Grassroots Leadership Programme Strengthens India’s Sports Infrastructure Vision

Sometimes sports are not about the stadiums or the external practice of a skill. It's also about the holistic approach of learning how to become a sports leader at the core. Without the proper skill set, stadiums of the scale of Sardar Vallbhai Patel enclave shall be totally mismanaged, which highlights the relevance of practical rural urban diaspora knowledge.

With this very vision, the prominently known leading figure of the sports governance industry, Shaji Prabhakaran, has announced a unique one-of-a-kind program. The project is called the Sports Grassroots Leadership Programme to build the next generation of sports leaders.Being a part of his philanthropic works, this initiative is to identify the passionate and enthusiastic athletes to aim to bring a revolution in the sporting industry.

This is a comprehensive course of 50 hours whereby 25 hours of online lessons shall be provided accompanied with 20 hours of project work and 5 hours of in-person interaction to build capacity and resilience that makes a good sports leader. This initiative has been kept free of cost, which is why some students shall be selected on merit to be given the guidance under this scheme.

By equipping emerging leaders with essential skills in governance, community engagement, and strategic planning, the initiative aims to create a long-term pathway for athletic and administrative excellence,” said Prabhakaran, who is an executive committee member of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and former secretary general of the All India Football Federation (AIFF).

“The future of Indian sport depends on strong, ethical, and visionary leadership at the grassroots level. This program is an investment in the professionals who will design the sustainable structures our country needs to thrive on the global stage.” He further added.

This unique approach portrays a beautiful collaboration of the private sector in the advancement of sports as a field. For instance in the Kalinga Sports Complex, when the institute built an indoor beach court, the vision needed a human capital to be visualised.