Role of Corporates in Women Sports

Robin Nirwani

Sports today have gone beyond the traditional playground to emerge as a viable career option for various stakeholders. An athlete forms only one part of the sporting cycle around which different activities are centered. A sport has branched out by destroying geographical boundaries of one nation or one sport. Even the smallest of nations have been competing on the world stage and winning medals by exhibiting their sporting prowess.

Hence competing and winning at the top most level has become all the more difficult. Performance of the athlete directly impacts his fan following and thus the kind of money that he/she can earn. But performance depends upon the kind of training one avails, the modern equipment on has access to or the incentives available. This is where the role of corporates becomes very important. They have started investing their money and time in sports to garner better visibility on screen. Branding, Publicity & Promotion are some of the marketing tools that are now associated with modern sport. 

As discussed in the earlier session women sports is a symbol of grace and proper execution. Hence there are certain sports like Swimming and Lawn Tennis which have attracted top brands to invest in women sports. Nike has tennis players like Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova & Li Na as its brand ambassadors. 

Our own Saina Nehwal, right now ranked in the top 3 of ladies badminton rankings has sponsors like Yonex, BPCL &  Herbalife in her kitty. But the sad part is that often glamour is more important to get more sponsors than performance, what has been commonly seen in women sports. 

More corporate backing directly helps in accessing better equipment and better facilities which in turn results in better performance. Women tend to stand in a catch 22 situation as without any legacy, they have to depend upon other factors to get more sponsors.