'We should offer accident insurance for polo players'

JAIPUR: Marketing. It's a two-way street that requires sincere interest in the sponsor's objectives and how it can help them achieve goals. In today's sports world, all major events are advertised and promoted on multiple platforms to ensure viewers for the events.

Secure in the belief that it can also help

polo

in Rajasthan make a turnaround, Kaushal Doda, director of Sphiro Infratech Pvt Limited is mulling to set up a polo institute in Jaipur and involve sponsors in a big way. With the help of famous rider like

Dhruvpal

Godara, they will approach the state government, seeking a land for the purpose.

"But the project will never be shelved if we don't get the government help or not," Doda said. He believes the training institute will help educate and nurture talents.

"There would be a proper infrastructure and we can save a lot of money. Our first priority is to offer personal accident insurance for players in case of accident or injury. Today, the majority are either inadequately insured, or are not insured at all. I feel we should look into the matter seriously."

Happy to see that opportunities are more widespread, and polo is being seen as a sport, he stressed on the fact that instead of inviting polo riders from Delhi or other places, Rajasthan should have a right infrastructure to groom the young talents.

"In that way, we can open avenues for others, who are directly or indirectly involved with the trade, like trainers, animal doctors, and those who can look after the stables. It can also create job opportunities. It's not an utopian idea and I mean it," he stated.

Handicap +5player, Dhruvpal has been playing the sport for the past 25 years and has set a standard among the few non-army personnel to have achieved great heights in a sport often associated with the armed forces. Naturally, he believes it's the right time to take the step forward.

"It makes me sad when I find polo doesn't attract the attention of spectators not much as it did before. People know Angad Kalan, Samsher Singh, Basir Ali,

Padmanabh Singh

. But how? Because the spectators love and admire them. And it's no exaggeration if I say the fans may be sometime tempted to give it a try."

Reminiscing the day when the Rambagh Polo Club was chock-o-block with spectators, hooting for the local side during a match sometime back, Dhruvpal said that he escaped by the skin of teeth as the surging crowd invaded the field like a swarm of bees. It was scary but thrilling too."

Asked how optimistic he is to expect a similar situation in future, he said, 'Whatever will be, will be.

"It's like Doris Day's famous song Que Sera Sera," he said with eyes shining.