15 October,2010 07:24 AM IST | | Hemal Ashar
When the Willingdon Club lawn at Mahalaxmi, Mumbai is all lit tonight as the party begins, to mark 25 years of Professional Management Group (PMG) the twinkling lights will mirror the twinkle in Sunil Gavaskar's eyes.
The cricket legend smiles as he recounts the genesis of the sports management company he started along with partner Sumedh Shah. "I remember all those years ago, an executive, Sumedh Shah, in an advertising company had approached me asking me to endorse a certain product. I agreed to endorse it, but was unsure about how much money I should ask for. As I was waffling, Sumedh told me, if I, the captain of the Indian cricket team, was in a quandary imagine what the other players would be in. It was a good idea to start a company like PMG.
I started thinking about it, even though I was playing cricket and working in an office called Nirlon at that time."
PMG took off, inspired by Mark McCormack's International Management Group (IMG) and the company's first clients came from the land of glaciers, Vikings and formidable tennis players. Gavaskar says, "the Swedish Davis Cup team which came to play against India in Bangalore with their four players ranked in the top 10 became our clients.
"There was Stefan Edberg, Mats Wilander, Anders Jarryd and I forget the fourth player. We signed them on, but, we could not then sell these players for even Rs 60,000 collectively. So, we kind of began on a discouraging note," he laughs.
Today, though, the scenario is transformed. "Agencies actually go to players, even junior cricketers here and sign them on. While some may argue that players get spoilt in this way with money coming their way at an early stage, I would also say it is a confidence-booster," says Gavaskar who also acknowledges that young athletes start thinking about what they would do after their playing careers are over, a lot earlier now.
"When I joined Sumedh Shah and PMG was formed, though, I never looked at it as something to fall back on post my playing days because I had assumed that I would continue working in Nirlon." Now, of course, Gavaskar is managing time as dexterously as he handled bowling attacks, with business, commentary and other commitments on his plate. PMG had a change in partnership after Shah retired some years ago. "The company has a larger bandwidth now," says Sunil 'Sunny' Gavaskar and our immediate aim is to make forays in celebrity-player management.
While Gavaskar would not reveal whom PMG aims to sign on, he did say winding up, "I am satisfied to have contributed to sport and stay connected in this way." Asked if there was any twinge of regret, the former India opener smiles cheekily as he says: "One regret. That PMG did not sign up a certain player called Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar."
