Sports can drive jobs, enterprise & growth: Satyam Roychowdhury

Kolkata: India must look at sport not merely as competition but as a driver of education, employment, entrepreneurship, Techno India Group co-founder and managing director Satyam Roychowdhury said at an event hosted by the Bengal National Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BNCCI) with Brazilian football legend Cafú on Monday. 'Sports today is much more than competition on the field; it is an important driver of education, employment, entrepreneurship, technology and economic development. India and Bengal have immense potential to build a stronger sports ecosystem by bringing Government, industry, educational institutions and sporting organisations together. Cafú's journey offers valuable global perspectives, and we must look at how such experiences can inspire a sustainable and ambitious roadmap for Indian football,' Roychowdhury said. The session, organised by BNCCI's Industry & Foreign Trade Standing Committee chaired by Ritwik Das, focused on 'The Future of Football in India', including grassroots and youth development, women's football, academies, infrastructure, coaching, sports science and technology, international exposure and India's long-term ambition of hosting major international football events and eventually a FIFA World Cup. Cafú's presence brought an international perspective to discussions, while the programme explored opportunities in sports business, sponsorship, investment, technology, tourism and entrepreneurship. BNCCI also announced focused engagement with Jhargram, seeking to develop it as a model district for sports, tourism and entrepreneurship. Following an interaction with MSME and Textiles Additional Chief Secretary Anoop Kumar Agarwal, the chamber said it would work with the state and stakeholders to create opportunities for Jhargram's youth through academies, sporting events, tourism among other initiatives. Minister Tapas Roy, LoP Ritabrata Banerjee, José Barreto, Ashoke Dinda, Pranab Tudu, Tarunjyoti Tewari, Amio Kisku and British Deputy High Commissioner Andrew Fleming attended the programme. A rapid-fire interaction between Cafú and Barreto and the felicitation of youth and entrepreneurs, were also held.