Doing the Simple Things Right, the JSW way

“We’ve already started working on Tokyo (the 2020 Olympics). We had no expectations from Rio. To have 12 athletes there and come away with a medal is way above any level of expectation. But four years down the road, we want to do more and WE WANT TO DO BETTER,” says Mustafa Ghouse, the CEO of JSW Sports.

- Shreedutta Chidananda

It is a long journey from Rio deJaneiro to India, but MustafaGhouse does not sound remotely tired. The CEO of JSW Sports returns from the Olympic Games a proud man, with a bronze medal and a historic performance on the athletics track to boast of, among other things. A dozen JSW Sports supported athletes qualified for these Games, producing an outcome “way above any level of expectation” at the end of the fortnight.

In this interview with Sportstar, hours after his arrival from Brazil, Ghouse speaks of JSW’s Rio experience. He discusses the successes, the disappointment of the Narsingh Yadav episode, and the road ahead.

Excerpts:

Question: There were 12 JSW supported athletes at the Olympic Games. Sakshi Malik won a bronze (women’s 58 kg freestyle wrestling), Lalita Babar finished 10th in the steeplechase final, and Vikas Krishan made it to the quarters. How would you assess this campaign? What were your expectations heading into Rio?

Answer: We’re quite happy with the way the Olympics played out. First of all, it’s a huge achievement for us as an organisation to have 12 athletes representing the country. We’re only 2.5-3 years into our programme. No one can predict medals but the fact that they were in a position to qualify and be there is a huge achievement for us. We’re happy on that front. With regard to their performance at the Games, Avtar Singh just making it in judo was a big deal for us. It showed there was potential in that sport. Everyone was wondering why we picked a sport like judo. It was off everyone’s radar.