“Scorecard 2022 is for an audience that perceives sports as an industry”: Grant Thornton Bharat LLP director Arjun Singh on Scorecard 2022 and sports consulting

The seventh edition of CII-Scorecard will be held between 25-26 March 2022. It will be organized by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) and Sportscom Industry Confederation.

The virtual event, with a line-up of industry experts and advocates from India and overseas, will cover various topics pertaining to the industry, such as leagues, technology, policy, entrepreneurship, and more. The overarching theme of the event will be “Priorities and Potential for a New World for Sport.”

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Scorecard 2022 and what it is all about

Grant Thornton Bharat LLP has worked closely with CII as a Knowledge Partner for Scorecard 2022. Sportskeeda caught up with their director, Arjun Singh, to find out more about the key focus areas of the event, GT’s role as knowledge partner, and the future of sports consulting.

Sports, like many other industries, has been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic over the past two years. Explaining how the circumstances called for adaptation and not despair, and how several positive outcomes stemmed from the pandemic and the new normal, Arjun said:

"The pandemic did adversely impact sports, predominantly in terms of live events getting canceled or postponed, but it also saw an unprecedented and swift growth in the area of sports technology and start-ups working in technology, esports and gaming. With Scorecard 2022, we wanted sports tech to be a key area and also use this platform to conduct masterclass sessions and demonstrate some groundbreaking sports tech."

The rise of sports technology and innovation has been a global phenomenon, and it is heartening to see India keeping pace. However, Arjun stressed that it is important to look at the role of the larger sports ecosystem beyond just technology at Scorecard 2022, saying:

“While tech is a key focus area, we have to ensure our discussions touch upon aspects like governance, administration and leagues. From state-level sports administrators and representatives from sports federations to league owners and experts from various other domains – all have something to add and contribute to the larger agenda of Scorecard 2022. ”

Scorecard 2022 will also have a separate session on IPL and cricket, the latter being at the heart of development and innovation in sports in India. The event will also host a discussion on the resumption of sports in schools.

Arjun further added:

“It is important for us to showcase that despite live events getting impacted, there has been a lot of work going on behind the scenes in terms of future planning and innovation, and who better to talk about these areas than actual decision makers – administrators, league organizers, franchise owners, start-ups, etc. And CII, as an industry body, has to look beyond athletes and on-field aspects – Scorecard 2022 is for an audience that perceives sports as an industry and wants to explore the massive potential it has within the country.”

The sports ecosystem in India and its future potential will obviously be the central point of discussion. However, the need for international collaboration is imperative for sustainable growth, and the same has been acknowledged by Arjun, who said:

“[The] previous edition of Scorecard has seen discussions ensue with the UK Sports Minister regarding the potential for sports through exchange between the two countries. This time, we will host a delegation from Sweden which will discuss collaboration potential between India and Sweden to leverage existing trade talks that are ongoing between the two nations. We are hoping this will be the first step towards a focused sports industry exchange agreement between the countries.”

Grant Thornton currently operates as one of the market leaders in the sports consulting space and has been associated with CII on various projects. Arjun explained their role of Knowledge Partners in making Scorecard 2022 a reality, saying:

“We worked closely with CII to help them with the entire structuring of the event – figuring out the topics, identifying speakers, coordinating and scheduling with stakeholders – it was important for us to try and enhance the Scorecard event which had already been taking place for years, by basically ensuring it addresses the hot topics in sports and attracts the right audience.”

Like many other areas in sports, consulting was also impacted due to the pandemic. Elaborating on how expectations regarding the nature of services required by clients have evolved over the past couple years, Arjun said:

“Although consulting in sports is still pretty new for the Indian ecosystem, it has definitely been impacted due to the pandemic, but positively, I feel clients both in the public and private sector have become more open to discussing value addition services that go beyond regular deliverables, whether in terms of technology adoption or in terms of what they can deliver for the sports ecosystem.”

Arjun believes that the shift in thinking that has been caused due to the pandemic has also pushed consulting firms to adapt to the new normal and diversify their service offerings. He said:

“Our role within sports was predominantly in the events space... But during the pandemic, we started engaging with clients more on advisory solutions regarding shifting to remote ways of working and strategic consulting for improvement of processes and protocols, etc. And this will only keep evolving, even after events become regular, because clients have now recognized the wider need for consulting solutions for day-to-day operation or administration.”

Arjun’s words will undoubtedly encourage aspiring professionals and sports entities. Organizations like CII, Sportscom, Grant Thornton and a plethora of public and private undertakings will play a stellar role in realizing the future of sports in India.

The sports industry is primed to have a massive socio-economic impact in the future. Holistic growth of sports across areas such as technology, governance, and administration will only contribute to improving our international performance while providing a viable professional option for current and future generations.