Adtech regulation a priority for Modi govt in third term: MoS Rajeev Chandrasekhar

Credibility of news and platforms are as important as monetisation challenges: Anurag Thakur

HUL: Meet the leaders who have emerged from "The CEO Factory"

Punit Goenka addresses Zee employees; ensures no layoffs due to failed merger

Disney's strategic sale to Viacom18 set to boost market share to 40 percent

The Leader's Edge: Storyboard18 in conversation with leaders, decision makers and disruptors

Nobody’s Perfect Retro Porsche Ad

In Conversation With Raja Rajamannar, Mastercard

Shahid Kapoor And Varun Ganjoo Speaks On PokerBaazi's Campaign

In conversation with IHCL’s Puneet Chhatwal & GroupM’s Kate Scott-Dawkins

Why are brands including e-sports in their sports marketing itinerary?

Storyboard18 x The English Nut: How to pronounce these 10 brand names

Experts' Take On Reinvention Of Ad Campaigns Through Technology

Experts Speak On Key Emerging Trends In Cannes Lions Entries

Leaders of the future have to be outstanding human beings: Nestle MD

In conversation with VMLY&R’s Hari Ramanathan

In a feat that surprises few, Virat Kolhi, former Indian cricket captain and one of the nation's sporting icons, has emerged as the highest taxpayer among Indian sportspersons. According to a recent Fortune India report, Kohli paid Rs 66 crore in taxes for the financial year 2023-24, securing his position at the top. 

Despite stepping down from captaincy roles, both in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the national team, Kohli continues to command significant earnings from his playing contracts, endorsements, and business ventures. His tax contributions place him ahead of fellow cricket legends like Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who paid Rs 38 crore, securing the seventh spot overall among Indian celebrities. Dhoni, now 43, retired from international cricket in 2020 but remains a highly sought-after figure in the endorsement world.

In the broader list of taxpaying celebrities, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan tops the rankings with Rs 92 crore, followed by Tamil actor Vijay Setupathi with Rs 80 crore. 

Kohli's Rs 66 crore contribution places him in fifth overall, a testament to his financial influence beyond the cricket field.

Endorsements also play a significant role in Kohli's wealth accumulation. He partners with major global brands, and his strong presence on social media further boosts his earnings, making him one of the highest-paid Indian celebrities on platforms like Instagram.

Additionally, Kohli has diversified his portfolio by investing in business ventures, including co-founding the fitness brand One8.

The Fortune India list also features cricketing legend, Sachin Tendulkar at number nine on the list with Rs 28 crore, sharing the spot with actor Hrithik Roshan. Former captain Sourav Ganguly, another cricketing stalwart, paid Rs 23 crore in the previous financial year.

Check the full list of highest taxpaying celebrities
- Shah Rukh Khan: Rs 92 crore
- Vijay Setupathi: Rs 80 crore
- Salman Khan: Rs 75 crore
- Amitabh Bachchan: Rs 71 crore
- Virat Kolhi: Rs 66 crore
- Ajay Devgn: Rs 42 crore
- Mahendra Singh Dhoni: Rs 38 crore
- Ranbir Kapoor: Rs 36 crore
- Sachin Tendulkar: Rs 28 crore
- Hrithik Roshan: Rs 28 crore
- Kapil Sharma: Rs 26 crore
- Sourav Ganguly: Rs 23 crore

Virat Kohli leads as top taxpayer among Indian sportspersons

In today's hyper-connected world, brands are increasingly quick to jump on the bandwagon of congratulating influencers and athletes during their moments of success. Whether it's through social media shoutouts or full-blown advertising campaigns, these congratulatory messages often blur the lines between genuine appreciation and opportunistic marketing. While the practice might seem harmless on the surface, it raises significant ethical and legal questions that brands must carefully consider.

The Ethical Dilemma: Opportunism vs. Genuine Support

There lies a key ethical question: Are these congratulatory messages truly about celebrating the individual's achievements, or are they thinly veiled attempts to capitalize on their success? Consumers today are more discerning than ever, and many see through these gestures as mere opportunistic marketing. Brands that have not historically supported a particular athlete or influencer may face backlash for attempting to associate themselves with their success only after they've achieved it.

This raises concerns about the authenticity of the brand's messaging. If a brand did not stand by the influencer or athlete during their journey, is it ethical to suddenly align themselves with their success? The answer is often no. Such actions can be perceived as disingenuous, and consumers are increasingly likely to call out brands for this kind of behavior. Ethical marketing should be about building long-term relationships and demonstrating consistent support, not just showing up when there's a spotlight to share.

Legal Considerations: Navigating the Grey Areas

Legally, the situation is somewhat murky. At first glance, congratulating someone might seem like a harmless act. However, the moment a brand leverages an athlete or influencer's success for monetary gain, the waters become murkier. For instance, using the name or likeness of an athlete in an advertisement without their consent could potentially lead to legal complications, especially if the brand is perceived as benefiting commercially from the association.

This is particularly relevant in the world of sports, where strict regulations govern how brands can use athletes' names and images. Events like the FIFA World Cup or the IPL have stringent guidelines that even official sponsors must adhere to. Brands that are not officially associated with these events or the athletes involved could face legal repercussions if they attempt to leverage these moments for their marketing campaigns.

The legal landscape is complex and varies depending on jurisdiction, but one thing is clear: brands must tread carefully. Any monetary gain achieved through such advertising without proper agreements in place could lead to potential legal challenges. Beyond the legal risks, there is also the very real possibility of reputational damage if consumers perceive the brand's actions as exploitative.

The Role of Influencers and Athletes: A Double-Edged Sword

For athletes and influencers, these moments of success represent significant opportunities. Their market value often skyrockets in the aftermath of a major win or a viral moment, making them highly sought after by brands. However, this also raises questions about the sustainability of their fame and the long-term benefits they can provide to brands.

While some athletes and influencers manage to maintain their relevance over time, many have a limited window to capitalize on their fame. This creates a situation where brands must weigh the potential short-term gains against the long-term sustainability of their association with these individuals. For larger brands with substantial marketing budgets, the high costs of partnering with successful athletes and influencers may be justified. However, for smaller brands, the return on investment may not be as clear-cut.

Moreover, athletes and influencers often carry a level of credibility and authenticity that can enhance a brand's image, particularly in categories like health and fitness. But as with any celebrity endorsement, there is always the risk that the individual's star may fade, leaving the brand with a partnership that no longer holds the same value.

A Call for Ethical Marketing

In a nutshell, while congratulating influencers and athletes might seem like a simple and effective marketing strategy, it comes with significant ethical and legal implications. Brands must carefully consider their motivations and the potential backlash from consumers who are increasingly savvy and skeptical of opportunistic marketing tactics. Ethical marketing is about building genuine, long-term relationships, not just capitalizing on fleeting moments of success. Brands that navigate this landscape with authenticity and transparency will be better positioned to maintain consumer trust and avoid legal pitfalls.

Vaibhav Gupta, Co-Founder and CPO, KlugKlug, a research-driven science influencer marketing (KOL) platform.

Ethical and Legal Implications of Brands Congratulating Influencers and Athletes

Illegal betting and gambling apps operating in India are now live streaming major sports events on their websites and apps. Some notorious betting apps, such as 1xbet, Reddy Anna, Khelo Yar, 96win, and Sat Sport, among others, allow users to watch live sports content while placing bets on their platforms. It's worth noting that multiple betting operators are offering the option to place bets on the ongoing Paris Olympics events.

Illegal betting and gambling apps divert viewers away from legitimate content platforms affecting their subscription models and advertising revenue. Recently, Disney Star India successfully dismantled a network of illegal streaming websites airing ICC T20 World Cup matches. The media conglomerate’s anti-piracy efforts led to the shutdown of platforms like magicwin.games and magicwin.com. The suspects were identified, and one of the accused was arrested in Ahmedabad. He was found receiving match feeds from a cable operator in Pakistan.

Explaining the notorious ways illegal betting apps pirate live sports content, Ritesh Bhatia, Founder of V4WEB Cybersecurity, a cybercrime investigations company, said, “Illegal streaming operations are increasingly sophisticated, employing a range of technical methods to steal content. A primary tactic is web scraping, using tools like Scrapy or Selenium to automatically extract live streams from legitimate platforms. Web pirates then embed these streams on their illicit platforms, effectively rebroadcasting copyrighted content without permission.

Bhatia further said, “Beyond scraping, these criminals also exploit vulnerabilities, intercept network data, and create botnets to distribute stolen content. Additionally, they set up their own streaming servers and leverage peer-to-peer networks to bypass traditional distribution channels.”

According to a 2024 report by Dataprot, India ranked third (9.5 billion) in terms of visits to pirate sites, The United States topped the list with 17.3 billion visits and Russia with 14.4 billion visits. The online piracy statistics show that over 50 percent of these recorded visits went to streaming sites. 

Suggesting measures to curb content piracy, Bhatia said, “To combat this, broadcasters and streaming platforms must implement a multifaceted approach. This includes fortifying digital rights management systems, employing advanced anti-scraping technologies, and developing robust content identification and tracking mechanisms. Furthermore, fostering collaboration with technology companies to refine detection algorithms and improve content protection is essential.”

With the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024, multiple illegal betting apps and websites are offering users the ability to place bets along with live streaming. In India, Viacom18 Sports has the broadcasting and streaming rights for the Paris Olympics 2024. Sports18 Network will broadcast the content on TV while JioCinema will stream live content for free. 

Viacom18, owning exclusive media rights for IPL events, faced infringement issues from rogue websites broadcasting the IPL matches illegally. In March 2024, Delhi HC passed a landmark judgment concerning the broadcast of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Delhi High Court underscored the critical need for ‘Dynamic+’ injunctions as a robust legal response to combat digital piracy.

The ruling came in the favor of Viacom 18 Media Private Limited ordering immediate blocking measures by ISPs, DoT, and MeitY. The Court had allowed Viacom18 to dynamically add and block new rogue websites found infringing during the IPL event.

When asked if Viacom18 Sports is tackling the issue of content pilferage, Siddharth Sharma, Content Head of Viacom18 Sports, said, “We are mindful and cognizant, and there is an active strategy at work where we have partners who are constantly tracking how to prevent this pilferage, and whenever it happens, there is immediate action that we take.”

Sharma further said, “We have to look after our own assets and protect our investments. But also to ensure that the fans have the best experience, which is why we offer everything free and nothing is behind a paywall. The access barrier is being removed, and the audience can enjoy sports content. We also ensure that we look after our international syndication partners, so we always have the best in the world as partners with us who constantly track and strike out these nodes which indulge in content pilferage.”

In 2022, the Delhi High Court directed the Department of Technology (DOT) and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) to issue blocking orders against Pikashow, the rogue piracy app. Disney Star had earlier filed an FIR against TamilBlasters, Tamilrockers, and the PikaShow TV app for leaking television (TV), Over-The-Top (OTT), and film content on their platforms. According to the FIR filed, these platforms generated cumulative traffic of nearly 62 million. Moreover, PikaShow also streamed content from linear TV channels such as Star Plus, Star Gold, Star World, and Star Sports.

A senior industry leader from the broadcasting industry said, “Earlier, the media and entertainment industry was suffering huge losses because of pirated films. Now we are also witnessing increase in piracy of OTT content, TV shows, and sports content. Illegal betting apps are streaming live sports content on their websites and apps. Apps like PikaShow continue to offer live sports content.”

He further said, “These pirated content apps and websites are sponsored by betting apps such as 1xBet and others as they run their advertisements throughout their content. The industry needs a robust mechanism to tackle incidents of blatant piracy. The inability to stop such acts is a failure on the part of media houses and the government.”

Disney Star, Times Internet, and Cricbuzz are members of the International Broadcaster Coalition Against Piracy (IBCAP). IBCAP focuses on illegal websites and Set-Top Box (STB) services broadcasting members' sports media rights. IBCAP is responsible for an industry-leading deterrent effect on cricket piracy this past year.

Star Sports declined to comment on the issue of their content being pilfered via illegal betting and streaming websites and apps.

According to IBCAP, during IPL 2023, it disrupted nearly 9,000 streams over the course of the tournament, including more than 3.6 million views were disrupted on Facebook Live streams worldwide. During the Cricket World Cup tournament, the IBCAP lab removed more than 17,000 streams and disrupted more than 9.5 million views on Facebook Live streams worldwide.

The increasing menace of illegal betting apps streaming live sports in India not only affects broadcasters but also the entire sports industry as an ecosystem. It requires united efforts from multiple organizations globally to tackle content pilferage across multiple formats and genres. 

Illegal betting apps now a threat to sports broadcasters and live streaming platforms

Centre Court Capital has announced the launch of a Rs 350 crore fund for sports and gaming in India. Founded by Mustafa Ghouse, former CEO of JSW Sports along with Alok Samtaney who was a former Investment Director with TVS Capital and Sabre Partners, the fund has the Sajjan Jindal Family Trust as anchor investor, with Parth Jindal at the helm. 


The fund is aimed at backing founders bringing in innovative tech and pushing the boundaries of the sports and gaming ecosystem.


The VC fund has already raised Rs 200 crore in commitments from investors and top athletes. Some of them include the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), PremjiInvest, USK Capital, and other large corporate sports investors in the country such as GMR Sports, and SG Sports. Other notable figures from the world of sport and media have also joined. 


“The sports and gaming sectors are experiencing unprecedented growth in the country. Tech is dominating the narrative of how sport is played and consumed, and we want to be at the forefront of this revolution,” said Mustafa Ghouse, founder and general partner of Centre Court Capital.



“We have seen a tremendous rise in both public and private investment in Sports which has more than quadrupled since 2020. As a result, we’re seeing an acceleration in the number of startups that are building from India for India and the world. Adding to that, with 396 million gamers, we’re the 2nd largest population of gamers in the world and the gaming sector is poised to grow at a 5-year CAGR of 21 percetn. We firmly believe in the potential of the space, and are focussed on backing exceptional founders who believe they are now ready to compete with the best in class, globally,” added Ghouse.


Ghouse, a former Asian Games Bronze medalist and member of the Indian Davis Cup team, went on to become founding CEO of JSW Sports. 

 
He brings with him the operating experience of having put together Inspire Institute of Sport,  India’s premier Olympic training facility, aside from leading the acquisition and heading teams across the IPL, ISL, and PKL. Alok, meanwhile, brings deep experience across the fund lifecycle having spent over 15 years between TVS Capital Funds and Sabre Partners. He has made and managed a diversified portfolio of venture capital and private equity investments and has seen a substantial number of exits. 


“IOver the last decade, we have backed, invested and developed sport in India in a big way, and our commitment stems from our belief in the potential of sports in India. We’ve also been tracking the growth of the eSports and gaming sectors and we’re excited to see the champions from India emerge. We are proud to be early backers of Centre Court Capital's pioneering fund, which will further drive growth and innovation in what is an ever-evolving sector,” said Parth Jindal, MD of JSW Cement Ltd., JSW Paints Pvt. Ltd., and Founder of JSW Sports.




Centre Court Capital is a SEBI-registered Category II AIF, and is soon launching an offshore feeder fund in GIFT City, to raise capital from international investors. The fund has already completed its first two investments in the sports tech space. It will look to focus on early stage opportunities, earmarking Rs 8 crore to Rs24 crores, while reserving 40-50 percent of the fund for follow-on investments. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Centre Court Capital announces Rs350 crore sports tech and gaming VC fund in India

Two years ago, global IT services major Capgemini launched a new brand promise of ‘Get the future you want’. Ever since, every marketing strategy, business plan and product they have planned is around this promise they made to their clients and communities. Virginie Regis, chief marketing and communications officer and member of the Group Executive Committee at Capgemini tells Storyboard18 that companies, regardless of the sector they operate in, should focus on being purpose-led. Regis also talks about the evolving role of a marketer, the use of AI and ML, the metaverse and more, in an exclusive interaction with us. 

Read on. 

The pandemic changed a lot of things for marketers across the board. What are the key changes in marketing strategies that took place in these two years and are here to stay, in your view?

I’d like to call out three major trends. The first one is how as marketers we need to make our companies purpose led so that the brand is recognized for its purpose. It isn’t about focusing on profit-making only. Adding ethics and social purpose at all levels is very important. It applies to all your targets, whether it’s your clients, partners or talent that you are trying to attract and retain. So that’s a major trend that is bringing in some new dimensions to what we need to deliver.

The second one that I’d like to highlight is Martech. Understanding how much technology applies to marketing and how much of it actually enriches the dimensions that you need to deal with is important. Being a data-driven marketer is a necessity in today’s time. It’s all about enriching your capabilities in order to boost your output. It is one thing to have the data but then what you do with it, and how you leverage it makes all the difference.

Lastly, creating human links between the targets, again both on the client and the talent side is of utmost importance. For us at Capgemini this emotional link between the company and its stakeholders is really important. It’s very important to enrich each section with experience, with trust, confidence and loyalty.

Do you have any new big marketing campaigns that you are planning for the new fiscal year? How do you see the rest of the year and 2023 shaping up for Capgemini?

We like to lead all our campaigns with our signature which is ‘Get the future you want’. We believe that the business we’re in is not just about leveraging tech for the sake of it but also thinking about the next step and the final outcome of what we deliver. It is important to note what technology brings to the table. We launched our brand promise of ‘Get the future you want’ in late 2020 and what we like about it is that it resonates with both our clients and our people.

All the campaigns that we are running and will run in the future whether it is to attract clients or talents will be showing the breadth of what we can do and what we can deliver. While we are known for being a tech company we have so much more to offer. The beauty of technology today is that it’s actually behind any kind of project and transformation. Therefore, all of the campaigns we have, show what we can deliver.

A strong people proposition that delivers on our brand promise helps us establish credibility as an aspirational employer and stand out, so we can compete effectively for the best talent. And hence, it is important that we communicate our brand promise to potential recruits and our existing employees and answer the question “Why should I join – or stay at – Capgemini?”

Do you believe in onboarding any agency to handle your marketing communications or is it more of an in-house function for the company?

Each and every CMO has that question coming up at some point or the other. The target is always to build best in class marketing and communication functions. So how do you do that? You have people in- house and you have agencies. 

According to me there’s no one solution fitting everything. On one side we are dealing with building world class talent in house to cover all the aspects of what you are dealing with, and the list is getting bigger every day. An agency can only be good if you brief them well. 

An agency can bring lots of creativity and technical expertise in terms of media buying, however at some point you cannot be an expert on everything and since we are dealing with very moving technology in marketing, one also needs to keep up with the latest technology and how to leverage it. You need to find a balance of where to find good creativity, technical expertise and also a very good internal team to support the agency. I often say that you get the agency you deserve, which means an agency can only be good if you brief them well. 

As part of the organization, we are in the best position to know what is going to be meaningful for other functions as marketing and communications does not work in isolation, we closely work with other functions of the organization. It is also essential to have an outside-in thinking. The key is to find the right balance between in-house and external world class talent. At Capgemini, we work with a mix of in-house talent as well as world class agencies to deliver the best insights and creativity.

The tech industry is facing a talent crunch. How does the intersection of tech and marketing talent hold up in comparison? What are your views on talent engagement and employee retention plans at Capgemini?

Building the best-in-class marketing and comms functions is certainly in the minds of every marketing and comms leader. I call out four ingredients which to me are key to be able to build such a function. I think you need to attract the best, lock the best and then retain the best. And I think a lot of that has to do with your company’s purpose but also company strategy. When you are working for a company that is growing every day, a company with a purpose is obviously more appealing.

Your strategy in terms of image building is also crucial here. How you want people to perceive you is important. Alongside that, what you are offering your talent also has a major role to play. It is important you help your employees figure out what is the piece of a jigsaw they are working on and how it is that they are contributing to the bigger picture. If you can help your talent with these answers, it brings in much more dimension to everything you do on a daily basis. You have to put yourself in their shoes. It is really all about caring for your people and helping them set a target and purpose within the company that promises tangible career growth. 

What are you doing differently at Capgemini in comparison to your peers and industry? Anything specific, you would like to share with us.

I think I’d have to link that back to talent. Our talent is what sets us apart. We came up with a very unique value proposition for our employees which I think they value a lot. 

Our focus is on enhancing employee experience across all roles. We have worked together with the business side of our organization and with HR as well to put forward this narrative to clients as well as talents. We have started a hybrid work culture that applies to everyone across roles and levels. 

The last thing that I want to call out is this entrepreneurial culture of Capgemini which is very specific. So of course, you belong to an organization but there’s a lot left to the individual to bring intelligence in everything that he or she covers on a daily basis. This is a very important part of our DNA and this is one reason that keeps getting our employees back to us even after parting ways. 

What is your opinion on Metaverse? Is this a trend that is here to stay? What are the implications for marketers when it comes to adoption of these new technologies?

The metaverse presents a compelling case for marketers. Immersive experiences, powered by virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR), or even mixed reality, will soon offer customers enhanced experiences and allow organizations to make the most of their creativity and reach to engage target audiences in an immersive way. This will enable brands to create more emotional connections with their customers.

From a business standpoint at Capgemini, we have announced a major partnership with Unity which is a leading platform for creating and operating real-time 3D (RT3D) content and are joining forces to help organizations everywhere explore and seize business opportunities and benefits of immersive and metaverse experiences across industries. As part of this new multi-year global partnership alliance, we will be defining approaches and methodologies, and conduct joint R&D projects as part of the Capgemini Metaverse Lab, jointly contributing to the building of the future metaverse and Web3. We’d be supporting each other in terms of business development, solution development and sales initiatives alongside taking up training across levels. With the partnership we will be able to focus on sectors and use cases where the digital customers or employee experiences will benefit most. Some of these sectors include consumer goods and retail, manufacturing, life sciences, telecommunications, media and technology, energy and utilities, financial services and public services.

The partnership is actually the proof of our commitment in this new channel, to the markets. From a marketing and communication function point of view I see a lot of opportunity here to enrich the experience of both our clients and talents. 

At the same time, I’d say this is not going to replace anything but will be another add on aid that CMOs should certainly look at and consider. It’s definitely more work for the CMO but it is indeed a helpful additional tool in the basket to reach out to more and more people, markets and businesses. 

AI and ML driving forces behind personalization and customer experience in marketing - what are your views?

Technology like AI and machine learning definitely help marketers gain insights from large quantities of data to predict what customers want, when they want it and their preferred method of communication. Marketers can enhance user experience for end users by giving them exactly what they want throughout their entire journeys. These are sort of insights that help you to understand your customers better and develop empathy. Like I have mentioned before, once you have data you should know how to put it to best use. We’ve seen how our sales colleagues have used these strong insights built and curated from all the data to understand customers and offer them only something that is relevant for them.

Given your involvement with the World Rugby Team we’d want to know a little about the company’s interest in sports and how you plan to use it as a marketing avenue?

This has been a major part of our marketing plan this year. We are proud to sponsor global sports events that celebrate our values of team spirit and fun – as well as our commitment to build a diverse, inclusive and sustainable future, fostered by innovation.

Through associations with major brands and sporting events across the world, we bring our technology, digital, and innovation expertise to the most prestigious events – enhancing both performance, and the fan experience.

Capgemini is currently the only company to sponsor both the International Federation and two of World Rugby’s major international competitions: Rugby World Cup 2023 and the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series. Through its deep technology expertise, Capgemini will support the tournament’s management systems and play an instrumental role in the delivery of results including the men’s and women’s World Rugby Rankings.

In addition, over the coming three years, Capgemini will work with World Rugby to enhance the digital experience for fans and coaches by applying its market-leading capabilities in data analysis, artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud.

We have also become a partner to the prestigious Ryder Cup, working with Ryder Cup Europe and the PGA of America to adapt, master, and apply the latest innovations in technology to golf through the lens of precision and accuracy. And we’ve signed a multi-year partnership with Peugeot Sport to provide the PEUGEOT 9X8 FIA World Endurance Championship program team with advanced digital tools.

Technology is now an integral part of the way fans consume sports. The digitization of sport and the fan experience can strengthen engagement, building brand value and driving new avenues of growth.

An agency can only be good if you brief them well: Capgemini’s Virginie Regis

Coincidentally, the news of India’s total medal tally at the recent Commonwealth Games 2022 came to me just a few minutes after I drove past the Olympic Bhawan in New Delhi.

As I answered my phone, the voice on the other end was brimming with excitement. It was my assistant who has been watching the live broadcast of the CWG since the opening ceremony. “Sir, we won 61 medals this time. Shooting and archery wasn’t there otherwise we would’ve got 10-15 more easily”, he said.

Another article in a leading publication read - Neeraj Chopra’s late withdrawal from the CWG 2022 definitely left India one medal short.

I often wonder why we always find some reason to dig a gap between our team members' performances and our own expectations. Why can’t we simply acknowledge the achievements and feel proud and wonderful about it, huh?
<blockquote>The problem is not the limitation of possibilities in India for these glorious victors, but a form of illegitimate power assigned to several brand managers across India who make choices based on their personal preferences.</blockquote>
It doesn’t matter how many we won, but how well we won them.

Australia and England have 5 times more total medals won than India since the inception of the Commonwealth Games in 1930. Canada has 3 times more. But that does not mean we are not good enough. One has to understand the significant difference in the quality of training and infrastructure available to Indian athletes versus those who come from the top 3 ranking nations. There is no doubt things have gotten better over the years, but it’s still a long way to go before we can compare an apple to an apple.

Winning medals is a matter of great pride for any nation and India is no different. It was wonderful to see athletes from some of the remotest towns of India competing at an international stage with such determination and confidence. This is the window that young India wants to glance through. A window that promises immense opportunities for those who are aspiring and gearing up to win medals for India in the future.

In 2007, when a young Team India under the leadership of first-time captain MS Dhoni won the inaugural ICC T20 World Cup tournament, it changed the game of cricket in India, forever. CWG medals have a similar impact in India’s development across sports and it will only further augment the overall value proposition of our nation’s competitiveness on the world stage.

Having said that, the question we should be asking is what do the medals mean for our athletes beyond just a great sense of achievement and national pride?

It means many things. But very importantly, it triggers a potential acceleration in their financial earnings which they truly deserve. Although, the reality up until today is that only a few actually experience it.

So this is typically what happens:

Whenever we start winning at tournaments like the CWG, the media covers it widely (thankfully). We see acknowledgements flowing in from top politicians and celebrities on social media. This is when most of India learns about the majority of these athletes for the first time - be it Jeremy Lalrinnunga, Aching Sehuli, Murali Sreeshankar, Sonalben Patel. Then we all start reposting and retweeting to express our continued support. And while all this is happening, brand managers across many companies start evaluating these winners for a potential engagement or more.

Sadly, it’s usually short-lived, with only a handful of athletes eventually finding good opportunities with these brands. Further, some end up engaging with regional brands where the revenue potential is limited. And a majority are left without any opportunity, despite winning a medal for India.

It does sound pathetic, but the problem is not the limitation of possibilities in India for these glorious victors, but a form of illegitimate power assigned to several brand managers across India who make choices based on their personal preferences. I know of some who have refused choosing medalists in the past just because of their skin colour. This has been a problem in India for decades.

Without giving away any names, I have had enquiries from some marketing heads in the past few days who are only keen to engage with gold medal winners from certain sports/games. “Why?” I ask. Haven’t the silver and bronze medal winners brought us the same sense of pride like the gold did?

The disparity in choices is blatant, and this must change.

I strongly believe all our medal winners must find similar opportunities with brands once they come back home. The younger brands are far more open for such engagements today. And the good thing is they are willing to look beyond cricket which is certainly a welcome move.

No one had imagined PV Sindhu would become the highest paid women athlete in India unless support came in from various brands. The media had a huge role to play as well. I am hopeful that this time around, the media would support all of them ‘equally’ and we can get to see Nikhat, Jeremy, Priyanka and all others in TV ads and on billboards across the nation.

As you read this, my team is already discussing endorsement opportunities for four of our CWG 2022 winners. And guess what, none of them are gold winners.

The author is the Founder and CEO of One One Six Network Limited, an investor-backed sports and entertainment company based in the UK, with operations in India and the Middle East.

SPORTS