Live India, Love Football

One of my favorite quotes is, “There is no such thing as original thought, there is only original action.”  I have expressed this statement several times over the past two decades and still do not have any idea who originally said this. Even after multiple online searches, the closest thing I could find was this quote from Mark Twain,  “There is no such thing as a new idea. It is impossible. We simply take a lot of old ideas and put them into a sort of mental kaleidoscope. We give them a turn and they make new and curious combinations. We keep on turning and making new combinations indefinitely; but they are the same old pieces of colored glass that have been in use through all the ages.”  While I subscribe to Mr. Twain’s sentiment, I also understand that it differs from the quote mentioned at the top.   It is only now, while writing this piece, that I have become aware of the irony of this situation: I am struggling to find the original owner of a quote that co...

I fondly remember my maiden trip to India back in 2006. I arrived in Delhi from New York City and spent three weeks backpacking – partly alone and partly with my best friend Phil, who joined me from Sydney halfway through my ‘holiday.’ I ventured through Delhi, Baroda, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Mt. Abu, Udaipur, Jaisalmer and Jaipur on that trip. For most of it, I was a grimy backpacker dressed in torn jeans, faded t-shirts and worn-out Converse All-Star sneakers. We travelled by train, bus, taxi, scooter, auto, bike rickshaw and foot, walking alongside the wall to avoid getting hit by the several vehicles and animals zooming through the crowded lanes. It was exhilarating, nerve-racking and scary all at once. I loved every second of the experience as travelling through India made me feel alive – it pushed me well beyond my fairly wide comfort zone.     During that three-week adventure, I scheduled meetings with representatives of the Indian sports industry so that I could learn ...

Thought I would share a few thoughts around purpose for those looking to work within the sports industry.  As you embark on a career in sports management, you may be drawn to the excitement, glamour, and prestige of working in the sports industry. However, to truly succeed and find fulfilment in this field, it is essential to understand your purpose and values. Your purpose is your reason for being, your unique contribution to the world. It is what drives you, motivates you, and inspires you to make a difference. Without a clear sense of purpose, you may feel lost, unfulfilled, or directionless in your career. In sports management, your purpose can take many forms. You may be driven by a passion for sports and a desire to promote sportsmanship, fair play, and healthy competition. You may be inspired by a vision of using sports as a tool for social change, community development, or global diplomacy. You may be motivated by a desire to help athletes achieve their full potential on an...

Several years ago, in 2014, I attended my first-ever Literature festival (‘Lit Fest’). It was the renowned Jaipur Literature Festival, and it was overwhelming and exhilarating. Thousands of people spread out across a massive garden venue, imbibing knowledge, networking, flirting, drinking, eating or furiously running to catch a session before it ends. It felt a bit like Lollapalooza for cool nerds.  After two days of attending countless talks, I was hooked. I was exhausted. I was inspired.   On the long drive back to my home in Delhi from Jaipur, I imagined what it would be like to be one of the festival speakers. To get flown into Jaipur by the festival organisers. To chill in the speakers' lounge drinking white wine and discussing all things life with some of the brightest minds and talented writers in the country and abroad. To sit on stage and speak about my book, my life, my passions in front of hundreds of people in attendance. To see queues of people lining up to b...

Time flies. It feels like just yesterday Gaurav Modwel and I were standing in the lobby of the St. Regis Hotel in Mumbai, talking about how sports management education in the country needs a drastic improvement. That was February 2017. It is now November 2022, and we have not only successfully established India’s first industry-designed sports management education institute, but we also recently kicked off our fifth year of the program. Global industry stakeholders have applauded GISB for its innovation in education, and the institute has helped over one hundred individuals create careers within the sports industry, among other accolades.     I am so grateful that I chose to act on that conversation in 2017 versus letting it be another interesting discussion that dies upon the goodbye. My work on and association with GISB has transformed my life. It has given my sense of purpose, decades of industry experience and expansive network a place to live and play. It has connect...

I will speak much more on this in a future post, but for now, I am thrilled to share that I have written a book on football in India, and Om Books International has published it! The book, Awakening the Blue Tigers , is available on Amazon and in bookstores across India.   It was a year-long journey to develop the concept, structure the content, secure the publishing contract, conduct research, write the book and go through the editing process. Thankfully, my co-author Gaurav Gala and I successfully made it through the entire experience, while becoming stronger writers and better friends along the way.     It is a proud moment in my life as I have always dreamed about writing a book, and now this dream has manifested into a reality.  I am sharing an image of the cover and back of the book. 

I am blessed. It is truly a privilege to have the opportunity to work in a field that is an extension of my core self. That is exactly what sports management education is for me. An extension of who I am and how I want to contribute to the world.  Creating programs, platforms and partnerships that allow people to reflect upon themselves and connect with their professional aspirations makes waking up each morning exciting and worthwhile.  It makes me feel that I am living my purpose and doing my small part to add value to people’s lives.  The wild part about this is how much fun one can have while living their purpose. I experienced this a few weeks back when I was with my GISB students in London for the annual GISB-Premier League study trip to the United Kingdom. Thanks to GISB’s long-standing partnership with the Premier League, our students (and administrators) get the extraordinary opportunity to spend a week in London learning how the Premier League and Premier League...