Wohoo!! The IPL is going to happen this year!!!
Like the rest of the country, I was deeply concerned at the thought of the IPL being shelved this year. After all the IPL is the single biggest eye ball magnet after Ekta Kapoor came up with 'Kyunki..' It has become a part of my April calendar.
This year the IPL will take place in South Africa. Personally I think its a great opportunity for the tournament to become truly global. Its a forced option, but it can take this league to the next level. The tournament has cemented a bond with the people of India and now it is going to do the same globally.
One may argue that for a resident of Durban it will not be exciting to watch, say, a 'Mumbai Indian' versus 'Kolkata Knight Riders'. I can think of four reasons why someone would pay to watch it.
1 - Its cricket, and South Africans are crazy about the game.
2 - Its got all the top international stars littered in different teams.
3 - A whole host of film stars lend some glamour to the event.
4 - Indians are present in every country. In South Africa there are 1.1 million to assure packed stadiums.
In my view the IPL is too big an event to ignore. It is a Rs 1000cr money spinner. Sharing this pie with another nation, albeit forcefully, is better than foregoing in altogether. An unintended consequence of this would be strengthened cricketing relations between the two nations.
This adversity definitely provides a profitable opportunity.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
Political Opportunism
Nothing feels like the joy success, even if it belongs to someone else. Indian politics is all about blatant opportunism and riding on others success. Take the recent example of the Congress using the new national anthem 'Jai Ho' as its campaign song. This post is not a rant on our politicians, its more about how they sense our pulse.
Every Indian was brimming with pride when Rahman picked up his two Oscar. There was a sense of national achievement, albeit half of the people did not know what an Oscar was. The movie struck a chord with the people. The Congress party swiftly connected the dots to capitalize on the popularity. The Congress party on its platform of hope for the aam admi linked itself with the story in the movie of a common man who makes it big. There is a emotional connect in the song and the theme of the Congress party.
On most occasions such political gimmicks have failed miserably, remember the glorious 'India Shining' campaign. The reason for these failures can be attributed to the lack of connection with the average person. Its great that the GDP grows at 9% but how does it translate to his life. If you can make that connection and help the common man relate to your story then your campaign is likely to be successful.
In my humble view, the Congress has pulled a master stroke with the 'Jai Ho' campaign. Time will tell if it translates into votes.
The link to one of the videos - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUZblPEdEd8&feature=related
Every Indian was brimming with pride when Rahman picked up his two Oscar. There was a sense of national achievement, albeit half of the people did not know what an Oscar was. The movie struck a chord with the people. The Congress party swiftly connected the dots to capitalize on the popularity. The Congress party on its platform of hope for the aam admi linked itself with the story in the movie of a common man who makes it big. There is a emotional connect in the song and the theme of the Congress party.
On most occasions such political gimmicks have failed miserably, remember the glorious 'India Shining' campaign. The reason for these failures can be attributed to the lack of connection with the average person. Its great that the GDP grows at 9% but how does it translate to his life. If you can make that connection and help the common man relate to your story then your campaign is likely to be successful.
In my humble view, the Congress has pulled a master stroke with the 'Jai Ho' campaign. Time will tell if it translates into votes.
The link to one of the videos - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUZblPEdEd8&feature=related
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Heir Apparent
I write this post after watching Manchester United beat Inter Milan by two goals last night. The self proclaimed 'special one' was no match for Alex Ferguson's men and tactics.
There has been a lot of talk about who will replace Alex Ferguson when he announces his retirement. I for one am convinced that it will be Jose Mourinho. If you look at the intrinsic quality of the two coaches there are some similarities. Both men deflect the pressure of their teams and take it on to themselves. Both are master tacticians and realize that a football match is not won by the players skill alone. They have a sense of humour but of a different nature. Sir Alex has the amiable British banter, while Jose is more cynical and subtle.
One striking similarity is their attention for detail. In his press conference Jose said he knows everyone at United. He mentioned that spoke to the 'grassman' (groundsman) before the game. It is a reflection on the amount of preparation he puts into each game.
They both have different approaches to the game, but each is a uniquely successful man. I look forward to seeing Mourinho at Old Trafford in the years to come.
There has been a lot of talk about who will replace Alex Ferguson when he announces his retirement. I for one am convinced that it will be Jose Mourinho. If you look at the intrinsic quality of the two coaches there are some similarities. Both men deflect the pressure of their teams and take it on to themselves. Both are master tacticians and realize that a football match is not won by the players skill alone. They have a sense of humour but of a different nature. Sir Alex has the amiable British banter, while Jose is more cynical and subtle.
One striking similarity is their attention for detail. In his press conference Jose said he knows everyone at United. He mentioned that spoke to the 'grassman' (groundsman) before the game. It is a reflection on the amount of preparation he puts into each game.
They both have different approaches to the game, but each is a uniquely successful man. I look forward to seeing Mourinho at Old Trafford in the years to come.
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