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Category : Events
A first of its kind - Women in Sport International Conference, hosted by Deakin University and the Australian Consulate-General in Mumbai, along with Rajasthan Royals was held at the Taj Lands End Hotel, Mumbai on the 8th of November this year.
Niddhi Mehta, Mumbai Head, for Sisters in Sweat being a Deakin University alumina, was invited as a delegate for the conference. Ms.Mehta is an avid sportswoman from Mumbai, India. She is a capoeira instructor, has played basketball and handball at both national and international levels, and has been working in the Indian sports management industry for over eight years.
The event was studded with stars from the Indian sporting arena. Women who have been champions of their sport and creating access for fellow women to get back on the field and build an inclusive global sport ecosystem! Attendees at the conference included industry experts, government representatives, grassroots organisations, entrepreneurs in the sports industry, private sports management agencies and more. Manisha Malhotra, former tennis star and Olympian, now the head of the JSW sports’ flagship sports excellence program, Harvinder Kaur, Chief M&A Officer at Rajasthan Royals, Ayesha Billimoria, National Level athlete and coach were amongst the panelists who have made the Indian sports industry a more inclusive space for women working professionals and athletes.
One might believe that the career trajectories of women in leadership positions in the world of sport started with a degree in sports management or with them being athletes themselves. But most of the female leaders present at the panel shared candid insights on how their journeys started so differently, as an accounts executive or in marketing or human resources, and then, how they navigated their way through setting up systems from scratch, to support the sport ecosystem in India. Deakin University now has several programs for individuals interested in a career in sport management and can be taken up by anyone interested, without the pre-requisite of being an athlete or have a sports background as an undergraduate.
Also, there are many who haven’t had the chance and encouragement to play at a younger age and organisations such as ours - Sisters in Sweat, were appreciated for playing a vital role in bridging that gap, and creating and nurturing a self-supporting community of women who want a more active life for themselves.
Discussed during the panel were several new and improving opportunities for sport professionals on and off the field. A plethora of avenues and requirements, from sports physiotherapy to sports science, sport management, social impact roles and more, all of these when converged, would make it possible to take Indian sport to the next level, were discussed as the need of the hour.
“Can we really make sport a lifestyle in India? And for that the understanding of sports science is very important. Sports science has come a long way, there is a big demand-supply gap, we need more sport scientists, we need more people on ground, there’s a huge opportunity to have people being ready to play sport. Sport and the demand of different sports are becoming so high that if you are not ready to play sport, you are going to get injured before you have even begun,” said Aparna Popat, a professional badminton player, one of the prominent panelists at the conference. She has represented India twice at the Olympics, in the year 2000 and 2004 as well as in Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and World Championships, and now has donned the role of an entrepreneur with her co-founded venture All is Well - an integrated fitness app that unlocks sports performance metrics.
Dynamic discussions, enchanting women athletes and entrepreneurs, and facilitators, paved the way for insightful discussions on enhancing women's participation, retention, and performance in sports, both on and off the field. This was surely a conference that was much needed and we are grateful to Deakin University, Rajasthan Royals and the Australian Consulate-General in Mumbai for facilitating the same.
