By Rajendra Gyawali Published in the Kantipur National Daily in Gyawali’s column – Rangshala (Stadium). Gyawali is Kantipur’s sports co-ordinator.
On the eve of the New Year, when the young players are signaling that what we had hoped for 2007 World Cup could come true in 2011, Cricket Association of Nepal has lost its sponsor.
Carlsberg, a product of Gorkha Brewery, the sponsor of Nepali cricket team since 2002 has already sidelined itself from the sponsorship. This came as a shocking news for those who believe cricket development is not only possible through the relationship of bat and ball, but also there should be similar efforts outside the boundary.
The relationship between two organizations can join and break, it’s a normal process. Any organization joins to other for its business benefits for a predefined period and distance after the aim is fulfilled or the time is over. But when they break the relation there remains no enmity in their relationship. They rather wish each other successful future. Thus if a business house breaks a relationship with other organization, it may not became the headache for others.
But the breaking of relationship between Nepal cricket’s supreme body CAN and Carlsberg can not be considered ordinary. The agreement was broken. But if one thinks of how it was broken it becomes an issue of headache. Carlsberg didn’t break the relationship after its aim was fulfilled.
The whole details become clear by the word ‘lack of co-ordination’ that Carlsberg wrote in the letter to CAN. Even if some tries to ignore it there is another side – two years remain for the five-year agreement.
Why Carlsberg broke the relationship in middle? Although CAN doesn’t think on it, sports supreme body should think on the issue. The reason behind the latest development is very important because the cure given to any patient without knowing the cause of illness may give him some relief but not the perfect cure.
There have been talks that Carlsberg terminated the sponsorship after some gentleman from CAN said ‘if Carlsberg goes then there will be others’. But if they fail to look at their weaknesses, how long the next sponsor remains? The important question is this because this is not the first time CAN lost its sponsor.
If we look from 1998, CAN first lost Indian Television Zee TV, then Percept D’Mark and now Carlsberg. This suggests at least something on CAN’s working process. If an organization with more than 20 executive members can not keep up good co-ordination with a sponsor, then we can easily predict how the organization is being run.
Many members in CAN have no time to think about cricket. No member tries to reach the closed-camp. In such a condition, how can the relationship between CAN and a business house goes permanent? If some members of CAN knew the news of the sponsorship termination through newspapers, it shouldn’t be surprising news.
It was known during the last national league that the sponsorship wouldn’t be long. The officials from Carlsberg weren’t happy with CAN’s ignorance. Besides some members who love cricket by heart, the appearance of CAN members was rare. And most of the cricket fans know that cricket tournament is going on through newspapers reports. That shows how weak is CAN’s communication mechanism.
No business organization forgets about the benefits when they join hands with other. They have also challenges to survive. Carlsberg certainly reviewed what they got from three-year-long relationship with CAN. Even CAN officials can’t disagree with the fact that benefits of sponsoring cricket was almost zero compared to football.
Both organizations have to think about the benefits of each other. If there is no balance in this, the relationship becomes one like that of CAN and Carlsberg. CAN should think about this when they look for new sponsor. The fear is not that ‘a sponsor died, but that this may become continuity.’