The full text of Sahara's release, which announces the group's dissociation with the BCCI and the Pune IPL team
Sahara to dissociate with BCCI/IPL and reinvest in setting up of 20
sports promotion centres, with an international standard sports academy
Rs 10 crore support every year for underprivileged sports achievers of
yesteryears & present along with a host of other social development
initiatives like:
300 fully equipped medical vans for remote villages , 100 plus tankers
for safe drinking water , 10,000 screens with dish antenna for villages
for overall extensive literacy & education
Our association with Team India was primarily emotional and all along,
the journey was indeed, a privileged one for the entire Sahara India
Pariwar. In 2001, cricket was not as rich but had become a religion in
our country. We had requested the then BCCI President, Shri Jagmohan
Dalmia to go for an open auction, for the Indian team's sponsorship
inviting only interested Indian Corporates, since it was not right that
it should go to some MNC. But for obvious, unavoidable reasons, BCCI did
not accept that.
After 03 months, one fine morning, our Hon'ble Chairman was told that
the sponsorship had gone to an MNC. Immediately, our Chairman called
Shri Dalmiaji and expressed his desire to take up the sponsorship. He
responded quite positively and requested for a 10% increase in the
price, which our Hon'ble Chairman immediately accepted.
Now after a 11-year journey as sponsors, we can say with surety that
cricket has become very rich. Many rich people are there to support
cricket with a strong will to do so. So, with absolute peace of mind we
can exit from cricket under BCCI and are now exiting with a heavy heart.
It was an emotional decision for us to start this sponsorship but our
emotions were never appreciated and many genuine situations, were not
given due consideration at all.
Our first entry into IPL was thwarted in 2008 when we were disqualified,
owing to a small technicality on the whims and fancies of BCCI. Yet our
Bid was not opened.
Last year, Sahara entered the IPL on the basis of information in the
media and everywhere else that 94 matches will be played among 10 teams.
The bid price was accordingly calculated, but only 74 matches were
played. We are still pursuing continuously with the BCCI to refund the
extra bid money proportionately. It has been denied on the basis of
strict rules.
In the interest of the tournament, we repeatedly tried our best to
pursue the BCCI for open auction of all players so that we achieve level
playing field and all teams are equally balanced from the quality
players' point of view. Again, as per BCCI's strict rules it was denied
and again, we were deprived of natural justice. 12 of the best players
were retained by the existing teams then.
The two new teams then requested for allowing us at least one extra
foreign player but that too was denied, quoting rules.
Once during a World Cup tournament, Sahara's name was not allowed
because there was a clash of our Airline with a South African airline.
In two major tournaments, the team had to play without the 'SAHARA'
logo. It was ICC's decision so we could realize that it was for no
fault of BCCI and we also did not want the players to suffer. As per the
rules, we were not supposed to pay sponsorship money for those matches
but we still paid the players share of the amount in entirety. Sadly, we
never found BCCI believing in genuine give and take.
Furthermore, Shri Yuvraj Singh, who is truly like one of our family
members, is, quite unfortunately, passing through a bad phase health
wise, undergoing treatment for critical illness, overseas. Out of
enthusiasm, he may like to come out on the ground after a few months.
But any well-wisher who truly loves him, would never desire that he be
allowed to play for the oncoming months. Our duty is to take care of
him, so Sahara has decided to pay him his full fee this year with
condition as a Guardian that his priority should be health care and he
should not play till he has fully recovered.
We requested the BCCI on the basis of the fact that we have only one
Indian marquee player, that we be allowed to add price of Shri Yuvraj
Singh in our auction purse, during the 4th February auction because we
had later taken Shri Sourav Ganguly at 0.4 million. Again, we have been
denied on the basis of the rule book. Yet again, a case of being denied
natural justice.
We think this peculiar situation of Shri Yuvraj Singh is silent in the
rule book because it probably talks only about players who are
temporarily injured.
Incidentally, once during the Champion's League tournament, one of the
Indian IPL teams had a lot of injured players so they were rightly, out
of natural justice, allowed to break the rules and take one extra
foreign player. We appreciated this natural justice.
We really feel such one-sided emotional relationship cannot be dragged
any further. We are withdrawing from all cricket under BCCI/ However, we
don't want to give any problem to the BCCI and we also feel that the
players should not suffer. BCCI will definitely take 2-4 months to get a
new sponsor and we will continue paying the sponsorship money till
then. All other IPL team players, coaches and other such associates will
definitely get their due this year, in case they do not get a chance to
play.
For this, our humble request once again to the BCCI is that through the
right process and with strict rules/regulations, they should pass on our
team to some other interested party immediately. We expect at least
this much of our humble request will kindly be accepted after 12 years
of our productive relationship with the BCCI.
We however, pray to the Almighty and sincerely hope & wish that
Indian cricket attains greater heights of achievement & glory in the
years ahead.
SAHARA IS PUTTING Rs. 1000 CRORES IN WELFARE FOUNDATION
We are very happy to take a decision that the cricket money will be
diverted to social work. We are declaring to put immediately Rs. 500
crore in Sahara Welfare Foundation, which will be run with the
association of eminent persons of our country. For the programme as
mentioned below, Sahara declares to put around Rs. 500 crore more in the
next 1-2 years as per the need of all the programmes.
We are working on various programmes including financial implications
etc since we have taken this decision after continuous persuasion with
the BCCI failed, meaning on the 2nd of February, 2012. But we waited
upto the auction day ie today, 4th of February that our request to BCCI
would be accepted. But again, there was no natural justice.
Our programmes in brief are as follows :
RURAL/SEMI URBAN YOUNG SPORTS PERSON PROMOTIONAL CENTERS
- We would develop 20 Rural/Semi Urban Sports Promotional Centers including Rural/Semi Urban Cricket promotional Centers.
- Each shall have 7 to 10 Acres of land which will be developed
into sports person promotional centers with hostels having 50-100 rooms.
- Everyone shall get minimum 5 years.
- Scientific selection youngsters shall be done throughout the country in remotest villages also to unearth genuine talents.
- Every year, thousands of youngsters will be selected
throughout the country from will be put in these sports centres with all
cost of Sahara Welfare Foundation including their education also.
- Local sports teachers shall be appointed and high class
Domestic/International teachers shall also be appointed who shall visit
these centers regularly in turns throughout the year for special
training to local teachers and students.
- Centres will have diversified sports disciplines viz. cricket, hockey, soccer, formula1, tennis, golf, wrestling, boxing etc.
- One international standard sports academy shall immediately be developed at one point in India.
- All best selected students shall ultimately come to this International Class Sports Academy.
- Any of the students who secure a position at the National Level shall be appointed in company.
- We shall definitely have minimum one center in every state barring very few highly disturbed states.
- After Certain level of achievements on State/National/International level these people will be awarded, rewarded, suitably.
- They will stand to receive permanent jobs, houses, marriages
(particularly girls), old age facilities etc. etc. Deserving student
shall be given regular opportunities to go abroad for further
improvements/ developments.
- All regular students shall be given high coverage of insurance which may go into crores.
SUPPORT FUND
There are many old (retired) and present players who, at times, face up
to miserable days regarding medical bills, girls marriage, shelter etc.
Every year minimum 10 crores will be distributed.
- 3 crores for cricketers
- 7 Crores for all other disciplines
Please note that odds are correct at time of publication and are subject to change.
INCREASE OF SPONSORSHIP AMOUNT
We shall discuss with other federations where we are sponsoring
different disciplines of sports and as per the genuine need for better
promotion, we shall enhance the sponsorship amount.
MEDICAL VANS
On all India basis 300 fully equipped medical vans shall be introduced
which shall only go to remote villages (at the moment we are running
around 50 such vehicles) where there is no medical facilities exist.
Our van shall have good doctors, check-up facilities and free medicines
and also supporting cases for going to hospitals.
So, we shall introduce around 300 medical vans in the country to start with which shall increase gradually.
SAFE DRINKING WATER
We shall introduce for Rural and Semi Urban areas 100 tankers who shall
distribute to even remote areas safe drinking water free/or maximum 50
paise to 1/- per liters (to poors it will be free). Some money could be
charged so that gradually the areas covered would increase, meaning if
charged, it shall be done to increase area of safe drinking water only.
Important note:
Safe drinking water is one of the most essential needs of our country.
As an example for bad quality of drinking water every summer in Uttar
Pradesh, people and government send around Rs. 6000 crores towards few
kind of tablets and liquid drips since millions are very seriously
critically effected with blood dysentery and all sorts of worst gastric
problems.
With safe drinking water this problem can be reduced to maximum extent.
EDUCATION
10,000 T.V Screens in villages and semi-urban areas with Dish Antenna
etc.
For free education/support of various types of adult literacy, child
care, child education, hygiene, cultivation/agriculture, Hindi/English
education, Education of high morality, education of good life,
information of mandis on regular basis through our centres. Large studio
will be made for this purpose.
Important Note:
In India, today may be around 3% population knows English well.
Entire administration (IAS/IPS etc.) is in English medium; entire
judiciary, medical science, engineering, corporate world are all in
English medium. Even ministers mainly in Delhi should be English
speaking. Meaning entire administration of our country is always
governed by 3% population only. It is unfortunate, sad & very bad
for the country. Sad, we don't have Hindi as one language of the country
like all developed countries have. Well, English will never go. This is
the time English should reach gradually go to all villages.
We pray for every emotional support including that of BCCI for our new
social endeavour.
- Sd -
Sushanto Roy
Managing Director,
Sahara Adventure Sports Limited
“Working with the medical community
