Bengaluru, Oct 13 (UNI) Union law and justice minister and former sports minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday said a country of 135 core people can make India’s all sporting federations rich if they promote sports by watching them in the stadiums or on television.
“We must not only make the BCCI the richest sporting club in the world, but all the sporting federations and clubs richest in the world. We can do it. We are a country of 135 crore people. So, I really want people of the country to come up in large numbers to support the sports by watching them in the stadiums or on television,” he said on the opening day of the two-day 6th World Summit on Ethics and Leadership in Sports.
The event is being organised by the Art of Living Foundation along with the World Forum for
Ethics in Business. “People also can watch sports on social media,” Rijiju said. “So, directly or indirectly we need to
be involved. It is not enough to tell us to promote the sports and encourage the players. You must be part of the encouragement team,” he said.
Rijiju further said that increased viewership on stadium and television fetches ad revenues
which are distributed to the stakeholders including players.
“Why only cricketers are getting huge amounts of money, and why are other sports persons not
getting? It is because the viewership of any cricket match in India is one of the highest in the
world. If there are 30-40 million viewership for one match, the advertisement alone will bring a
revenue of Rs 200 to Rs 300 crore. That money goes to all the players, members and those who
are involved,” he said.
Rijiju said if people don’t watch, there will be no money for all stakeholders and there will be no
career for sportspersons. “There are many other sporting leagues in India. Other than kabaddi
leagues, all other leagues have failed. Even the ISL is running under losses. There was some
badminton league in India, but it did not sustain.
“Recently, I was with ace shuttler PV Sindhu. I told her that when she plays the stadiums are
full, but when she is not, they are empty. So, attachment with the player is good, but attachment
with the sport is critical. If people don’t watch, there will be no money. Players will not get
money. If there is no money, there is no career. So, to bring a sporting culture, people must be
involved. Stadium should not be empty,” he reiterated.
Speaking on the occasion, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said, “Sports can be that one thing that
can bring people together. But today sport is played like war and wars are waged like sport.”
“Players should play with a sense of responsibility and have a sense of sacredness towards their
viewers and fans. Ethics is simply not doing what one does not want done to them and this
awareness is very important,” he added.
Haryana Sports Minister Sandeep Singh, who was once hit by a stray bullet and subsequently
GUWAHAT, OCT 13 (UNI):- Hyderabad FC players celebrate after scoring a goal against
NorthEast United FC during ISL 2022 match between Northeast United FC VS Hyderabad
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fought back to lead the Indian hockey team said, “Sports is not just about playing a game. It
brings honor to the country by becoming a medium for national anthem to be played at
international forums when a player wins a game. In sports you can win in the international
arena, without violence.”
“Ethics, leadership in sports is not discussed often enough,” 25-time International Billiards and
Snooker Federation world champion Pankaj Advani said.
“Players should play with a sense of responsibility and have a sense of sacredness towards their
viewers and fans. Ethics is simply not doing what one does not want to be done to them and this
awareness is very important,” Advani said.
“Ethics and leadership in sports are not discussed often enough,” he said. “FIR is known for fair
play, integrity, and respect in the world of sport. This is to believe that we actually can play sport
with fairness, integrity and respect not only for our sport but for our opponents, audience and
rules.”
The summit also featured the announcement of the Ethics in Sports Award 2022, a prize that
recognizes outstanding individuals and organizations that have demonstrated the importance of
human values and ethics in life and in the sports arena.
The winners this year included: FC Union Berlin for Outstanding Organization, Anja Hammerseng-Edin for promotion of Mental Health in Sports, Rijiju for Outstanding Contribution to Sports and Sandeep Singh for resilience in sports.
United News of India