Sanjay Kapoor is a trifle embarrassed when reminded that he has one thing in widespread with some of the highly effective directors in Indian cricket, N. Srinivasan.
“Please do not evaluate me with N. Srinivasan sir. He has constructed a legacy and I’m simply beginning off,” he says.
Kapoor, who’s BCCI’s appointed venue director for the primary Check between India and New Zealand at Inexperienced Park, Kanpur, has an even bigger identification within the Indian sporting discipline. The multi-millionaire businessman from Kanpur is presently the president of All India Chess Federation (AICF) similar to the previous BCCI president, who headed the organisation again in 2007 when he was additionally the treasurer of cricket board.
Kapoor is presently the president of the Kanpur Cricket Affiliation (KCA) and desires Inexperienced Park to host a “memorable Check match.”
“Proper now, my solely purpose is to see that we give all stake-holders all of the amenities wanted to have a memorable Check match, which matches the historical past of this iconic venue. I’ve taken over as Venue Director for previous 10-12 days and in my decade lengthy affiliation with Inexperienced Park, now we have been in a position to ring in adjustments,” Kapoor mentioned.
‘Sense of nostalgia’
Uttar Pradesh now has a stadium in Lucknow (Ekana Stadium) the place IPL matches might be held often from subsequent season. Doesn’t it push a floor like Inexperienced Park behind? “Inexperienced Park has a heritage. Heritage comes with historical past and thus legacy is created. New expertise will be constructed, new stadiums will be constructed however heritage has its personal place, personal really feel, personal charisma. That’s unmatchable and Inexperienced Park is an iconic stadium and there’s a sense of nostalgia within the blades of grass,” Kapoor mentioned concerning the floor the place India gained its first ever Check match in 1959.
“Your ardour for the sport that drives you and I imagine that if you wish to do one thing good, you’ll be able to,” mentioned the 45-year-old administrator who has a sequence of instructional establishments throughout the town.
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Having been related to cricket has given Kapoor an concept that even chess may very well be commercialised. “I’ve a duty of working chess in India and that’s an even bigger duty. I’ll change the face of chess in these three years,” he mentioned.
Kapoor has had some conversations with the enduring Viswanathan Anand however for him it’s essential to be a gamers’ man. “I speak to Vishy Anand on occasion however primarily in terms of dealing with of gamers, the AICF secretary does the job. I at all times attempt to be in contact with all of the gamers and all people has my quantity now. They will name me anytime.”
So what can chess take away from cricket? Kapoor feels that the franchise mannequin that can be utilized to commercialise and assist the gamers earn more cash from the sport. “We are attempting to create a franchise mannequin for the sport within the nation similar to IPL. I believe will probably be rolling by summer season subsequent yr. Indian Chess League. Every thing might be carried out and it’s on the right track,” he mentioned.
So like Srinivasan, are there any greater ambitions for a broader function in BCCI within the coming days? He laughs.
“Until I’m doing chess, I can’t be a BCCI office-bearer and now I need to assist chess attain its place. In cricket, my focus as venue director is that this match solely. And what future holds in retailer, I can’t predict as I’m not God,” he concluded.