JGU collaborates with Delhi Daredevils team for sports studies

In an endeavour to strengthen teaching and research in the field of sports, IPL team Delhi Daredevils has joined hands with O P Jindal Global University to help students garner a practical perspective of the mechanics of sports law and governance work in the popular cricket league.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed yesterday by the IPL team and the university's Centre for India Australia Studies (CIAS) at an event held at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium here which was also attended by former captain of the Australian cricket team Ricky Ponting, who is the current Delhi Daredevils coach.

The event was presided over by the Australian High Commissioner to India Harinder Sidhu, who said the MoU will further strengthen the bond between India and Australia.

"India and Australia share a longstanding relationship and have been constantly working together in sports, a field that is a natural fit between our two countries. This MoU will offer an opportunity to further expand sports partnership beyond the cricket field - allowing academics and students to work in this emerging area of collaboration.

"I hope that this partnership between Delhi Daredevils, the Centre for India Australia Studies and Jindal Global University will act as a stepping stone to help build stronger sporting ties between our nations, the high commissioner said.

Founding vice chancellor of the O P Jindal Global University C Raj Kumar pointed out that the varsity's association with Delhi Daredevils will help in the exchange of knowledge in the field of sports law.

"The MoU will provide insights into practical experiences of the sporting world to our university students. This will also help build and strengthen awareness and opportunity of key challenges and opportunities in the field of sport.

"The practice of sports law and governance is global, and while Delhi Daredevils' insights will I'm sure be invaluable, it is important that we also consider other sports and other jurisdictions when teaching our students about this area of law," he said.

Shaun Star, executive director at CIAS, said the Centre is excited about the partnership with Delhi Daredevils.

"The Sports Law and Governance course will provide young people from around the world who are interested in gaining practical insights into sports law an opportunity to interact with practitioners and leading researchers in the field," Star said.

Hemant Dua, CEO of Delhi Daredevils team, said that as part of the partnership Delhi Daredevils is to provide insights, guidance and hands-on experience of working with a cricket franchise to promising lawyers.

"I am certain that this will be a great exchange programme which will lead to greater sharing of knowledge," he said.

Former cricketer Sunil Valson, a member of the 1983 world cup winning squad and now associated with the Daredevils team, and Melanie Jones, former Australian women's cricketer and IPL commentator on 'Women in Sport', were also present at the event.

The Sports Law and Governance course provides an overview of legal and policy issues that exist in professional sports. It focuses on the legal principles involved in the conduct, commercialisation and regulation of sports in India.

The course draws on practitioner and case study perspectives to illustrate the operation of the law and business of sport in a global context. The key focus areas include the commercialisation of sport; dispute resolution in sport; tort law in sport; drugs in sport; corruption in sport; organised crime, match fixing and gambling; athlete, agent relationship and player contracting; sponsorship in sport; marketing, branding and intellectual property.