The Sports Law & Policy Symposium 2017 Report
Description: International Cricket Council: ICCproceedings Cricket World of Cupthe 2015 – Action Taken ReportSymposium (8 – 28 February, This report documents the Sports Law & Policy 20172015) held in Bengaluru on0 July 15, 2017.
Table of Contents 1.
Introduction .................................................................................................................. 3
2.
Pre-Symposium ............................................................................................................. 4
2.1 Registration ................................................................................................................... 4 2.2 Agenda & Speaker List ................................................................................................... 5 2.3 Partnerships .................................................................................................................. 6 2.4 Logistics ........................................................................................................................ 6 2.5 Press Release ................................................................................................................ 7 2.6 SportzPower Mailer ....................................................................................................... 9 2.7 Social Media Coverage – Pre Symposium .................................................................... 10 3.
Symposium Sessions - #SportsGovernance................................................................. 10
3.1 Welcome Address ....................................................................................................... 10 3.2 Keynote Address ......................................................................................................... 12 3.3 Report Launch ............................................................................................................. 13 3.4 Sports Governance – The Athlete’s Perspective ........................................................... 15 3.5 Sports Lawyering as Activism ....................................................................................... 16 4.
Symposium Sessions - #SportsCommerce................................................................... 17
4.1 Sports Leagues ............................................................................................................ 17 4.2 Sports Broadcasting..................................................................................................... 18 5.
Post-Lunch Session ..................................................................................................... 19
5.1 Lucky Draw .................................................................................................................. 19 5.2 Charity Partner - Increasing Diversity by Increasing Access ............................................ 20
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5.3 Charity Partner - GoSports Foundation .......................................................................... 21 6.
Symposium Sessions - #SportsRegulation ................................................................... 22
6.1 Sports Betting.............................................................................................................. 22 6.2 Anti-Doping ................................................................................................................. 23 7.
Symposium Sessions - #SportsCareers ........................................................................ 24
7.1 Careers in Sports Law .................................................................................................. 24 7.2 Future Challenges........................................................................................................ 25 7.3 Social Media Coverage ................................................................................................ 26 8.
Audience Polls ............................................................................................................ 26
9.
Vote of Thanks & House Resolution ........................................................................... 28
10. Social Media Coverage – Post Symposium .................................................................. 30 11. LawInSport Report – Executive Summary ................................................................... 30 12. Feedback ..................................................................................................................... 33 13. Images & Audio Recordings ........................................................................................ 34 14. The Way Ahead ........................................................................................................... 34
NOTE: No part of this document may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval devices or systems, without prior written permission from The Sports Law & Policy Centre, Bengaluru. This document or information it contains may not be used, reproduced, or disclosed outside of Star India Pvt. Ltd. without authorisation in writing by The Sports Law & Policy Centre, Bengaluru.
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1.
Introduction
The first edition of The Sports Law & Policy Symposium (“Symposium”) was organized by The Sports Law & Policy Centre, Bengaluru (“SLPC”) on Saturday, July 15, 2017 in Bengaluru at the Grand Magrath Hotel (“Venue”). SLPC is an independent think-tank focused on interdisciplinary research, scholarship, education and institutional support for public and private enterprises in areas relating to the legal, policy and ethical issues affecting amateur and professional sports in India. The Centre was formed as collaboration between two Bengaluru based organisations, not-for-profit GoSports Foundation and boutique law firm LawNK, and comprises professionals with extensive knowledge and experience of working in the sports ecosystem in India. Since 2014, SLPC has been consulted inter alia by the Justice Lodha Committee, the Karnataka Knowledge Commission and the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India on matters relating to sports law and policy in India. Further information on SLPC is available here. The Symposium represents the vital first step in bringing together leading sports law practitioners, sports policy experts, in-house counsel, researchers and academicians in India to exchange and share their experiences and learnings on various aspects of the law and policy relating to sports in India. The Symposium brought together over 20 eminent speakers and an audience of over 120 participants. The Symposium was structured around a keynote address, facilitated discussions and presentations. This report provides an overview of the organization and proceedings of the Symposium. The remainder of this report is structured as follows. The following section provides a summary of the actions taken by SLPC prior to the Symposium. Section 3 of the report summarizes the proceedings of the sessions on Sports Governance followed by a summary of proceedings on Sports Commerce under Section 4. The presentations by representatives of our charity partners, Increasing Diversity by Increasing Access (“IDIA”) and GoSports Foundation (“GSF”) are summarized under Section 5 followed by the Symposium Sessions on Sports Regulation provided in Section 6 of the report. Section 7 provides a summary of the
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sessions on Sports Careers. A summary of the interactive live poll conducted alongside the proceedings of the symposium, the vote of thanks and passing of the house resolution is provided in Section 8. Section 9 provides an overview of the structure of the Symposium that is proposed for 2018 and concludes this report. 2. Pre-Symposium 2.1
Registration
In order to gauge the level of interest among sports lawyers, sports policy experts and students for an event such as the Symposium, SLPC circulated an online ‘Expression of Interest’ form to lawyers, academics and students on May 21, 2017. SLPC received 124 responses expressing an interest in attending an event such as the Symposium. The ‘Expression of Interest’ form is available here. Thereafter, on July 5, 2017, SLPC circulated a formal Registration form to all prospective participants. SLPC received 148 registrations ahead of the Symposium. Of these, 140 registrants (including speakers) attended the Symposium. The Registration form is available here.
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The dress code for the symposium was the attendees’ favourite sports jersey, with the motive to enhance the sporty atmosphere at the Symposium. 2.2
Agenda & Speaker List
One of the guiding principles of the Symposium was to ensure that a wide range of relevant and engaging topics were deliberated upon. In this context, the topics for the Symposium were broadly categorized into topics relating to – Sports Governance, Sports Commerce, Sports Regulation and Sports Careers. The formal agenda for the Symposium is enclosed for reference.
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Thereafter, SLPC identified relevant experts in each of the topic areas and formal invitations were extended to the speakers on July 1, 2017. 2.3
Partnerships
Star India Pvt. Ltd., India’s leading media and Entertainment Company, sponsored the Symposium as the ‘Presenting Partner’. Further, the Symposium was also partnered by Copyright Integrity Advisory (India) Pvt. Ltd., one of the world’s leading rights management companies, and LawInSport, a leading website widely recognised as an authority in the field of sports law. These partnerships were reflected in all branding and collateral created for the Symposium and displayed at the Venue. LawInSport, as the knowledge partner, also distributed materials on Sports Law to all attendees. An indicative illustration of the sponsor branding for the Symposium is provided below.
2.4
Logistics
SLPC covered stay and travel for all Speakers and special invitees. For the Symposium, SLPC organised lunch and two sessions of refreshments for 150 participants at the Venue.
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2.5
Press Release
SLPC issued a press release on July 12, 2017, 3 days prior to the Symposium. The press release is enclosed for reference.
Abhinav Bindra & (Retd.) Justice Mukul Mudgal among speakers at The Sports Law & Policy Symposium to be held in Bengaluru Event aims to provoke debate and discussion on legal and policy environment required for sustainable growth of Indian sports ecosystem Bengaluru, July 12, 2017 – The inaugural edition of The Sports Law & Policy Symposium 2017 presented by Star Sports, will be hosted in Bengaluru on July 15, 2017. The Symposium is sponsored by broadcaster STAR India Pvt. Ltd., and is an initiative of The Sports Law & Policy Centre and GoSports Foundation. This edition of the Symposium will feature a keynote address by (Retd.) Justice Mukul Mudgal, Chairman of FIFA’s Governance Committee, on the “Evolving Role of Sports Lawyers in India”. India’s only individual Olympic gold medallist, Abhinav Bindra, will offer an athlete’s perspective on sports governance. A number of the country’s top sports lawyers will also present on various contemporary topics in Sports Governance, Sports Commerce, Sports Broadcasting, Sports Regulation and Sports Law Careers. The Sports Law & Policy Centre will also release a report entitled “Ten Reforms Indian Sports Administration Needs” outlining specific reform proposals and their context and potential impact. The Symposium aims to bring together leading sports law practitioners, sports policy experts, in-house counsel, researchers and academicians in India to exchange and share their experiences and learnings on various aspects of the law and policy relating to sports in India. Mr. Nandan Kamath, Principal Lawyer at LawNK and Managing Trustee of GoSports Foundation, said “While sport in India is developing rapidly, there exists the need for
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associated laws and policies that surround organised sports to evolve at a similar pace to meet the requirements of modern sport and sportspersons. We hope that through the Symposium we are able to provide thought leadership, encourage informed public debate and bring knowledge-backed decision making into the Indian sports ecosystem, by creating a forum for study, analysis and sharing of expertise in sports law and policy. While we focus on giving talent its due support, it is equally important that we are thoughtful about the environment in which Indian talent can progress and achieve on the world stage.” Mr. Deepak Jacob, President & General Counsel (Legal & Regulatory Affairs), STAR India Pvt. Ltd. said, “The need of the hour in India is to sensitize stakeholders on the business model for sports and its dynamics. While diving into governance aspects and issues in the sports sector is extremely important, doing so without a studied understanding of sports as a business could lead to decisions detrimental to the sector as a whole and render India’s ambition to be a sporting superpower an academic thought. Within these stakeholders, it is important that young and upcoming lawyers equip themselves with the necessary knowledge on the sports business model which will help them deal more effectively with current and ongoing legal and policy challenges. I therefore compliment The Sports Law & Policy Centre, Bengaluru for organising such a symposium that marks a beginning amongst the Indian legal fraternity in discussing these issues and creating a forum to discuss, debate, educate and deal with sports across its friction points.”
For further information about the Sports Law & Policy Symposium 2017 Please contact The Sports Law & Policy Centre at:
[email protected] or
[email protected]
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2.6
SportzPower Mailer
SportzPower is the internet brand from Sportz Network Pvt Ltd, an independently owned company operating in the areas of media, marketing and events in India's fast developing sports industry. SportzPower provides daily business information around broadcasting, TV, media, marketing, advertising, events, medicine, technology, lifestyle and legal aspects of the sports sector in India, and has a substantial readership in the sports industry. Prior to the event, SportzPower issued a mailer, announcing the Sports Law & policy Symposium 2017 presented by Star Sports. The mailer circulated by SportzPower is enclosed for reference.
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2.7
Social Media Coverage – Pre Symposium
To generate interest in the week leading up to the Symposium, SLPC curated social media posts that were posted on SLPC’s social media channels, and encouraged all speakers to share the posts on their social media pages.
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3.
Symposium Sessions - #SportsGovernance
3.1 Welcome Address The Symposium commenced with a welcome address from Mr. Nandan Kamath, Principal Lawyer at LawNK and Managing Trustee of GoSports Foundation.
In his address, Mr. Kamath spoke of the manner in which sports law in India had changed and evolved, especially in the recent past. He added that these were exciting times for the sports law community, with the emergence of new challenges and opportunities. The importance of the Symposium was also highlighted, considering it was the first time such a wide range of eminent speakers had convened in one place. Mr. Kamath thanked all the attendees and partners for their generosity in making the event possible.
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3.2 Keynote Address The Keynote Address at the Symposium was delivered by (Retd.) Justice Mukul Mudgal, Chairman of FIFA’s Governance Committee.
Speaking on the “Evolving Role of Sports Lawyers in India”, Justice Mudgal began by delivering a word of praise to the organizers of the Symposium and proceeded to narrate a few interesting anecdotes about his background in sports, while representing Delhi University at water polo. Justice Mudgal spoke of the increasing relevance of sports law in India, which was being reflected in landmark cases such as the Zee Telefilms matter. Justice Mudgal noted with optimism that media coverage of sporting issues was also increasing. According to Justice Mudgal, it was critical for a sports lawyer to have an inherent knowledge of sporting disciplines before venturing into the legal field. Such knowledge was all the more important considering that sportspersons are often at the mercy of associations and need better representation. With respect to the future, Justice Mudgal stated that sports lawyers would need to have an association of their own, for promoting dialogue on developing aspects. Justice Mudgal also mentioned that it was the need of the hour to have a sports arbitration forum for disputes, considering the specific aspects of sports and the time-bound nature of sportspersons’ careers. Such a forum could possibly lead to a lower number of sports cases in courts, which could only be an improvement considering the massive backlogs that courts already have.
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3.3 Report Launch A report prepared by SLPC entitled, “Ten Reforms Indian Sports Administration Needs” was launched by Justice Mukul Mudgal, Mr. Nandan Kamath and Mr. Abhinav Bindra, India’s only individual Olympic gold medallist. The report is available here.
The report outlined specific reform proposals and their context and potential impact. A brief overview of the proposals was put forward by Ms. Shan Kohli, the Editor of the report and a Researcher at SLPC.
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Ms. Kohli first spoke of the structural reforms that were necessary, such as (i) including ‘sports’ in the Concurrent List of the Constitution of India, (ii) constituting a Sports Regulatory Authority, (iii) creating a Sports Election Commission, and (iv) constituting a Sports Tribunal, which could come under the ambit of the Regulatory Authority.
The report further suggested reforms addressing ‘integrity’ related issues in sport by (i) proposing a set of uniform guidelines to tackle age-fraud, (ii) passing anti-doping legislation and (iii) criminalising match manipulation. With regard to issues of inclusion and broadbased representation, the report proposes the institution of athlete and gender representation across sports federations in the country. Last but not least, the report also
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proposed rationalising the sanctioning power of sports federations for professional leagues, apart from incentivising sports funding and participation. A copy of the report was emailed to all attendees upon conclusion of the session. 3.4 Sports Governance – The Athlete’s Perspective In a moderated discussion with Ms. Deepthi Bopaiah, Executive Director of GoSports Foundation, Mr. Abhinav Bindra then offered an athlete’s perspective on sports governance in India.
Mr. Bindra was asked questions pertaining to his autobiography “A Shot at History: My Obsessive Journey to Olympic Gold” and more specifically the penultimate chapter therein titled “Mr. Indian Official: Thanks for Nothing”, and on his illustrious career. Mr. Bindra stated that a number of sports federations were losing sight of the bigger picture when they insisted on autonomy and not accountability. He commented that the situation had become marginally better today than it was during the peak of his career. In this candid session, Mr. Bindra addressed issues plaguing different sporting disciplines and insisted that talent had to be identified and nurtured from a much younger age than is being
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done currently. Mr. Bindra also added that structural reforms were necessary in sports federations, and gave some insightful answers to questions from the audience, one of which was whether athletes would always make good administrators. 3.5 Sports Lawyering as Activism Renowned sports activist and lawyer Mr. Rahul Mehra then took to the stage for a talk on ‘Sports Lawyering as Activism’.
In perhaps the most popular session of the Symposium, the straight-talking Mr. Mehra spoke first about his makings as a lawyer, dating back to 1999 with his first litigation. He stressed upon the importance of perseverance as a lawyer, which he stated, would take any lawyer to the top of his or her field. He highlighted some of his illustrious experiences as a lawyer to the audience, with one of his biggest cases being a Public Interest Litigation filed against the cricket board seeking accountability and transparency in the way it was run. Mr. Mehra then addressed the politicisation of sport in India, stating that it was the biggest impediment to progress. Some examples given by him pertaining to this were the inclusion of honorary posts in sporting federations and the fact that Right to Information applications were being stonewalled, without any reason. He also added that athletes were becoming
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good despite the system and not because of it, and kept stressing the need to eliminate the nexus between politics and sports.
4.
Symposium Sessions - #SportsCommerce
4.1 Sports Leagues A short tea break was followed by a discussion on ‘Structuring and Operating Sports Leagues’, with Mr. Nandan Kamath engaging eminent sports lawyers Mr. Desh Gaurav Sekhri and Mr. Anish Dayal on their experiences and learnings in structuring sports leagues in India.
Mr. Sekhri is a sports attorney and the author of “Not Out! The incredible story of the Indian Premier League”. Mr. Dayal is an advocate at the Supreme Court. To provide perspective, Mr. Sekhri spoke about the components of an American sports league and how it differed from a league in India with respect to duration, infrastructure, due diligence and the composition of players’ unions. He also added that there was no distinction between amateurs and professionals in the world of Indian sport, as was the case with many other countries. Mr. Sekhri opined that the definition of a ‘league’ itself was not
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particularly well interpreted sometimes. Mr. Dayal then took this discussion forward by talking about the way leagues in India were essentially federation-based structures which had a lot of control and domination over players. According to Mr. Dayal, this could prove to be problematic as sanctions could be imposed in an informal mechanism, owing to the federation’s clout. The members of the panel then put forward their views on why some sporting leagues would not survive in the long run in India, with some reasons being commercial greed, lack of full ownership of teams, no developmental agenda and smaller revenues. The panel then simulated a situation wherein Mr. Kamath and Mr. Sekhri played the roles of two sports professionals who were interested in starting a professional “para-sailing league”, and Mr. Dayal played the role of a sports lawyer who was advising them on structuring the league, and on the commercial and legal issues that they need to be aware of. 4.2 Sports Broadcasting The final session before lunch, the ‘Key Issues in Sports Broadcasting Contracts’ then followed. The speakers on this panel were Ms. Roxanne Anderson, Partner, AZB & Partners, Mr. Sidharth Chopra, Partner at Saikrishna and Associates, and Mr. Roshan Gopalakrishna, Chief Legal Counsel, Copyright Integrity International.
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Ms. Anderson spoke about the issues to consider while drafting broadcasting contracts, primarily contracted rights, holdback rights, monetization rights and contractual restraints. Mr. Chopra then provided an overview of The Sports Broadcasting Signals (Mandatory Sharing with Prasar Bharati) Act, 2007, its impact on the sports broadcasting industry in India and discussed a few important points from the Star Sports India Pvt. Ltd. v. Prasar Bharti & Ors. case and the ongoing matter of Prasar Bharati vs. Board of Control for Cricket in India & Ors. Mr. Gopalakrishna, then spoke about the Challenges to Sports Broadcasts and explained what constituted rights infringement by providing a few examples. He also highlighted some strategies that could be followed for rights protection for current challenges and the way ahead for containment and management of piracy.
5.
Post-Lunch Session
5.1 Lucky Draw The post lunch session commenced with an exciting lucky draw where nine attendees were picked from a lottery and three each were presented with a signed copy of bestselling books like “A Shot at History” by Abhinav Bindra, “Not Out!: The Incredible Story of The Indian Premier League” by Desh Gaurav Sekhri and annual subscriptions to LawInSport.
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5.2 Charity Partner - Increasing Diversity by Increasing Access Increasing Diversity by Increasing Access (IDIA) is a project that was initiated to reach out to marginalized and under-represented groups, sensitize them to law as a viable career option and help interested students acquire admission to these law schools.
Representing IDIA at the Symposium, Mr. Swaraj Paul Barooah, Executive Vice President, IDIA, showed the audience a video highlighting the impact that IDIA’s work is making at the
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grassroots level, and spoke about IDIA’s fervent hope that such access to legal education would go some way towards empowering marginalized and underprivileged students and the communities that they represent. 5.3 Charity Partner - GoSports Foundation GoSports Foundation (GSF) is a non-profit venture working towards the development of some of India's most talented emerging and elite athletes, competing in Olympic and Paralympic disciplines.
Representing GSF at the Symposium, Ms. Aparna Ravichandran, Head - Partnerships, GSF showed the audience a video highlighting the impact that GSF’s work is making especially for junior athletes, and spoke about GSF’s mission of Empowering India's Olympians and Paralympians that is premised on the belief that sporting champions are created when the right talent gets the right support at the right time.
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6.
Symposium Sessions - #SportsRegulation
6.1 Sports Betting The post-lunch session formally commenced with a ‘Big Debate’ between gaming laws expert Mr. Jay Sayta and Mr. Amrut Joshi, Partner at Gamechanger Law Advisors.
The proposition for the debate was whether ‘Sports Betting Should Be Legalized’ in India, with Mr. Sayta speaking for legalization and Mr. Joshi speaking against it – these were positions that they were each requested to take for the purpose of debate, recognizing that they may not necessarily reflect their personal opinions. Mr. Sayta spoke of the employment opportunities that would arise from such legalization and the massive tax revenues that would be generated. He brought out the perspective of some countries which have legalized betting on sports such as the United Kingdom. Mr. Sayta also argued that such regulated betting would curb criminal incidents in sport such as match fixing and spot fixing. Mr. Joshi then put forward his arguments and stated that a lot of factors would arise if such betting were to be legalized. Some of the most critical aspects, he stated were not economic but would cause a lot of societal damage. He cited possible examples of individuals becoming addicted to gambling and losing large amounts of money on it, leading to
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bankruptcy. Mr. Joshi also stated that such negligent gambling could have a detrimental impact on families by exposing children to the activity. He also stated that there was potential for misuse of the revenues and there was no guarantee on whether it would actually curb criminal elements in sport. 6.2 Anti-Doping Mr. Anish Dayal then spoke to the audience of his experience in dealing with anti-doping matters.
Mr. Dayal stated that doping related matters were always an emotive issue with vitriol from the public that came along with it. He explained how it was almost always a pro bono issue when it came to athletes slapped with doping charges, considering the expensive amounts to be paid for litigation. Mr. Dayal narrated to the audience that it was important for lawyers to take up these cases as most athletes came from poor backgrounds and a doping sanction would lead to them becoming outcasts without legal access. To provide some perspective on the issue, Mr. Dayal gave a brief introduction into the functioning of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the National Anti-Doping Agency
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(NADA). He proceeded to explain the procedures and standards for dope testing in India and outside, and stated that these standards and procedures were not always adhered to in India. Mr. Dayal provided four examples of his experience in representing Subrata Pal, Inderjit Singh, Nirupama Devi and the 4x400m women’s relay team that had previously won an iconic gold medal for India at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in doping related matters.
7.
Symposium Sessions - #SportsCareers
7.1 Careers in Sports Law The penultimate session was intended for students interested in a career in sports law and was a panel between five lawyers who deal with sports issues in different capacities. The session was moderated by Ms. Manali Kulkarni from LawInSport.
Ms. Vandana Gupte, Head – Legal at IMG Reliance explained that her career had shaped out in a very unconventional way, with sports law happening at the right moment in her career, and out of her varied experience as a litigator and in-house counsel. Mr. Shivam Singh,
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Sports Law and Dispute Resolution Counsel, dealt with his experiences studying and researching sports law in the U.S. and his experiences as a litigator. Mr. Antariksh Das, Head of Legal at LOC FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017, spoke about his experience in working with a full-service law firm that is proving to be of immense assistance in his current role. Ms. Aahna Mehrotra, Consultant, Sports Law and Management, spoke about her background in sport and how her experiences studying sports law abroad had shaped her in many ways to practise in India. The final speaker, Mr. Saurabh Bhattacharjee, Assistant Professor, WB National University of Juridical Sciences, highlighted how important it was to have a thorough understanding of how sports law worked by understanding academic aspects and their impact. He stressed upon writing regularly for sports-specific subjects and developing a body of research. 7.2 Future Challenges The final talk for the day was delivered by Mr. Nandan Kamath who stated that the title of the talk could either be ‘5 Future Challenges for the Sports Lawyer’ or ‘5 Challenges for the Future Sports Lawyer’.
In this segment, Mr. Kamath stated that sports lawyers of the future would need to evolve with their particular roles. He opined that the role of sports lawyers would not just be
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limited to one aspect, but would also correspond or get related to other things. He identified the parallels that would explain the evolving nature of sports law by likening future sports lawyers as Economists, Business Strategists, Technologists, Political Scientists and Dug-out Staff. Essentially, Mr. Kamath identified the tenets of these subject matters and explained how they were similar to the tasks sports lawyers would have to do later. 7.3 Social Media Coverage In the course of the Symposium, SLPC curated further social media posts on SLPC’s social media channels, providing live updates of the event.
8.
Audience Polls
Interactive Live polling engaged the audience throughout the Symposium. A list of the questions and the responses for each questions are enclosed for reference.
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9.
Vote of Thanks & House Resolution
The Vote of Thanks was delivered by Mr. Roshan Gopalakrishna, Senior Researcher at SLPC. Mr. Gopalakrishna thanked the partners, speakers and the audience for making the Symposium a great success, and hoped for their support for future editions of the Symposium.
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Prior to the official conclusion of the Symposium a House Resolution was passed unanimously through a show of hands. The house resolved as follows “We, the participants of the Sports Law & Policy Symposium 2017, recognising: 1. The immense potential of sport to build a stronger India; 2. The diverse challenges that confront the various stakeholders in Indian sport; and 3. The role of law and policy design in creating a vibrant, professional and sustainable eco-system for sports in India, Hereby resolve to – 1. participate actively in sports law, policy and administrative reform in India; 2. remain cognisant of and to advance the public interest and athlete welfare in the practice of sport law and in policy design; 3. seek the appropriate balance of governance, commerce and regulation that will create sustainable sports structures and institutions; and 4. develop, share and disseminate accessible knowledge on sports law and policy matters to the various stakeholders in Indian sport.”
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10. Social Media Coverage – Post Symposium SLPC published social media posts on SLPC’s social media channels, post the conclusion of the Symposium highlighting the overwhelming response. In aggregate, the social media posts generated close to 27,000 organic impressions, 150 retweets and 350 likes.
In addition, some of the speakers and attendees at the Symposium shared their views about the organisation of the Symposium through social media posts. Some of the posts are enclosed for reference.
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11. LawInSport Report – Executive Summary LawInSport, the knowledge partners of the Symposium, published a report titled “Developing Sports Law In India – Key Take-Aways from the Sports Law & Policy Symposium 2017” authored by Ms. Manali Kulkarni, summarising the key aspects of the Symposium. The report is available here. To quote extracts from the report: “[I]t seemed that the common thread throughout the conference was initiating reform that would ensure sustainable growth of sports in India and the strength of the regulatory framework which monitors Indian sports. In my opinion, [the SLPC team] took the critical first step towards bettering Indian sports both in the regulatory space as well as commercial. [C]reating an atmosphere that encourages dialogue and brings to light the leading issues in Indian sports and its law, is pivotal is furthering change. The Symposium, given its content and structure, accomplished this and has likely laid the foundation to ensure long-term sustainable change to Indian sport. With these in mind, I look forward to following SLPC’s work and attending next year to hear about the growth of Indian sports and its governance, particularly to see the effects of this year’s Symposium at the national and international levels.”
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12. Feedback Upon conclusion of the Symposium, all attendees received a link to a feedback form. SLPC received 75 responses, a vast majority of which praised the efficient organisation of the Symposium, the choice of topics and the quality of the speakers. An approximate aggregate score for all the sessions is enclosed for reference.
The attendees’ feedback on a scale of 1 to 5, with respect to the various sessions of the Symposium are enclosed in the Annexure hereto. Apart from feedback with respect to the Symposium, suggestions were solicited from the attendees for future editions of the Symposium. In the additional feedback, attendees expressed their views regarding the topics of their interest discussed in the Symposium like
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Framework for development of Sports Law Education in India, Anti-Doping, Sports and Intellectual Property Rights and Framework for development of Sports Law Education in India and are hoping for more detailed sessions on the same in the future editions of the Symposium. 13. Images & Audio Recordings SLPC engaged professional service providers to photograph the proceedings of the Symposium, and to record the audio content for each session. Images from the Symposium can be accessed here, while the audio recordings of the sessions at the Symposium can be accessed here.
14. The Way Ahead SLPC facilitated press interactions with Mr. Abhinav Bindra and issued a press release upon conclusion of the Symposium. Coverage of the Symposium appeared in various publications such as The Hindu, Deccan Herald and Times of India, as well as popular digital platforms such as Scroll.in, cricinfo.com and Wisden India. The news article published in the Times of India featuring the report on sports administration reforms is enclosed for reference.
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To ensure that SLPC carries forward the momentum built at the Symposium, SLPC has undertaken a few follow-up actions. SLPC has also created a LinkedIn group on ‘Indian Sports Law & Policy’, and is in discussion with LawInSport to create a dedicated forum for the discussion of India specific sports law and policy issues. In the medium-term, SLPC hopes to create informal working groups on the topics discussed at the Symposium, and in the longterm to create a formal body of sports lawyers and policy experts in India. For the 2018 edition of the Symposium, SLPC proposes a two-day event. One day each will be devoted to issues relating to ‘Sports Policy’ and ‘Sports Law’ in India, to ensure detailed deliberation on these matters. SLPC remains committed to remaining at the fore-front of sports law and sports policy related though-leadership in India. We look forward to the continued support from Star India Pvt. Ltd. in this endeavour. If you have any comments with respect to this report, please do not hesitate to contact Mr. Nandan Kamath at any time.
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Annexure Analysis of Feedback Received
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