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The global sports industry, from teams and leagues to companies and investors, navigated uncharted territory to stay engaged and in business in 2020. The sports world has been in the search of a ‘new normal’ for events, operations, training, broadcasting, fan engagement, etc. While 2020 was a highly disruptive year for sports, there is a common belief that brought the entire sports industry together – the eagerness to resume live sports events. The keenness and the drive that led the return of live sports globally, and then in India, is a reminder of the immeasurable binding power and impact that sports has on society.
Sports Cities of India 2021 is a preview assessment of the vision of bringing the biggest global sporting events to the country. The report covers the past, present and future of hosting such events in India. We hope the Indian sports industry will find several actionable insights in this report, as this will lay a base for a much-needed detailed assessment and analysis of all cities in the country, in terms of sports development and preparation for a global sports event.
The key highlight of the report is a survey that assesses the leading sports cities of India and their current ability to host mega sports events. Survey respondents included leading sports professionals from the industry, including professionals from NSFs, associations, government, leagues, clubs, academies, infrastructure developers, sports media and event/sports management agencies, amongst others.
| Sports Cities of India 2021 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| City | Score (on a scale of 0-10) | What's good | What needs improvement |
| Delhi | 7.9 | • As-is ability to host world-class multi-sport events • Fan following during live events. Ease of access and availability of playgrounds/sports facilities • Quality of sports academies and coaching centres. • Quality of stadiums and facilities • Presence of sports businesses, federations/associations, organisations, brands, manufacturers in the city |
• Fan following during live events • Proper utilisation of sports facilities in parts of stadiums |
| Mumbai | 7.9 | • Number of national and international sports events and tournaments being hosted in the city • Large fan following during live events, i.e. high attendance for live sports • Presence of local sports teams in national leagues in the city • Presence of sports businesses, federations/associations, organisations, brands, manufacturers in the city |
• Quality of stadiums and facilities • Fitness and health-conscious society; active involvement in day-to-day sports |
| Bhubaneswar | 7.2 | • Ability to host world-class multi-sport events • Ease of access and availability of playgrounds and sports facilities • Number of national and international sports events and tournaments hosted in the city |
• Presence of sports businesses, federations/associations, organisations, brands, manufacturers in the city • Presence of local sports teams in national leagues |
| Bengaluru | 6.8 | • Large fan following during live events • Ease of access and availability of playgrounds and sports facilities • Fitness and health-conscious society; active involvement in day-to-day sports • Quality of sports and academies and coaching centres • Presence of sports businesses, federations/associations, organisations, brands, manufacturers in the city |
• Presence of sports businesses, federations/associations, organisations, brands, manufacturers in the city • Number of national and international sports events and tournaments being hosted in the city |
| Ahmedabad | 6.4 | • As-is ability to host world-class multi-sport events • Quality of stadiums and facilities • Large fan following during live events |
• Presence of local sports teams in national leagues in the city • Number of international level athletes and Olympians originating from or being trained in the city |
In addition to the Sports Cities of India coverage, the report also showcases select stories of impact in Indian sports covering the journey of top sports foundations (Reliance Foundation, Go-Sports Foundation) and initiatives (Pinkathon).
