens. Similarly, Indian Premier League (IPL) is a market.
• Facet of media, Internet, if anyone can earn from it it is a source. Today, Internet websites offer you to watch live cricket matches. In a plethora of pages, the ones that have a higher view count than others find advertisers investing their money. Over the past few years a new strategy for advertising has emerged, now you can see ads coming during the live match, as pop ups or in a window below or side. So, advertisers are leaving no stone unturned.
• Now, coming back to the example of BCCI that I gave yesterday, there are sellers also of different types. You buy the rights from the seller, whcih in this case is the BCCI. If a match is going on it belongs to BCCI. Now, if the BCCI sells broadcasting rights, then the ad pop up that you'll see during the match, won't have any control over it by the BCCI. That's how sellers are of various kinds. Even Doordarshan is for a fixed time allowed to show a match, beyond that they have to pay.

Blogging Matters!!! : What's In A Media Right? [Part 1]

Day 74.

image; http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4073/4898642188_367d6b2a47.jpg

In this two part series I'll be deliberating over the subject of media rights and sponsorship deals by taking the example of Indian Premier League or IPL. This is also the same topic on which we had a class with Arjun Sir. Thought it was a good time to bring it up.

• Alright, before I move on to media rights let's discuss in brief, what exactly is a sponsorship deal? First let's try and understand the meaning of the word sponsor. According to the Oxford Dictionary a sponsor is a person or organization that pays for or contributes to the costs involved in staging or artistic event in return for advertising. Deal made with such person or organization is called sponsorship deal.
• There are various types of media; print, television, radio, etc. When they latch on a right and sell it to other broadcasters, there is a direct serving of money. Wealth is the economic value from any asset. At Industrial Revolution, the value of telecom spectrum was zero. The technology was simply not there. With the coming of telegraph, telephone, value grew.
• So, sporting assets also have a similar value. The market understands and puts a value. The whole concept of media rights being auctioned did not exist before. There was a competitive bidding which was the highlight of IPL. So, new types of assets were created which are marketable.
• Right now our Sports Federations, Ministries are generating from sports. The Board of Control for Cricket in India has so much money, while other federations have not identified the assets. The sponsorship value of Indian Hockey team is subjacent to Cricket. Sport is such an asset which you have to unlock and to unlock it, you need skills. If a person wants to do, be something in this industry, he/she has to discover knowledge.

This is the end of part one. Check BM!!! tomorrow for part two in which we'll delve further into the this subject and understand how revenue is generated by our sports federations, particularly the BCCI through these media rights. Till then goodbye and thanks for reading.

Thought Of The Day : - ''Virtue never dies''.

Blogging Matters!!! : My 5ive - The Agencies Of Sports

Day 73. 


Hello and welcome to another special edition of BM's!!! - My5ive. And, tonight we'll taking a look at some of the most efficacious Sports Agencies in the ever expanding terra of sports and commerce. So, without further ado, let's get the list rolling now, shall we?

1.) International Management Group : -

The global sports and media business company, International Management Group or IMG is among the most popular sport agency groups. IMG was founded by entrepreneur MarkMcCormack, in the city of New York. Initially the specialization of this agency was in the sport of Golf and Tennis. IMG is also commercially involved in an average of 11 major sports around the world every day.

2.) Octagon Worldwide : -


Octagon is a Virginia (USA) based company and is the global sports and entertainment content marketing unit of Interpublic Group of Companies. There are two divisions that make up Octagon; Athletes and Personalities and Marketing. Current clients of Octagon include prominent athletes like Michael Phelps, Justin Tuck, with several clients from NBA, NFL, etc.



 3.) Wasserman Media Group : -

Wasserman is a sports marketing and entertainment company with global expertise in Athlete Management, Consulting, Media Rights, Partnership and Business Development, And Action Sports. With its headquarters in Los Angeles, Wasserman became one of the leading football management agencies in the UK after purchasing SFX Sports in 2006. WMG represents hundreds of athletes from baseball, basketball, soccer, etc.






4.) Sports Management Worldwide : -

SMWW is a sports agency founded in 2002 by Dr. Lynn Lashbrook with its headquarters in Portland, USA. It also offers online sports career training courses. SMWW course graduates co-represent professional athletes from Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles (professional American football teams).

5.) Creative Artists Agency : -

 CAA is a prominent entertainment and sports agency headquartered in Los Angeles. CAA represents A-list and emerging stars in movies, television, music and sports and is often cited as the world's leading talent agency. Athletes such as Sidney Crosby, LeBron James, David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo among others have joined Creative Artists Agency.
ref; wikipedia
images : google images

Blogging Matters!!! : Province of Sports Management

Day 72.

This is the last blog with my crusade in trying to deliberate over the subject of sports management. And, tonight I'll be looking at some functions of Sports Management. In the anterior blogs I gave to you, the devoir of sports manager but tonight's blog will revolve around the devoir of the whole management of sports.
 So, without further ado, let's get things rolling now, shall we?

Planning -
---  Yesterday, I talked of the resources of sports manager. Now, the question here that arises is that what are your objectives you want to rack up? You have to plan your resources. So, Planning is the first in line.
Objectives -
--- Once you have a stratagem, you have to commence putting that scheme in a framework. So, you have to set the Objectives.
Leading -
--- You should fraternize physically with a sporting event . You have to associate people and yourself. You can wear an event's gear. So, Leading comes as the third vital function.
Controlling -
--- No compartment of the entire game should go without Controlling, which is the last in this list of functions. People should not be left unanswered. Volunteers were trained for CWG '10 who were ready to help, provide information, not only to Indians but also foreigners.

Alright then, this is the end of my series on understanding management of sports. Hope you readers liked it. Please give your feedback by commenting below. Thanks for reading.

Blogging Matters!!! : Devoir of a Sports Manager (Part 2)

Day 71.

Yesterday I talked about the allocation of resources and efficient and effective utilization of resources as the primary devoir of a Sports Manager. Well, tonight we'll have a look at some of the resources of Sports Manager and what kind of skills does he need in order to perform his duty.

Resources -
 --- The first kind of resource is Human Resource. Sports manager is to select the best persons available in the market. He has to organize people from outside the system also.
--- After Human Resources come Financial Resources. One of sports manager's task is also to organize finance. In sports management, you have to see that adequate financial resources are ensured.
--- Next in line are the Physical Resources. If a an event you are managing is a multi-game event, then what kind of venues you are going to use? What kind of other physical resources you need, like media rooms, Internet facilities, etc?
--- Finally, we have Informative Resources. Formula One was held in India, a few weeks ago and everyone knew about it, whether they watched it or not is a different thing. However, many people knew of a Kabaddi Cup which took place just days after that. People, should be able to get information about the teams, timings, etc.

Skills -
--- Unless people are technically trained, they cannot perform effectively. So, they should have Technical Skills. You should have adequate knowledge of accounting, technicalities of a game, etc.
--- Suppose you are technically good, but lack flexibility, then you cannot be a good sports manager. So, you should have People Skills.
--- Sport manager should be able to communicate with others and for that he should have Communication Skills.
--- After communication, comes the task of convincing others. You should be able to convince the Board of Directors and this convincing needs Conceptual Skills.
---  And, lastly you have Decision Making Skills. After all the above skills if you aren't able to make a decision, then your whole project is a flop.

Blogging Matters!!! : Devoir of a Sports Manager (PART 1)

Day 70.

image; http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5094/5595372492_aab111f72e.jpg

The other day I discussed with you fellow bloggers, the fundamentals of Sports Management and eventually came to the conclusion that in this multifarious filed, various areas such as Sports Directors, Professional Teams, Fitness Centres, etc. encompass. Tonight is like taking a step forth in this subject, as we'll be briefly looking at the devoirs of a Sports Manager.

• But, first let's get the hang of the word Sports Manager. In layman's term we can define Sports Manager as a person who manages sports. Is that it? Is it so simple? The answer is definitely ambiguous. There is a definite need to go deeper in this definition and bring out the real meaning of Sports Manager.
• The primary responsibility of Sports Manager is to ensure efficient and effective management of resources. Economics tells us that human resources are limited and needs are many. We have to use our labor in such a way, that we get maximum from resources. This is efficient management of resources.
• Our end objective is social welfare. That is, we want to maximize social welfare. For that we have to maximize Total Utility - a measure of the total welfare of an individual. This is only meaningful on the assumption that utility is cardinal, that is, measurable. (Oxford Dictionary of Economics). Total Utility is assumed to be a function of quantities of goods and services consumed and the quantities of various forms of work done.
• So, Sports Manager has to allocate resources in such a way, that he gets the most of that while acting in accordance to the best standards of professionalism. The other question which comes up at this moment is what are the resources that we are talking of ? What are the resources of a Sports Manager?, and what kind of skills must he/she possess in order to perform those responsibilities?

I'll be back tomorrow with answers to the above mentioned questions. As these are the very questions which will guide us to interpret and comprehend the real devoirs of a Sports Manager. And, will also help us understand more about the whole concept of Sports Management. Till then goodbye and thanks for reading.

Blogging Matters!!! : Glory Comes Home

Day 69.

Thursday, November 17, 2011 saw the doughty hockey team of S.G.T.B. Khalsa College steamroll another bona fide side which belonged to Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) and yours truly was there watching the events unfold and what transpired was nothing short of an amazing moment which grasped every atom in the air and extracted the fun element out of it.
The Competition -

• The Inter- College Hockey Tournament, University of Delhi was held between 14 to 17 November, 2011, and the final match was played betwixt the above mentioned teams in our very own Sant Harchand Singh Longowal Sports Complex, which has the very best facilities for indoor sports, has a pavilion, a gymnasium and offices. Not to forget the outdoor Basketball and Volleyball courts. Well, I can write a whole blog on that but, I digress.
• This was match number 10 of the Hockey Tournament and Khalsa College's 6-3 victory over Motilal Nehru College, the other day made them the favorites for this final match against SRCC, who were a bit under pressure after their loss at the hands of Motilal Nehru College by 5-2.

First Half -

• Since the commencement of the match at around 12:20 pm,Team Khalsa showed the reason why they had enough firepower to cause an upset by keeping the ball in their possession with some brilliant passes. The boys in blue who represented Team Khalsa were led by jersey number 4, i.e. Piyush Upadhyay and the very essential task of Goal Keeping was performed by jersey number 16, i.e. Naveen Chillar.
• At 12:47 p.m.,Team Khalsa sent a wave of bliss among the crowd as they scored their first goal of the day and took a goal lead over the boys in red from SRCC. This further gave a boost to Team Khalsa and the midfield took the game by the scruff of the neck which helped team blue defeat team red by seven goals to nil. Soon after their first goal team Khalsa substituted jersey number 9 with number 18, 12:50 pm, to be more specific. As the half-time (which happened at 12:57 pm) drew nearer, Team Khalsa ensured that Team SRCC, go out with nothing in their hands.

Second Half -

• The second half unlike the first, was full of penalty corners. Team captain's motivational words, kept Team Khalsa going as they scored goals in quick succession since the commencement of second half. A splendid goal was done by Team Khalsa at 1:26 pm as they took their 5-0 lead to 6-0.
• Like I said before, it was all about penalties in this half and at 1:31 penalty chance was given to Team Khalsa but they couldn't capitalize. However, another penalty corner was converted into a goal at 1:33 allowing them to take a lead by 7 goals to nil. With the blowing of whistle at 1:34, the crowd and the players were overjoyed. The entire stadium was dancing to the beats of dhol and boys in blue didn't disappoint their home crowd and brought the crown with themselves.

In 1986-87, three of our hockey players Vimal, Harendra Singh and Satinder Sharma were chosen for the Combined Universities tour of the German Democratic Republic. Defender Harendra Singh became a senior international in 1989 and was a silver medalist in the 1990 Beijing Asian Games. Let's hope that these young players of today, make our college and our nation more proud and bring more glory by reaching the zeniths untouched.

The Doping Menace and Health of the Sports Persons

Human body is just like a machine whose functioning is oftenly interfered by various external and internal factors.In recent years, the menace of frequent drug consumption has assumed alarming proportions.Statistics from various medical centers reveal that number of cases of various addictions in all parts of the world is increasing rapidly.There is growing tendency in modern times of using drugs by the sports persons in the race to become human beings and to perform better on the field .The use of drugs in sports is against the true ideals of sportsmanship and the principles of Olympic movement, which is based on friendship,fraternity and international brotherhood.Sports is meant for good health, life style and fair competitions but the ugly head of drugs has changed its means and values drugs have been used to enhance sporting performance for more than 2000 years.There are many examples of deaths of sports persons due to drugs.These drugs start showing poor and bad effects.These bad effects are:loss of appetite, loss of sleep,reduction of fatigue,resulting in exhaustion, psychosis,crumbly,restlessness,agitation,tenseness,high blood pressure,addiction,dehydration muscle cramps,nausea,vomiting,constipation,promotion of growth tumors etc.It is concluded that doping is a menace which affects the health of sports persons very badly.Excellence in sports has to be achieved through strenuous training on modern scientific inputs,dedication and disciplined life.

Blogging Matters!!! : Managing Of Management

Day 68.

Management : the process of dealing with or controlling things or people. (Oxford Dictionary).

--- The concept of management is basically a challenge through which we whip into shape a specific event. Management can also be defined as the organization and coordination of the activities of an enterprise in accordance with certain policies and in achievement of clearly defined objectives. Corporate management has to manage corporate objectives so that it covers corporate goals. Similarly, in sports we try to apply all those instruments of management to the Industry of Sports.
---You take the example of Buddh International Circuit, where the first Indian Grand Prix was recently held. There were various aspects linked to it. First they purchase the land, organize the land, then they create infrastructure, roads, electricity. In the process they hire different agencies. And, these are very high-profile jobs.
--- Another example can be taken of Common Wealth Games (CWG) 2010, and we can also get the picture of different aspects of Sports Management at a lower level, say college level.
So,Sports Management can include the following groups/aspects : -

1. Sports Directors (College + Universities) ; who are in charge of the sports department and have the liberty to hire and fire the other members of his department.
2. Professional Teams ; there will be building suppliers, suppliers of sports goods, sporting equipments. Professional team has professional accountants. These various professional teams, they coordinate with individual teams to meet the requirements.
3. Fitness Centers ; need for place which houses exercise equipment for the purpose of physical exercise.
4. Recreational Centers ; recreational facilities for the audience means, offering them telecom facilities, health, refreshments, emergency services, etc.
5. Coaching (of the professional teams) ; you can take the example of D.U., Khalsa College. The University goes to Sports Authority of India (SAI), and gets coaches. In basketball events or hockey or swimming events, we have specialist coaches.
6. Marketing ; when we talk of management in sports, we talk of the application of axioms, science, etc in marketing.
7. Youth Organizations ; in CWG, majority of people who bought the tickets were below the age of 45 and there were about 13,000 volunteers and 400 students alone participated from our college.

--- Were CWG 2010 effectively or ineffectively managed, well, we can debate on it later, but at least they happened alright. And, in the CWG, all the above mentioned aspects were taken care of. So, Sports Management is a very diverse field which encompasses various sectors.  And, if we have to organize an event, we'll have to look at all those factors.

I'll end this blog right here. There are a few other blogs lined up encompassing this very topic which of course will be presented to y'all in the coming days. As of now, please do post your comments, suggestions, etc and thanks for reading.

Thought Of The Day : - ''Much silence and a good disposition; there are no two works better than those.''

Blogging Matters!!! : The Workshop Run-Down [Day 3]

Day 67.

This is the account of the third and the final day of workshop held at the University Of Rajasthan. Two sessions were held on this day i.e. 13th November, 2011. The first session was presided over by a gentleman who spoke about Time Management. So, let's start the run-down now, shall we?
Session I (Key Remarks) :

• Your teachers, seniors are where they are due to time management. This subject has a great relevance. We all know what time is, but giving a precise definition of time is very hard.
• Time is a unique resource. Question is not who has how much time, but how he utilizes that time. Shakespeare once wrote in his play, ''I wasted time, and now doth time waste me.''
• What is time management? It is doing right work at right time in the right manner. It is nothing but application of fundamentals of management in your life.
• What are your time wasters? We have to know and identify the symptoms of a problem. One way is to prepare a time log of 15 days. You would be surprised to know that you are involved in ''unnecessary'' activities.
• Someone has rightly said, '' Plan your work and work your plan.'' Decision making is very important in time management. People are miser while spending money and they don't realize that it can be made again, but wasted time cannot be made again.

Mr. Sanjeev Bhanawat (Professor & Head, Public Relations & Communications, R.U.)
Key Remarks -

• Time is invaluable and important. There is an importance even in a second and there is importance even in a year.
• If an athlete gets late by even a micro second, then that could cost him a medal in the Olympics.
• However, total perfection is impossible.

The second session was presided over by a lady who works as a Radio Jockey (RJ) in Rajasthan.
Session II (Key Remarks) :

• People say RJ is a new term. But, in reality it is an old term. Earlier it was called an announcer. Work is the same, but today its part of 'infotainment'.
• Requirements for an RJ :

--- You have to be open to yourself. To speak only with style is not a prerequisite. There should be a connection value.
--- As an RJ you have to remain always happy.
--- You should know what's going on in your city. You should know your culture, local events, talents,etc.
--- You should have a lore of movies, songs, etc.

To end the session a talk was given on qualities in a journalist and following are its key remarks :

• Observation and open-mindedness is important in mass communication and if you want to be a successful journalist.
• Why do you want to be a journalist? It can be for sustaining your family. Is it for the usefulness of society. You ask yourself the question, how are you useful to the society?
• A journalist must portray the following qualities;

--- Responsible and Responsive, Common sense, Authentic, Loyalty, Innovative and Sensitive.

Blogging Matters!!! : The Workshop Run-down [Day2]

Day 66.

This is Part 2 of Workshop Run-down attended in Rajasthan, organized by the Rajasthan University. Day 2 of the workshop consisted of a trip to Bhangarh near the city of Dausa and about 60 kms away from the Pink City (Jaipur) itself.
To say the trip was enthralling would be enough to wrap this report at this moment. But, that would be devilish on my part. So, I'll try and present y'all the account of Day 2 in a subjective fashion (which I normally don't do). Let's get the report rollin' now, shall we?
The Departure -
--- Our caravan that had students and teachers of both RU and DU left for Bhangarh at around 10:30 a.m. and boy, what a journey it was. Singing and dancing we reached our destination at noon.
Bhangarh -
--- Myths, Legends, Ruins and Ghosts are apt words to give a brief description of the Ancient Site; Bhangarh. The mere sight of this gargantuan edifice is totally mesmerizing.
--- Fort Walls, Gateways, Markets, Havelis, Temples, Royal Palace, Chhatris, Tomb,etc are some of the remains of this ancient township of Bhangarh.
--- Upon entering the premises, the temple of Gopinath can be seen on the right and the locals told me that the temple was 400 years old.
--- March ahead and you will come across 'Main Market', which is of course in ruins but once was a glorified bazaar. Now, I won't delve much into the history of everything as you can find it easily on a number of popular search engines. But, I would briefly let you know of what the locals had to say about the whole place with whom I interacted with.
--- Alright then, go ahead and take a left turn, march between dense trees, start smelling Kewra, and you find yourself betwixt Kewra trees whose plant is used to make perfume. Moreover, you can buy one of those plants for 20 rupees.
--- I used the words legends, myths and ghosts above. Well, for those of you who don't know, then the palace is notorious for the existence of ghosts/spirits inside it. Now, to have a reality check I first spoke to the gatekeeper who to my surprise affirmed the existence of ghosts inside the palace, on the other hand when I spoke to a few workers, they rejected the notion of any such thing and had been working over there fearlessly for 50 years.
--- Bhangarh is also infamous for the legend of Rani Ratnavati and a warlock whose story as narrated to me by a local was that upon being rejected by the Princess, the warlock by the name of Singhia cursed Rani as well as the entire place. When you climb up the mountain and go inside the palace, you would find a temple in the name of Rani Ratnavati.

Overall, like I said initially, the place is enthralling. Ghosts or no ghosts, you don't need to think twice before visiting this once majestic monument to now glorified ruins. Yet, looking closely and deeply, those ruins would lay before you the entire history of Bhangarh.
Hope y'all liked this report. Any suggestions, corrections, comments are most welcome.
Thanks For Reading.

Thought Of The Day : - ''The sum total of excellence is knowledge.''

Blogging Matters!!! : The Workshop Run-down [Day 1]

Day 65.

Welcome to another special edition of BM!!! where I'll report a workshop attended on Friday, November 11. This is the objective report of workshop on 'Enhancing Human Development Coverage : Skills for Reporting/Writing', organized by the Rajasthan University (rest details can be seen from the image above). The topic for the first day was Village Journalism. So, without further ado, let's get the report rollin' now, shall we?

Session 1 - Introduction (Moderator - Mr. Sanjeev Bhanawat - Professor & Head : Public Relations & Communications, University of Rajasthan)
Key Remarks Of The Session :

Mr. Kunjilal Meena (IAS) -

• Country's 70% population is in villages. If we write a report on a farmer or a similar person, then that would amplify the value of journalism.
• Request to all students. If you join a news agency, keep in view that you would write for rural areas. There is a dire need to do positive journalism.
• If media does a positive job then a lot can happen. The importance of media will not end. It is such a thing, that nothing can shake it.

Mr. Rajeshwar Dayal -

• It seems as though there is too much negativity in the country. Today's media is full of negativity. Last week there was G20 meeting. Among those 20 nations, 3 of them (France, Germany & India) were safe from recession. But, media doesn't tell that.
• Similarly, when President Obama came here, he signed a deal that 50,000 Indians would be given job. But, media only talks of corruption.

Ms. Nandini Sahai (Director, ICG - International Center Goa) -

• The population of Goa is about 14 lacs. This is all media hype that shows Goa as fancy,fun and beach loving place. There aren't many hospitals, buildings, schools, etc over there.
• This is where the job of journalist comes in. For all of you journalism should not be a profession, it has to be a mission. A newspaper isn't only a newspaper, it has ideology behind it. Now, money is the bottom line for everybody.
• We have lost the art of talking and interacting on one to one level. Journalists don't talk anymore. So, don't lose the human touch.

Mr. Manohar Prabhakar (Senior Journalist, Rajasthan) -

• Today, there are people who respect the values of journalism, while there are those who have made journalism a business.
• A lot of sensibility has come in the journalists, but we have to look for the medium from which it has entered.
• Thousands of workers come to Jaipur from small villages, but no one covers their numbers. No one covers their plight, etc.

Session 2 (Key Remarks) :

Ms. Nandini Sahai -

• Journalism should never be joined for money. There are 45,974 newspapers in India, including 5,354 daily newspapers in 100 languages. I would say that this is an overload of information. How many of them write about things that really concern?
• Media actually feels that you all are interested in knowing what Shahrukh Khan is doing in Goa or Fashion Week, but they don't talk of real issues in Goa. You should be questioning, you should be reading between the lines.
• There are ethics also in journalism. There are so many do's and dont's in journalism that are being flouted. Newspapers are calling each other names. For eg; In 26/11, you had dead bodies in bags. Some senior journalists actually opened those bags to get the face of dead victims. You are not supposed to get hysterical and report a situation.
• Media should not be a part of a problem but part of the solution. As a journalist you don't have to be sensational, you have to be sensitive. Papers are making a distinction between what is interesting and what the people are interested in. Media should have a conscience, but cannot take on the role of conscience activism.

Session 3 (Key Remarks) :

Mr. Anil Lodha (Senior Journalist, Rajasthan Patrika) -

• Ever since the arrival of electronic media, every person feels that he should have a mic in his hands, become a reporter. People who enter journalism for recognition aren't hard working people.
• Journalists receive greater recognition and respect in rural areas rather than urban areas.
• Write for good journalism . Write on the changes occurring in family, society, villages, etc.

Are Schools and Colleges Right Place for Talent Identification?

When participating in sport of any kind we have all known of at least one situation where our sporting coach or local sporting authority has had the daunting task of selecting a special team of talented individuals to compete in higher or advanced level of competition.The difficult part of selecting the advanced group is deciding which individual is suitable for the team and which individual doesn't.The great question is when and how do we fairly identify who will get into the selected team or training squad.

The biggest problem faced by our coaches and other local sporting bodies are what is the right time to identify talent and what should be the criteria for identifying talent.Answer to the above titled question is yes, because school forms the basis for the establishment of world class athletes.Achieving a high level of performance in sports is greatly depends upon two things,first thing is, the type of training program which an athlete has undergone and the second one is ability of the athletes to meet the demands of competition at international and national level.The process of identifying the most talented athlete is to involve them in an organized training program.Talent identification at the correct time helps coaches and the local sporting bodies to train athletes for that sport in which he or she is best suited and have necessary potential.

Sports Event Management

The application of the management practice of project management to the creation and development of sports.It usually consists of conceptualization, planning,budgeting, and execution of activities such as sports shows,exhibitions, conferences , sports events etc.Sports management is not very well known in India. Cricket being the dominant sport, event management usually centers around it.

It includes effective mapping out of the process for planning first class sports events,which is called "blue print" of the event.Taking a "blueprint" and turning it into an event will leave a lasting impression on the attendees.

Event planning includes site selection, agenda management, all event related print materials i.e. invitations, welcome packets etc.,promotional items, team building,rentals,theming,catering,entertainment,transportation,set-up/breakdown,staffing,media,post event reporting.The hosting of sporting events,be they large international events or smaller niche interest events, has huge and long lasting impacts on the local environment,economy and industry with an insight into the strategic management of sports events of all scales and nature.The framework offers a planning process that can be used to firstly understand the importance of a strategic approach,and secondly how to implement strategies that can achieve successful sports events over the short and long term.A no. of institutes in India and abroad are offering post graduate courses in sports management.Taking it as a career,one can earn a lot,but it involves back- breaking work.

Management of Inter-University Tournaments

To gain best results in inter university tournaments the proper management is the basic and most valuable aspect of conducting any inter-university tournament of the best level. Before conducting any such kind of tournament in which players from different places and background participate the concerned committee has to take care of the following aspects for the successful conducting and management of the tournament:

1. Journey
2. Accommodation
   
3. Food
4. Infrastructure
5. Awards/rewards
6. Clashing of tournaments and examination dates
7. Officiating

These all aspects raise the proper managerial skills and make the tournament a good and rich experience.

Blogging Matters!!! : 'My 5ive' - Amazing Allies [Part 2]

Day 64.

Welcome to part 2 of 'My 5ive', where we are discussing five names, five sports agents who with their awesome negotiating traits and tremendous wit have made millions for their clients, for the players colligated with them. Yesterday, I gave you five names, here's five more who cannot go unnamed.

5.) Don Meehan -

Donald E. Meehan is a hockey player agent for National Hockey League Player's Association (NHLPA). He is known for his unique style of workimg. Instead of approaching players that are already in the NHL (National Hockey League), he approached the families of young talents like PatLaFontaine, who later on made it to the 1983 NHL Entry Draft. He is also the president of Newport Sports Management and has over 100 clients such as Jarome Iginla.

4.) Mark Steinberg -

On the left side of the image, you have Golf's most decorated player, Tiger Woods, and along with him on right is his agent Mark Steinberg who has been representing golfers since 1992. As Wood's agent, Steinberg has negotiated endorsement deals worth ''hundreds of millions of dollars''. He is currently a Partner at Excel Sports Management, where he heads the professional golf division.

3.) Neil Fairbrother -

Man on the right is Andrew Flintoff, one of the most recognizable faces in the world of cricket. And, with him ringing the bell is his agent Neil Fairbrother. Fairbrother is a former English Cricketer who retired in 2002. He then became the Director of Cricket at International Sports Management, a sports agency that represents several leading English test cricketers. Apart from Flintoff, his other clients are Marcus Trescothick, Steve Harmison and Graham Onions.

2.) Scott Boras -

Sitting with his client Alex Rodriguez is his agent Scott Boras, who over a span of 28 years as an agent has represented hundreds of players on all 30 major league Baseball teams and has participated in a number of high-profile negotiations. He is also the President of the Boras Corporation, a sports agency that represents roughly 175 professional baseball clients. Only this year his firm negotiated nearly $444.5 million in contracts, over $120 milion more than any other firm.

1.) Aaron Godwin -

Even in the image he can be seen negotiating. Well, that's Aaron Goodwin for you, a sports agent for players in the NBA (National Basketball Association) and also represents Women's National Baketball Association. He was the intial agent for Baketball player LeBron James and negotiated deals which paid James over $135 million, including a $90 million deal with Nike. In the year 2004, he was ranked eighth on Sports Illustrated's list of Most Influential Minorities in Sports.

Blogging Matters!!! : 'My 5ive' - Amazing Allies [Part 1]

Day 63.

In my anterior blogs, I explained to y'all what sports agent is, and how he takes care of the business. An agent has to be a good salesman also. Well, tonight we'll be looking at 5 stupendous sports agents, who due to there amazing negotiation techniques and wittiness are able to prove a boon for their clients.
So, without further ado, let's get tonight's list rollin' -

5) Tom Condon -

The man standing in the center is Thomas Joseph Condon, an American Football Agent. Sporting News in the year 2006, named him the most powerful agent in NFL (National Football League). In 1991, he joined IMG (International Management Group), a global sports and media business headquartered in New York and has been the one of the most successful agent in Football history. Among his clients are Tony Romo, Peyton Manning and LaDanian Tomlinson, who are cogitated as MVP's (Most Valuable Players) of the game.

4.) Matt Sosnick -

Man on the left side of the image above, is Matt Sosnick, a San-Francisco based sports agent in the game of Baseball. Among his achievements apart from handling players like MLB (Major League Baseball) star Dontrelle Willis and Marlins Pitchers Josh Johnson, are that he was named by Forbes' Magazine, the most influential young people in Baseball in the year 2008. Also, he was the subject of a book called 'License to Deal' by Jerry Crasnick.

3.) Arn Tellem -

Arn H. Tellem is a great example of a man representing two sports. Yes, he is a sports agent who has represented players from both Baseball and Basketball. Sports Business Journal, in 2006 named him the Most Influential Agent in sports. As the principal of WMG, a part of Wasserman Media Group, a global sport and entertainment agency headquartered in Los Angeles, Tellem oversees the agency's athlete representation. In Basketbal, he has added up to more than $210 million as his client's salaries which include players like - Tracy McGrady and Jermaine O'Neal. While in Baseball, Tellem is best known for his negotiation for client Chase Utley's 7-year $85 million arbitration contract.

2.) Jorge Mendes -

You all must be familiar with Portuguese soccer prodigy Cristiano Ronaldo (on right), well then acquaint yourself with Jorge Paulo Agostinho Mendes (on left). Mendes is a Portuguese football agent and heads the GestiFute company, which provides agent services for footballers. When in 2009, Ronaldo was transferred from Manchester United to Real Madrid, it was reported that Mendes made £4 million from Ronaldo's £80 million. Mendes is amongst the most influential football agents in the world and has even had Chelsea Football Club's coach Jose Mourinho as his client.

1.) Leigh Steinberg -

How can we forget an agent who was an inspiration for fictional sports agent Jerry Maguire in the film of the same name, with Tom Cruise playing the role of that agent? This certainly pushes Mr. Steinberg to the number 1 position in tonight's list. But here's more about him. During his 35-year career, Steinberg has representated more than a hundred professional players in football, baseball, basketball, golf, boxing, volleyball and Olympic Sports. Among his clients are NFL star, Steve Bartkowski, Basketball star John Starks, and various others. His clients have donated over $600 million in charities and scholarships.

Blogging Matters!!! : An Agent's Devoir [Part 2]

Day 62.

Like I said yesterday, that in part 2 I'll be taking up a few other exigent roles that a Sports Agent has to play and I also hinted at taking up the Indian scenario as well. So, let's start part 2 of 'An Agent's Devoir' -

--- Sports Agents are used to broker and negotiate contracts for their clients which also include endorsement contracts. Apart from this task for which they receive some percent ( I mentioned yesterday), they are also responsible for making recommendations in regards to player's options.

--- Coming to the Indian scenario, let's take the example of Cricket. Most of the Indian players are either from a low or middle class background. M.S.Dhoni, captain of Indian team. He has been made rich not only because of his batting or wicket-keeping, but his agent has made him rich. Today, he is endorsing products ranging from a ceiling fan to branded shoes. All the endorsements that Dhoni is doing, the money is not directly going to him, it's going to the agent.

--- So, managing a player is now a big industry. An agent needs to be canny, he needs to have foresight as all of this is a gamble. One might wonder how this is a gamble. Ten years ago Dhoni or Yuvraj didn't know what they will become today. No sponsor, no commodity, no company goes directly to the player.

--- Apart from locating income sources, agents often handle public relations matters for their players.The biggest job of agent is Celebrity Management. What does he manage? :

a.) Endorsements - [Advertisements],

b.) Scheduling - [Appointments],

c.) Account Management - eg, if a player has made 10 crores a year, then how much tax will he have to pay.

--- Multitasking is another cardinal element that an agent must possess. Sometimes an agent has to do negotiations on behalf of more than one client at one time. The number of players that an agent or his agency can handle in total are interdependent variables. Damage Control is also the job of sports agent. Damage Control is to protect the goodwill of the corporate, protect the interest of corporate, sponsor.

This is the end of this 2 part series on an agent's duty or responsibility. It is a very demanding field indeed as you have to be highly motivated, willing to work for long hours, and most importantly like I said above, the ability to multitask. So, write your comments on what other devoir are there which I've missed out. Till then goodbye and thanks for reading.

Thought Of The Day : - ''Do not betray the one who betrays you.''

Blogging Matters!!! : An Agent's Devoir [Part 1]

Day 61.

As you can see from the image above that a sportsman is standing along with another man who looks like some kind of apprentice to him. In the terra of sports this apprentice is known as an agent, a Sports Agent.
Let's look at some of the quintessential roles that a sports agent plays -

--- Before we move any forth, let's look at the definition of sports agent.-
''The compassing and hammering out a deal for employment and endorsement contracts for a athlete is done by a person known as sports agent.''
 Sports Agent cuts out a deal for athletes, however the term used for them is sport agent and not an athlete agent. This shows that the agent is not only an agent for a particular athlete but for his sport as well, thereby being a cardinal component of the industry of sports.
--- Agent gives players some money and buys players' rights. On the basis of virtues that an athlete possesses, his Brand Value is calculated. Let's take the example of boxer Vijender Singh. Among his qualities apart from boxing well, is that he has good looks, is smart, can speak well, etc. He is a boxer and to fight he needs vest,shorts,shoes,etc. His agent can cut out a deal for him through which he'll have to show Company Logos.
--- The sports agent receives betwixt 4 and 10 % of the athlete's playing contract and about 10 to 20 % of athlete's endorsement contract. Some examples of agents striking a hefty deal for their players include -
a.) Aaron Goodwin - He represents players in NBA (National Basketball Association) and is known for getting LeBron James a deal with Nike of $90 million.
b.) Tatiana Ovechkina - Agent to her own son, Alexander, Ovechkina brokered a 13 year contract worth $124 million.
--- To promote the career of an athlete, his agent aides in marketing that athlete or the products linked with the player. Communications with team owners, managers, coaches, and other individuals are also a part of a sports agent's province, who are lawyers or have a background in contract law, due to the length and complexity of their contracts.

Alright then. This is the end of part one. There are a lot of other devoirs that a sports agent has to carry out, which I shall be writing in part two of this series. I'll also take the example of the scenario of sports agents in India, and a lot more is coming up, so wait until then.
Thanks For Reading.

Thought Of The Day : - ''A bad attitude spoils a good deed just as vinegar spoils honey.''

Culprits given the rewards

A London court has handed out jail terms to the three players and their agent found guilty in the spot-fixing case drawing the curtains on one of cricket's most sordid and shameful sagas.Salman Butt has been sentenced to two and a half years jail, Mohammad Asif has got a one-year jail sentence and his fellow fast bowler Mohammad Amir six months. Mazhar Majeed, the players' agent, has been sentenced to two years and eight months.
They will serve half the time in custody and then be released on license , with conditions which, if broken, would see them back in detention for the remainder of their term.
The four men had been charged with conspiracy to accept corrupt payments, and conspiracy to cheat in regard to the Lord's Test against England in August 2010, when the three pre-determined no-balls were bowled - two by Amir and one by Asif, orchestrated by Butt and arranged by Majeed. While Amir and Majeed had pleaded guilty before the trial began, Butt and Asif denied the charges and were found guilty by a jury on Tuesday.