One of the most
visible and exuberant proponents wielding the tennis racquet at the Coca-Cola
IPTL is Nick Kyrgios. All of 19, the Australian star of Greek heritage has the
boys' singles event at the Australian Open to his name but more importantly,
made the quarters at this year's Wimbledon championships after defeating the
indomitable Rafael Nadal and Richard Gasquet en route. The man Nick conquered
on grass made a splash himself on the Parisian red dirt bagging the French Open
title on his first attempt; Rafa had not gone past his teens either when he
started his clay domination.
We have just
seen the "Mozart" of chess Magnus Carlsen retain his world
championship in the classical format to add to his rapid and blitz titles he
won earlier this year. With an ELO rating that is shooting through the roof,
his achievements only buttress his claim of being an all-time great. The
Norwegian is all of 24 now; he made the GM norm at 14 years, and was the world
number one at 19. If you get my tilt, sport is increasingly being dominated by
young champions at ages where adolescence has not yet let go.
Popular
commercial brands have had a major role to play in this phenomenon. Teenagers
are increasingly getting access not just to live telecast of sport at its pinnacle
but also watching the superstars in flesh and blood. All of this courtesy a
number of sports leagues getting a foothold around the globe.
Global brands
have been the principal pillars of support for these tournaments, which
are still in their infancy. A wide-eyed youngster walking out on the court hand
in hand with Roger Federer to the adulation of thousands of fans at the
Coca-Cola IPTL is sure to be inspired beyond the regular pep talk from her
local coach. The ball boy who watches from close quarters, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
and Gael Monfils fight it out is bound to dream of matching the Frenchmen’s
shots and charisma.
Seeing top
flight action at such close quarters certainly goes a long way in producing
young champions. Crucially, these events also lend the youngsters a perfect
opportunity to understand the mindset of these athletes who are at the summit
of their game. Listening to them talk about the work, dedication and
sacrifice they needed to put in since they were at the same age is a lesson no
book can impart.
After all, what
can be better than hearing it from the horse's mouth? With youngsters walking
out on the pitch for every big match in every big event, dreams take wing and
carry some of those walking alongside their heroes to sporting greatness.
Then there is
the aspect of reaching out to the young sporting audience. Events like the
football World Cup and the Coca-Cola IPTL leave no stone unturned in ensuring
that every person in the world follows the action and gets to witness the
incredible athletic feats that are performed by the stars.
Ahead of the
football showpiece event in Brazil this year, Coca-Cola had launched the
“World’s Cup” campaign to unite people from all over the world in the name of
football. The campaign worked like a charm, as youngsters and aspiring players
facing hardships in different parts of the globe got the opportunity to come
into the spotlight. “Everyone was invited” to participate in the celebration of
football, and everyone did indeed accept the invitation.
With the IPTL, Coca-Cola is trying to
make use of another opportunity to reach out to the youngsters, this time
through tennis. Brands like Coca-Cola use occasions like these to replace
naiveté with steel, leading to the birth of champions. Sporting master-classes
from icons, a spin trip with Shane Warne or a kick around with Lionel Messi are
regularly organized around niche events and the tender ones learn a few things
about precision, application and fair play in the company of these greats.
There are sponsored complimentary
tickets for juniors to watch matches live, and witnessing a game from inside a
stadium is an experience that gives every prodigy the sense of awe and grandeur
and pushes him toward realizing his talent. With television and live telecasts
making inroads into the remotest corners of the globe, commercials are being
used by brands not just to further sales but also to bring sport closer to the youngsters.
Business promotion is sometimes looked at
with skepticism, but brands leveraging global sport and its legends to inspire
teenagers to take up sport is certainly a welcome development.
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