FICCI Goal 2013 India Football: This International Convention on Football Business was organized by FICCI on 14 and 15 February 2013.
There was Welcome Address by Mr. Sidharth Birla, Senior Vice President, FICCI, followed by Addresses by Mr. Aloke Malik, Chairman, FICCI Sports Committee, and MD, ESPN Star Sports (India). Mr. P.K. Deb, Secretary, Youth Affairs and Sports, Mr. Vincent Subramanium – FIFA Technical Development Officer, (SAFF) and Mr. Sanjiv Paul, Co-chairman, FICCI Sports Committee & Vice President, Corporate Services, Tata Steel. Inaugural Address was done by Mr. Praful Patel, Hon’ble Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, & President, All India Football Federation (AIFF).
On Day 1 of the International Convention, there were 3 panel discussions. Session I was a Panel Discussion on “Football in Asia: Opportunities for India in youth development?”. Asia should be a force to reckon with over half the world’s population, and the FIFA World Cup returning in 2022. There is rapid development of competitions like the Chinese Super League and AFC Champions League. But with allegations of corruption in some regions, a void in leadership and the ever increasing popularity of European football, what really is the future for Asian football and especially for India? This session analyzed the importance of youth development and PYKKA project in the overall scenario besides looking at the role of stakeholders like the government, AIFF, AFC and FIFA.
Session II was a Panel Discussion on “Reconceptualizing of Indian League system: Club v/s City Franchisee”. After the success of IPL in cricket, it has been proven that Indians like city based league system but what is going to be the future of historic Football Clubs in India. What kind of league model should Indian football follow -MLS/ IPL model or Club/EPL model? This session will discuss taking football to the masses.
Session III was another Panel Discussion on “Football Stadia: Sustenance & Legacy of “White Elephant”. Infrastructure development continues to be a hot topic when it comes to exploring the future of football in India. Panelists agreed that India needs more stadiums to reach its football potential, however the sustainability of these stadiums remains a critical issue. Important topics included public private partnerships, commercialization, marketing, programming, pitch maintenance and legacy need to be discussed before breaking ground.
On Day 2, there were 3 panel discussions which discussed about Football in India and the Importance of U-17 FIFA World Cup to building India’s stature in the world.
Session IV was a Presentation and Panel Discussion on AIFF Vision for Development of football. Two of the most critical stakeholders in the development of football in India are AIFF and IMG RIL. Both organizations have created master plans, entitled Lakshya 2022 and Vision 2026 respectively, which map out the future of the sport in the country. Representatives from both groups shared their plans with convention delegates.
Session V was Panel Discussion on “Importance of U-17 FIFA World Cup”. The FIFA World Cup is the premier football property in the world. It serves as the perfect platform for countries to come together to celebrate the beautiful game and for the host nation to leverage the power of football to build its own economy and football landscape. A successful bid for India in its effort to host the 2017 U-17 FIFA World Cup could be the catalyst the country needs to put itself on the global football map. Mr. Sujit Panigrahi, CEO, Fitness 365 & Former Additional Director General (Head – Technology), CWG, was a Panelist in this Discussion, and shared his experiences of Commonwealth Game. He discussed the importance of U-17 FIFA World Cup Organizing Committee using the existing large and trained talent pool that CWG Delhi 2010 has created in form of 34 different Functional Areas for the smooth conduct of games. He also talked about the importance of starting the Planning Phase early for U-17 FIFA World Cup, ensuring that the Operations Plan is in place and follow the plan and delivery schedule as per laid down timelines so that Time and Costs can be kept under control. Other panelists included Mr. Vincent Subramanium – FIFA Technical Development Officer, (SAFF) and Mr. Jim Selby, Technical Director, Asian Football Confederation.
Session VI was about Case Studies related to Unique Initiatives and Success Stories in Indian Football. The Presenters discussed about their experiences and success stories with respect to developing Football at Grassroot and Professional Levels.
During the 2 days events, the eminent speakers and panelists included Mr. Vincent Subramanium – FIFA Technical Development Officer, (SAFF), Mr. Jim Selby, Technical Director, Asian Football Confederation, Mr. Arunava Chaudhuri, Football Expert and Commentator, Mr. Nandan Piramal, Chairman, Pune FC, Mr. S S Dasgupta, Managing Director, Lesiure Sports Inc, Mr. Sunando Dhar, CEO, I-League , AIFF and Mr. Yajurvindra Singh Bilkha, Head Corporate Events and Sports, Tata Consultancy Services. Mr. H.S Kingra, Chairman & Managing Director, National Schedule Caste and Finance Development Corporation Former Joint Secretary & Special Officer, Infrastructure, CWG 2010, Mr. Sanjiv Paul, Co-chairman, FICCI Sports Committee & Vice President – Corporate Services, Tata Steel, Mr. Rathindra Basu, Head – Business Development and Corporate Communication, ESPN Star Sports India, Mr. Rahul Bali, Chief Editor, Goal.com India, Mr. Robert Baan, Technical Director, AIFF, Ms. Priti Srivastava, Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Reliance Industries Limited, Mr. Kushal Das, General Secretary, AIFF, Mr. Shaji Prabhakaran, India Development Officer, FIFA and Mr. Sujit Panigrahi, CEO, Fitness 365 & Former Additional Director General (Head – Technology), CWG, Mr. Sanjeeb Mukerjea, CNN IBN, Mr. Scott O’donell, Head of Academies, AIFF, Mr. Eddie Rock, Partner, Libero Sports India, Mr. Niraj Daga, Betuloil Ltd and Mr. Tarun Chaudhry, COO, Conscient Football.
