My favourite sports campaign - '#GameBanayegaName'. - Onkar Karandikar

My favourite sports campaign - '#GameBanayegaName'.

In last few years, we have seen some truly brilliant sports campaigns on digital media and TV also. 

Fan engagement is an important aspect of it, but I think what's even more important is the inspirational thoughts and wisdom being conveyed to young fans through these campaigns.

That's why I loved this '#GameBanayegaName' campaign that was run before and during #VIVOIPL2019 by Star sports India.

Some really important things were told subtly through this campaign.

We see the huge glamour and big money these sports stars get, but what we don't see is the hours of hard work they put in to get to the top level.

IPL is a great platform for young aspiring cricketers to showcase their talent and share the field & dressing rooms with some of the best players in the world. It is an opportunity for them to learn more and more about the game. We have already seen that with examples of players like Yuzvendra Chahal and Jasprit Bumrah.

The message is clear- budding sports players need to focus on developing their game and believe in their own unique styles and techniques. The fame will follow automatically.

And who better to convey this message than likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni. All of them came from humble backgrounds and became the best players in the world.

As former Australian cricket captain Allan Border used to tell young players," You take care of runs and dollars will take care of themselves".

It is also an answer to the criticism that IPL gets. It shows that IPL is not only about glamour and fun; it also means sincerity towards the game itself.

- Onkar Karandikar

Sports leagues are playing crucial role in making India a multi-sport nation. - Onkar Karandikar

For many years, Cricket is the only sport that has been followed at such large scale and cricketers have been worshipped by masses. One reason is the tremendous success that India has enjoyed in Cricket at the top level, but also the financial support and exposure it has got.

It's not like fans in India do not like other sports and players in other sports, but they were never exposed to other sports. How can you like something if you haven't seen it, right?

Obviously there were some examples of occasional individual brilliance in other sports that had caught the attention, but certainly not at the large scale.

Things changed dramatically after 2008!

Since the launch of Indian Premier League in 2008, in the last 10 years Indian sports industry has grown so rapidly. Success that IPL (Cricket) got, started a revolution in India for other sports as well.

Leagues in other sports like Premier Badminton League (badminton), Indian Super League (football), Pro Kabaddi League (kabaddi) and Pro Wrestling League (wrestling) were started in few years after IPL and now they have created their own audience. It is still early days, but India is now taking steps towards becoming a multi-sport nation.

There are few very important aspects to this budding sports-league culture in India.

First is the platform to perform, second is financial stability and third is sports infrastructure.

Players in sports apart from Cricket never really had big platforms to perform in front of large crowds and also the millions who watch from Home. Now players from other sports have opportunity to show that they are equally great in their own right. They have started getting their own fans. Not just that, they can now use it as an opportunity to earn place in national teams as well.

With these private leagues, they got financial support which is very crucial, because players from other sports like Kabaddi and Wrestling used to find it very difficult to make living out of playing game they loved and also had to work somewhere else to earn money. Now they can focus fully on playing and developing their game.

Another important part is lethargy of Indian government bodies towards other sports many times leaves players with poor training facilities as we have seen during commonwealth games, but private leagues have provided them with world-class training facilities and help of technicians and analysts to take their games to next level.

In cricket as well, apart from top international players, other players didn’t have as much financial stability, facilities and exposure as they do now after IPL.

This all-round improvement will inspire more and more young kids to take up sports.

- Onkar Karandikar