Shillong: Demand in sports management courses are expected to rise after Commonwealth Games 2010. As India is hosting a global sporting event like the Commonwealth Games 2010, a boost in the market for professionals in sports management is predicted. Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Shillong is an institute, which offers a course in sports management. As per sources, the institute has received a number of pre-placement offers (PPOs), interviews (PPIs) and recommendations.
Ashok K Dutta, Director, IIM Shillong, said that the course is an attempt to equip the participants with necessary sports management concepts and tools for developing an appreciation of the function and the value, which it can add to the achievement of organizational goals. He also emphasized the need for professional managers in performing big-ticket sporting events. The organizers of Commonwealth Games had to take the services of foreign experts in order to organize the games in a better way. This proves that India is in urgent need of professionals in sports management.
Further, Mr. Dutta said that the course gives an opportunity for students to implement their classroom learning in real-life during the Corporate & B-School Golf Tournament that IIM-S organizes annually. The students are also very excited about the course and the tournament. Mohit Khemka, a student, said that they arrange and participate in the tournament activities which help them to learn how to manage an event from its commencement to the end. The Golf Cup Season will start in November.
According to Experts, the high visibility and entertainment value of sport provides opportunities in the organization and marketing of sport events, sports-related advertising and venue signage, athlete endorsements, facility construction, sporting goods and licensed merchandise, event management and marketing services, sponsorship and ticket sales, media broadcast rights and multimedia. As per an estimate, the sports marketing business in the Asia-Pacific region is expected to grow 22 percent this year as against 15 percent last year. Globally, it was estimated to be over 250 billion in 2009.
In addition, IIM Shillong also offers a course on Chinese language. The course is an add-on course mainly for postgraduate students. According to Mr. Dutta, the Chinese language course will be of great help for the students in their career as they can avail themselves of the vast business opportunities that exist in China.
