Multipolis Mumbai: Sports and the City

Arun Janardhan has spent over two decades working as a writer-editor for newspapers, the television and the digital media, mostly in Mumbai. During this time, he has worked in The Asian Age (Delhi), The Indian Express, Mid Day Multimedia, New Delhi Television (NDTV), Mint (Hindustan Times) and starsports.com/hotstar (Star India). He started his career as a sports reporter before moving on to covering the business of sport, features and lifestyle and jointly editing Mint’s online weekend magazine Mint on Sunday. He is currently an independent content consultant and freelance contributor to Mint, GQ India, Forbes, Firstpost and Nation of Sport among others. As a sports writer, he actively reported on tennis, badminton besides occasionally writing about football, hockey and cricket and remains eternally optimistic about India’s growing power as a sporting nation.

Digvijay Singh Kathiwada is co-founder of Sportsqvest.com, an innovative sportswear brand that strives for net zero-waste manufacturing to create a positive environmental impact in business and sport. In 2015 he founded Kathiwada Arts & Sports, a charitable sports memorabilia auction house to promote, preserve and highlight the rich sporting legacy of our country.

Hrishikesh Kannan popularly known as Hrishi K is producer & presenter on the nations biggest breakfast radio show on 94.3 RadioOne & Podcast creator & anchor on the online platforms ‘moneycontrol.com’ & ‘Book My Show Jukebox’. A Multiple RAPA & PROMAX award winning radio host & voice artiste, Hrishikay has just been felicitated with the “Afternoon Newsmakers Achievers Award” in the category ‘Best Radio Personality’ & an “EEMAX Global Award 2019” for ‘Best Awards Ceremony Emcee / Compere’.

Ujwal Deole, COO, KheloMore Sports Pvt. Ltd., is a mixed bag of tricks. He has a Bachelors and a Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad. His corporate stint includes half a decade in the US where he designed and sold seed research machinery for Monsanto followed by 6 yrs of Corporate Strategy and Management Consulting with L&T Defense and KPMG Infrastructure Advisory. However, as a weekend tennis player, his real calling was the sports industry and he followed his heart to be the founding member of KheloMore Sports, to setup marketplace for sports participation in India. Khelomore.com today houses more than 3000 entities ranging across coaches, academies, turfs, sports venues, clubs, gymkhanas, tournaments and running events, all bookable through a seamless booking process. Ujwal, very proudly, manages the entire operations and business strategy of KheloMore Sports.

Vivek Singh is Jt. MD at Procam International Pvt Limited In existence since 1988, Procam International is a pioneer in the field of sports management. Procam has carved out a niche for itself as a company that does the impossible and does it well. The Tata Mumbai Marathon (in the top 10 Marathons of the world), the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon, the Tata Consultancy Services World 10K Bangalore and the Tata Steel Kolkata 25K Run are some of the largest running events in the world today. In addition to motivating thousands in India, to take on a healthier and fitter lifestyle, the Marathons have raised millions of Dollars for different charitable causes. They have underscored the fact that private commercial initiative and social interests are complementary. In March 2017, Procam broke new ground with an unparalleled initiative – The NEXA P1 Powerboat Grand Prix of the Seas. Conducted in Mumbai at the Marine Drive bay – the event had the world’s best drivers and navigators racing P1 Panther boats inside a specially constructed racecourse on water. This heralded a new sporting paradigm in India and provided the world with a new racing format. Procam is also involved in sports consultancy, Live Television production and player endorsement.A graduate in economics from Bombay University, his business sense, eye for detail and hands on approach make him a respected leader of the sports industry.

Ayesha Billimoria is a 3-time national champion in the 200mtrs from the year 2001 to 2003. She has represented the state of Maharashtra for 17 consecutive years and has held several national and state titles along with being the Fastest Girl in India in her teens. She currently works as an athletics coach and movement specialist in Mumbai and believes that all training is a process of education, awareness and experience. With a 4-year training stint in Sydney, Australia from the year 2010 to 2014, her former coach Gavin Fernandes who is a Olympic Gold medallist in Boxing (physiotherapist) taught Ayesha that Sports and Life always go hand in hand. Her own experience of emerging as a leader and not a follower makes her the Fitgirl India, that she is known as today, across the nation. In 2016 she started her own social enterprise by the name of Project Fitgirl, which aims at educating young children at Government school level and rural India. This project works in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh & Madhya Pradesh where the highest number of adolescent girls are uneducated (UP). A TEDx speaker, a key note speaker at the World Zoroastrian Congress and holding a strong voice for gender equality & Environment has turned her into a motivational speaker reminding society that co existence is the way to lead a peaceful and happy life , Ayesha now carries the flag of leading young boys and girls of India to be independent, confident and leaders in their respective fields. After training and gaining knowledge under world class coaches in London, Africa, Germany and Australia. The book "Run' is a part of Ayesha's lifestyle and passion which she pursued for 22 long years. A battle to the Olympic berth at the age of 32 and a quest to make people across the country more aware about the gift of running and how it can be life changing.