Athletes empowerment tops New Year wish list, BCCI set to welcome CEO

As we bid farewell to 2023, sportswriter Sharda Ugra shares her whimsical aspirations for the upcoming year. She envisions a reset of the post-Covid sports calendar, urging for a return to normalcy after the confusion of delayed events like the 2020 Tokyo Olympics occurring in 2021. However, she acknowledges the unlikely nature of these wishes.

Ugra's imaginative wishlist includes the Indian Olympic Association's Athletes Commission holding a press conference demanding the creation of an independent body to address issues of sexual harassment, bullying, and abuse in Indian sports. The proposed body, named KISS (Keep Indian Sport Safe), would comprise lawyers, social workers, international experts, and athletes with no conflicts of interest.

Cricket entertainment and governance dreams

In the cricketing world, Ugra envisions the Mumbai Indians launching a streaming channel, 'MI Parivaar,' to address social media controversies. Additionally, she dreams of Virat Kohli taking control of his intellectual property rights, starting ViratTV™, and reshaping the dynamics with the BCCI.

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Furthermore, a whimsical scenario unfolds as the BCCI officials gift themselves VIP lounge tickets, surrendering cricket management to the first independent and capable female CEO. This CEO proposes a fair ticket split and introduces a user-friendly ticketing app.

Bold move in Women's Tennis and unlikely acts of generosity

Ugra fantasizes about Saudi Public Investment Fund's SRJ Sports Investments redirecting its focus to women's tennis, injecting billions to fortify the sport. In an unexpected turn, Japanese baseball player Shohei Ohtani decides to donate all his endorsement earnings to global grassroots baseball.

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While these dreams are far-fetched, they serve as a lighthearted reflection on the hopes for a more positive and progressive sports landscape in 2024.