Football Partnerships

Football Partnerships spoke with Nigel Empson of Prosporta about his experience launching soccer-related businesses in India.

FP: Nigel, Outside of securing capital, what would you say are some of the biggest challenges you face in establishing your business in India?

NE: Corruption and self-interest.

At one level corruption is an enabler in so far as if you’re prepared to ‘compensate’ someone then anything is possible. Conversely, it’s a drain on resources - the time it takes to get things done and the financial cost are both increased. It’s also a sap on the spirit, particularly if you come from a culture where corruption is not endemic or have a philosophy that is more ‘giving’ than ‘taking’.

I brought Arsenal to TATA Tea for a national soccer tournament involving over 400 schools. In Mumbai the event was scheduled to take place at the Cooperage Stadium and permission was obtained from the Western India Football Association, the responsible body. Immediately the event and venue were publicized, and I received threatening phone calls from the Mumbai District Football Association who demanded around USD10k to permit the event to go ahead. This was followed by a legal notification and further threats that went way beyond disrupting the event itself. The threats were ignored, no money was paid, and the event went ahead without incident. What is typical and disappointing is the way in which a body that is there to promote the sport was prepared to exercise its power in a way that would prevent children from pursuing their passion and chasing their dream.

Self-interest is the other primary reason why football/sport in India underperforms so consistently. Governing bodies at national, regional and district level are packed with bureaucrats, retired officers from the armed forces and the police, and politicians. In the vast majority of cases they lack expertise, experience and understanding of the sports they oversee, and their interest is personal promotion and using the position to extract power, advantage, or money for themselves. Not only does this mean that the quality of leadership and governance is insipid, but it also ensures that (because they threaten the establishment) the progress of people with genuine capability and motivation is blocked at every turn. Further, this form of self-interest runs counter to the development of a ‘team’ ethos - those who are not self-serving find their ideas stolen and their achievements usurped by those in higher office. In total it’s a debilitating environment.

One further consequence of the foregoing is that the best athletes do not always get selected. Indian sport is littered with examples of gifted players who were never given an opportunity, or were dropped for no authentic reason because either they came from the wrong state or were not prepared to compromise themselves. Conversely, selections have been made because of family ties, or because the athlete was from or was sponsored by an influential family, or because they were prepared to accede to particular demands from a coach or official. When corruption and self-interest are rife then ‘merit’, ‘talent’ and ‘team’ are left bruised, bleeding and broken.