JSW Sports signs Asian Games Gold medallist Bajrang Punia

MUMBAI, 28 September: JSW Sports, the sports arm of the diversified JSW Group conglomerate, today unveiled wrestler Bajrang Punia as the latest athlete to be supported by the company. The Asian Games and Commonwealth Games Gold medallist will be supported by a dedicated team of experts to help prepare for upcoming competitions beginning with the World Championships in Budapest in October.

Apart from training exposure, Bajrang will also be supported by JSW Sports’ Athlete Management team, that will help him commercialise his success across the Indian market. The JSW Sports Athlete Management wing that was launched earlier this year is a further commitment to supporting Olympic sports and athletes in India. With the introduction of their athlete management services, JSW Sports now positions itself uniquely as the only company in India to support athletes’ training as well as managing them commercially.

Since its inception in 2012, the company’s flagship Sports Excellence Program (SEP) has helped support over 50 elite Indian athletes in six Olympic disciplines. Under the SEP, athletes are offered career planning, training, and a mentorship module that includes medical, nutrition and psychological support; finance, equipment and logistical aid; international exposure and coaching clinics and a team of highly qualified support staff.

With the latest move, JSW Sports will also help a group of athletes manage their commercial activities, appearances and digital presence.

Commenting on the announcement, JSW Sports CEO Mustafa Ghouse said, “Olympic sports in India is at an inflection point, with greater viewer interest and a growing fanbase. With the new breed of young athletes coming up and performing consistently well on the global stage, major brands are also standing up and taking notice. As such, it is important for us to professionalise the way these athletes are managed and that has always been our endeavour at JSW Sports.”

Bajrang joins a list of exciting young athletes managed by JSW Sports which includes CWG and Asian Games Champion Neeraj Chopra, Olympic Medalist Sakshi Malik, former Junior World Champion Nikhat Zareen and the newest Long Jump National Record holder M. Sreeshankar.

Commenting on Bajrang’s return to JSW Sports, Ghouse said, “Having won both Commonwealth and Asian Games Golds this year, Bajrang is arguably India’s foremost male freestyle wrestler and we could not be happier to have him come back to the JSW Sports fold.

"We have a dedicated team of experts with him and are committed to ensure he stays fit and competition ready leading into the Tokyo Olympics. He will also be training at the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS), our high-performance centre in Vijayanagar, which would be a huge benefit for all young wrestlers training there.”

About JSW Sports

JSW Sports is the sports arm of the JSW Group, a $13 billion diversified conglomerate with presence across India, USA, South America & Africa. Established in 2012, JSW Sports aims to play a leading role in ushering a culture for sports in India by maximizing sporting potential of Indian sports and sportspersons.

The group owns JSW Bengaluru FC, India’s most successful football club in recent memory, Haryana Steelers in the Pro Kabaddi League and recently ventured into the hugely popular Indian Premier League through a 50 percent stake in the league’s Delhi franchise.

JSW Sports also supports the training of close to 40 Indian Olympic talents and has spearheaded the creation of the Inspire Institute of Sport, India’s first High-Performance Olympic Training Centre in Vijayanagar, Karnataka.