By Shoubhik Mukhopadhyay
I-League Media Team

BENGALURU: Parth Jindal continues to share JSW’s plans beyond BFC. ‘Indian Institute of Sports’, which hones the prodigies day in and day out with a dream of grabbing more silverware in the biggest stage, the Olympics, is another feather in JSW’s hat. Parth Jindal, along with other masterminds, fosters to tag Bengaluru as the ‘Sports Capital’ of the country. BFC is the gigantic foundation step to the hallway, but he’s here not to leave the stage having not finished the palazzo.

EXCERPTS:

Last year BFC took a firm stand against ISL, but now you guys are being pally with. Why the U-turn?
Yes, I second you. Sunil, Robin, Thoi- these guys hogged the limelight in Indian football. We shouldn’t deprive these guys from earning the moolah while their friends are taking the cake away. See, last year we were paused in perplexity with regards to releasing our players and eventually we negated them. But we all witnessed the ISL, which is no less than a grand success. Who’s-who of World football engrossed us with their exquisite dexterity, Indian boys like Romeo, Sandesh stole the show- what else could you expect from its inception year? Once we don’t release our players next season, there might be a rift, a plight which might cost the harmony of BFC. We can’t let it happen. There is no troubled water anymore with IMG-Reliance about our players’ availability for ISL, but once it gets over, they would come back to Bengaluru FC again.

Are you assured of the fact that all the players will be tapped by IMG-Reliance for ISL?
Why not, whole the troop is excellent (laughs). On a serious note, we have an extensive off-season plan. As the season gets over, we would send our players to 2-3 English Championship clubs, whose names can’t be revealed now, for a rigorous 6-8 week training program. Now the players have to select a dice, whoever wants to ply their trade in ISL, would be given the nod from our end. Otherwise he would be welcomed in the training schedule. The bottom line is to stay in shape for the upcoming season. You can’t afford to decelerate the process which would invite an ignominy.

Are BFC planning to come onboard in ISL?
Not really in recent future. But yes, I must put it that we were invited last year, by none other than DADA, Sourav Ganguly.  I’m an avid DADA fan, he carries himself so meticulously on & off the field, and it’s truly amazing. He himself contacted us well ahead of the last season to form a consortium with BFC, but somehow it didn’t work out. We never know what awaits us in future.

What’s your take on Olympic Sports?
Yes, it’s another sporting periphery which is not-so-much looked after in India. We have already set up our residential academy near Vijayanagar, Karnataka. Firstly we were baffled whether to name it after JSW or something else, eventually we christened the academy as ‘Indian Institute of Sports.’ Currently we have 37 athletes who are nurtured and being trained in the Academy in five different sports, – Track & Field, Judo, Swimming, Boxing and Wrestling. Athletes, backed by us, already showed their grit and mettle in the Commonwealth Games, which provided us immense boost, to least to say. Our next aim is Rio 2016 where we are looking to see a sizable number of athletes in Indian contingent from our academy. Once our athletes can replicate the commonwealth result, it would be no less than the cherry on top.

Which illustrious personalities from the sporting fraternity are involved in ‘Indian Institute of Sports’ to run the show?
Yes, absolutely. Mahesh Bhupati, our family confidant, is with us from the scratch. He comes along with loads of expertise. Actually I encountered in the USA and we had a vivid discussion and eventually we had the blueprint of Indian Institute of Sports. Abhinav Bindra is also someone with whom we are working closely. In future, we are looking to chip in a few Bengaluru based cricketers who have already shown their charisma in administration.

You have chalked out an immaculate off-season plan for BFC players. Is there any onsite program for the athletes as well?
Spot on you Brother (laughs)!!! We have worked it out too. Graham Hill, South African swimming stalwart, himself handpicked eight of our swimmers who have travelled along with him. They are under his strict regime at Durban right now. We have quite a few other exposure programs pipelined to hone their skills as much as we can.