It is with immense pride and a deep
sense of purpose that I welcome you to this historic occasion—the official
launch of the Students World Cup. Today, we are not merely inaugurating a
tournament; we are igniting the flame of a vision, a movement, a mission—a
mission rooted in the transformative goal of Viksit Bharat @ 2047, with the
National Sports Policy 2025 and Students World Cup serving as a critical
milestone on that path.
It would be far too modest of me to speak to this august audience about sports. Each one of you is a legend in your own right—individuals who have lived and breathed sports, who have shaped your lives through sheer will, discipline, character, humility in defeat, and courage in resurgence. You have brought honor to the nation—and now, you are here to give even more, sharing your experience of the good, the bad, and the ugly in the world of sports. I bow to each of you—with deep awe, respect, and gratitude.
During my school days, I played almost every sport I could find. I had a burning passion for perfection and a deep commitment to give my best in everything I did. Yet, despite this love for sports, I never became a professional sportsperson. My pursuit of excellence took a different path. I have often envied sportspeople—for they get to play matches, while I have spent nearly five decades only practicing—in courtrooms, as an advocate.
In the year 2000, moved by a profound sense of national disappointment, former Solicitor General of India, Mr. V.R. Reddy, and I published a quarter-page advertisement titled "Bronze for a Billion." This followed the Sydney Olympics, where Karnam Malleswari won a bronze medal in the women’s 69 kg weightlifting event—India’s only medal that year. Like many fellow citizens, I felt not just sadness but a deep sense of torment at our nations under whelming performance on the international stage.
By that time, I had completed 25 years of practice in the Supreme Court, and I had come to a clear understanding—just like justice, winning medals is never an accident. It is the culmination of relentless human endeavour, discipline, vision, and systematic preparation. Medals are forged in the crucible of fierce competition, and often tested against the backdrop of unfair play, especially by those who believe in winning accolades at any cost.
So, if we were not winning medals, it was evident that something was drastically wrong—fundamentally flawed—in the very structuring of our sports ecosystem. And if that was the case, it wasn’t merely unfortunate—it was disastrous. It meant that the aspirations of young athletes were being stifled, their potential choked at the root, and their cries for support went unheard. Somewhere, somehow, all this deeply offended my sense of justice and fair play.
In 2004, I was appointed the Additional Advocate General for the State of Rajasthan. With a burning fire in my belly, I urged the then Chief Minister to channel the energy of our youth into sports by enacting a Sports Act, which she totally supported with enthusiasm and passion. I told her that whenever a thesis is born, the antithesis already exists. Raavan existed before Shri Raam and Kans before Shri Krishan. We must expect resistance from known and unknown quarters, even to something as seemingly harmless as a Sports Act proposed by a relatively quiet state, one that had won just a single bronze medal in the 2003 National Games in Hyderabad.
And resistance came, as expected. From all quarters: from the Indian Olympic Association, National federations, State Associations, bureaucratic corridors that were reluctant to upset the status quo. To me, that resistance made the mission even more interesting and compelling, it confirmed that I was on the right path. I immersed myself in the study of global sports ecosystems—the Olympic movement, sports industry in USA, UK, Germany, France, Australia, Russia, China, Argentina, and every credible resource available on the internet. I analysed Basketball, Football, Baseball and other leagues, international federations, regulatory frameworks, funding models, scouting systems, and more to evolve a structure and system that could fit and was suitable to us.
Two critical issues struck me during this journey. Firstly, I discovered that the British Olympic Association did not take a single penny from the Government—a revelation that proved sports has its own economics. In contrast, I was hearing that the Indian sports industry was in shambles because of lack of funds. What I did not hear but soon realised that the available funds rarely reached the players, nor were they invested in infrastructure. Instead, the money disappeared into a maze of mismanagement and misplaced priorities of foreign tours and late-night parties of the office bearers. It became increasingly clear, the problem was not a lack of talent, or even a lack of financial resources. The real issue lay in the absence of legal and corporate structure, accountability, commitment and long-term vision of those who were controlling sports.
Secondly, I discovered that out of 150 recognized International Sports Federations out of 8000 sports played around the world, not a single International Sports Federation was registered in India, not even Kabaddi and Kho Kho. As a result, all major revenue in the global sports economy flowed overseas, with no anchoring of the sports industry within our borders. The global sports industry today is estimated at $2 trillion, while in India, it has barely reached $20 billion. Determined to address these gaps, I went through 52 drafts over four months to build a legislative framework.
Eventually, the Rajasthan Sports Ordinance, 2004 was promulgated by the Governor of Rajasthan on August 17, 2004—coincidentally, the very same day Rajyavardhan Rathore won a silver medal at the Athens Olympics. A good omen. The validity of the Act was fiercely contested—first in the High Court, and later in the Supreme Court. But its impact was immediate and far-reaching within the sports sector. It was as if the Raavan’s at the top had sensed the birth of a Raam and were making all out efforts to stall its growth.
The Rajasthan Sports Act cleared the way for Lalit Modi’s election as President of the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) in February 2005, followed by the enactment of similar Sports Acts in Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, which as envisioned led to a change in the leadership of the BCCI in November 2005. Sharad Panwar in J. Dalmiya out. That change ultimately led to the birth of the Indian Premier League in 2008. What started as a $ 0.8 billion enterprise is today an $18.5 billion global phenomenon.
But let us be clear and I repeat, let us all be clear, IPL is not a league in the truest sense. It is a tournament, not a grassroots ecosystem. The spirit and intent of the Sports Act that made IPL possible have not percolated downward. It has not created a broad-based sports industry or institutional framework aligned with the vision I had imagined, and for that reason, I was not comfortable. I knew much more needed to be done. Sports Act of Himachal Pradesh and UP were repealed, the only surviving Sports Act is in Rajasthan. Sad but true
We are in a better place today with Government of India pushing and doing its best. But the real progress is neither due to the Government for nothing is being done for re-structuring the sports ecosystem The progress is nor due to the support of the IOA, sports federations, or associations. It is the result of individual passion, family sacrifice, community support, and the relentless efforts of coaches working in silos. Even on the global stage, the model is deeply skewed. The Olympics generates over $7.7 billion in revenue, yet not a single dollar reaches the sportspersons—the very lifeblood, the creators of that value.
All this, I had shared with Rajeev more than a decade and half ago, when I met him by a divine design and saw the same burning passion in him for the youth and the nation. He kept the idea alive brewing it quietly and meaningfully in his mind, nurturing it with his team and friends and discussing it now and then. And now, the Students World Cup has taken shape, born from a simple yet powerful purpose: to play sports a way of life for every student. To create a platform where talent—from every school, district, state, and nation—can come together not just to express themselves, but to connect, collaborate, and celebrate excellence.
The Students World Cup must achieve what IPL cannot. This is our contribution to a larger national mission: to build a sporting culture that touches every home, every classroom, every playground—and eventually, every heart. We are looking to built a nation, while they are stuck with brand valuation, which for us is co-incidental, logical consequence.
It would be far too modest of me to speak to this august audience about sports. Each one of you is a legend in your own right—individuals who have lived and breathed sports, who have shaped your lives through sheer will, discipline, character, humility in defeat, and courage in resurgence. You have brought honor to the nation—and now, you are here to give even more, sharing your experience of the good, the bad, and the ugly in the world of sports. I bow to each of you—with deep awe, respect, and gratitude.
During my school days, I played almost every sport I could find. I had a burning passion for perfection and a deep commitment to give my best in everything I did. Yet, despite this love for sports, I never became a professional sportsperson. My pursuit of excellence took a different path. I have often envied sportspeople—for they get to play matches, while I have spent nearly five decades only practicing—in courtrooms, as an advocate.
In the year 2000, moved by a profound sense of national disappointment, former Solicitor General of India, Mr. V.R. Reddy, and I published a quarter-page advertisement titled "Bronze for a Billion." This followed the Sydney Olympics, where Karnam Malleswari won a bronze medal in the women’s 69 kg weightlifting event—India’s only medal that year. Like many fellow citizens, I felt not just sadness but a deep sense of torment at our nations under whelming performance on the international stage.
By that time, I had completed 25 years of practice in the Supreme Court, and I had come to a clear understanding—just like justice, winning medals is never an accident. It is the culmination of relentless human endeavour, discipline, vision, and systematic preparation. Medals are forged in the crucible of fierce competition, and often tested against the backdrop of unfair play, especially by those who believe in winning accolades at any cost.
So, if we were not winning medals, it was evident that something was drastically wrong—fundamentally flawed—in the very structuring of our sports ecosystem. And if that was the case, it wasn’t merely unfortunate—it was disastrous. It meant that the aspirations of young athletes were being stifled, their potential choked at the root, and their cries for support went unheard. Somewhere, somehow, all this deeply offended my sense of justice and fair play.
In 2004, I was appointed the Additional Advocate General for the State of Rajasthan. With a burning fire in my belly, I urged the then Chief Minister to channel the energy of our youth into sports by enacting a Sports Act, which she totally supported with enthusiasm and passion. I told her that whenever a thesis is born, the antithesis already exists. Raavan existed before Shri Raam and Kans before Shri Krishan. We must expect resistance from known and unknown quarters, even to something as seemingly harmless as a Sports Act proposed by a relatively quiet state, one that had won just a single bronze medal in the 2003 National Games in Hyderabad.
And resistance came, as expected. From all quarters: from the Indian Olympic Association, National federations, State Associations, bureaucratic corridors that were reluctant to upset the status quo. To me, that resistance made the mission even more interesting and compelling, it confirmed that I was on the right path. I immersed myself in the study of global sports ecosystems—the Olympic movement, sports industry in USA, UK, Germany, France, Australia, Russia, China, Argentina, and every credible resource available on the internet. I analysed Basketball, Football, Baseball and other leagues, international federations, regulatory frameworks, funding models, scouting systems, and more to evolve a structure and system that could fit and was suitable to us.
Two critical issues struck me during this journey. Firstly, I discovered that the British Olympic Association did not take a single penny from the Government—a revelation that proved sports has its own economics. In contrast, I was hearing that the Indian sports industry was in shambles because of lack of funds. What I did not hear but soon realised that the available funds rarely reached the players, nor were they invested in infrastructure. Instead, the money disappeared into a maze of mismanagement and misplaced priorities of foreign tours and late-night parties of the office bearers. It became increasingly clear, the problem was not a lack of talent, or even a lack of financial resources. The real issue lay in the absence of legal and corporate structure, accountability, commitment and long-term vision of those who were controlling sports.
Secondly, I discovered that out of 150 recognized International Sports Federations out of 8000 sports played around the world, not a single International Sports Federation was registered in India, not even Kabaddi and Kho Kho. As a result, all major revenue in the global sports economy flowed overseas, with no anchoring of the sports industry within our borders. The global sports industry today is estimated at $2 trillion, while in India, it has barely reached $20 billion. Determined to address these gaps, I went through 52 drafts over four months to build a legislative framework.
Eventually, the Rajasthan Sports Ordinance, 2004 was promulgated by the Governor of Rajasthan on August 17, 2004—coincidentally, the very same day Rajyavardhan Rathore won a silver medal at the Athens Olympics. A good omen. The validity of the Act was fiercely contested—first in the High Court, and later in the Supreme Court. But its impact was immediate and far-reaching within the sports sector. It was as if the Raavan’s at the top had sensed the birth of a Raam and were making all out efforts to stall its growth.
The Rajasthan Sports Act cleared the way for Lalit Modi’s election as President of the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) in February 2005, followed by the enactment of similar Sports Acts in Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, which as envisioned led to a change in the leadership of the BCCI in November 2005. Sharad Panwar in J. Dalmiya out. That change ultimately led to the birth of the Indian Premier League in 2008. What started as a $ 0.8 billion enterprise is today an $18.5 billion global phenomenon.
But let us be clear and I repeat, let us all be clear, IPL is not a league in the truest sense. It is a tournament, not a grassroots ecosystem. The spirit and intent of the Sports Act that made IPL possible have not percolated downward. It has not created a broad-based sports industry or institutional framework aligned with the vision I had imagined, and for that reason, I was not comfortable. I knew much more needed to be done. Sports Act of Himachal Pradesh and UP were repealed, the only surviving Sports Act is in Rajasthan. Sad but true
We are in a better place today with Government of India pushing and doing its best. But the real progress is neither due to the Government for nothing is being done for re-structuring the sports ecosystem The progress is nor due to the support of the IOA, sports federations, or associations. It is the result of individual passion, family sacrifice, community support, and the relentless efforts of coaches working in silos. Even on the global stage, the model is deeply skewed. The Olympics generates over $7.7 billion in revenue, yet not a single dollar reaches the sportspersons—the very lifeblood, the creators of that value.
All this, I had shared with Rajeev more than a decade and half ago, when I met him by a divine design and saw the same burning passion in him for the youth and the nation. He kept the idea alive brewing it quietly and meaningfully in his mind, nurturing it with his team and friends and discussing it now and then. And now, the Students World Cup has taken shape, born from a simple yet powerful purpose: to play sports a way of life for every student. To create a platform where talent—from every school, district, state, and nation—can come together not just to express themselves, but to connect, collaborate, and celebrate excellence.
The Students World Cup must achieve what IPL cannot. This is our contribution to a larger national mission: to build a sporting culture that touches every home, every classroom, every playground—and eventually, every heart. We are looking to built a nation, while they are stuck with brand valuation, which for us is co-incidental, logical consequence.
At the Students World Cup Council, we
are fully committed to bringing this vision to life. Our focus is clear: Building
talent identification systems that begin at the grassroots, by tracking and
managing data from every match played by every student. Partnering with
schools, sports science institutions, and academies to foster holistic
development. Leveraging digital platforms for transparency, accessibility, and
real-time engagement and creating a structure where everyone involved gets a
fair share—a pie in the cake
We live in a nation where every school has a playground, but not every child plays—because they don’t see a future in it. The Students World Cup aims to open the doors to global careers, to train students not just for academics, but for meaning, mission, and mastery—in both profession and life. The Students World Cup is a Made-in-India generational dream, aspiring to become a truly global platform—especially for the youth of the Global South, the Commonwealth nations, and all those parts of the world where access to sports infrastructure has remained limited for far too long.
We envision an India that is not just a superpower in IT, space, or defense, but also the global hub for youth sports—where the best athletes are scouted, trained, supported, and celebrated. India has the demographics. India has the culture and the drive. Now is the time to build the global sporting capital of the future—right here, on our soil.
Dear friends, I must take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to all those who have walked with us on this journey and I welcome you all, the educators who opened their schools, the coaches who believed in raw talent, the administrators who supported a bold vision, The private sector that extended a hand of partnership, and most importantly, to the students—our sportsperson—who are the beating heart of this movement. They are not just participating in a tournament—they are participating in history. They are helping write a new narrative—one where youth lead the way, where talent doesn’t have to pay to shine, and where a nation of a billion and forty million dreams rises to shine together.
We dedicate this day to all the young sports person who will be touched by this vision across the world. This is your stage—work together, play fair, and above all, enjoy what you do. Let the Students World Cup be a celebration not just of goals and points, but of values, brotherhood, resilience, and unity in diversity. To our partners: this is just the beginning. We invite you to walk with us as we grow this into a global mega event touching all.
Let us together create a legacy that will endure for generations. Today, we think bold. We dream big. We act with conviction. Welcome to the launch of the Students World Cup. Welcome to the movement that will change the way the world looks at youth, at India, and at sports. Jai Hind. Jai Youth. Jai Sports. Jai Viksit Bharat. Thank you.
We live in a nation where every school has a playground, but not every child plays—because they don’t see a future in it. The Students World Cup aims to open the doors to global careers, to train students not just for academics, but for meaning, mission, and mastery—in both profession and life. The Students World Cup is a Made-in-India generational dream, aspiring to become a truly global platform—especially for the youth of the Global South, the Commonwealth nations, and all those parts of the world where access to sports infrastructure has remained limited for far too long.
We envision an India that is not just a superpower in IT, space, or defense, but also the global hub for youth sports—where the best athletes are scouted, trained, supported, and celebrated. India has the demographics. India has the culture and the drive. Now is the time to build the global sporting capital of the future—right here, on our soil.
Dear friends, I must take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to all those who have walked with us on this journey and I welcome you all, the educators who opened their schools, the coaches who believed in raw talent, the administrators who supported a bold vision, The private sector that extended a hand of partnership, and most importantly, to the students—our sportsperson—who are the beating heart of this movement. They are not just participating in a tournament—they are participating in history. They are helping write a new narrative—one where youth lead the way, where talent doesn’t have to pay to shine, and where a nation of a billion and forty million dreams rises to shine together.
We dedicate this day to all the young sports person who will be touched by this vision across the world. This is your stage—work together, play fair, and above all, enjoy what you do. Let the Students World Cup be a celebration not just of goals and points, but of values, brotherhood, resilience, and unity in diversity. To our partners: this is just the beginning. We invite you to walk with us as we grow this into a global mega event touching all.
Let us together create a legacy that will endure for generations. Today, we think bold. We dream big. We act with conviction. Welcome to the launch of the Students World Cup. Welcome to the movement that will change the way the world looks at youth, at India, and at sports. Jai Hind. Jai Youth. Jai Sports. Jai Viksit Bharat. Thank you.
