New Delhi: Ratan Tata, who left the world at the age of 86, was cremated on October 10 in Mumbai. Ratan Tata, the veteran industrialist of the country and the world, does not need any identity. His personality was such that everyone liked him. During the tenure of Ratan Tata, various companies of Tata Group always supported the players of the country. He was very interested in sports. With his help many players progressed and later made a place in the Indian team. The connection between BCCI and Tata Group has also been very strong.When Tata supported IPL
Tata Group has been sponsoring cricket tournaments for many years. It started with the Titan Cup in 1996, although in the year 2000, Tata Group distanced itself from cricket due to match fixing. But in the year 2020, amid the India-China border dispute, when the IPL removed Chinese phone company Vivo from the sponsorship of the IPL, it was the Tata Group which supported the Indian T-20 league. Tata’s support for IPL also increased with each passing season. Ahead of the 2024 season, Tata had won the sponsorship for four years by making a record bid of Rs 2,500 crore, also the biggest bid ever in the history of IPL.
BCCI Secretary also paid tribute
Ratan Tata’s blessings to cricket were not limited to men’s cricket only. When the Board of Control for Cricket in India launched the Women’s Premier League in 2023, the Tata Group also sponsored it. Tata also has sponsorship of WPL till 2027. On this occasion of grief, BCCI also paid tribute to Ratan Tata. BCCI Secretary Jay Shah posted on Twitter, ‘Deeply saddened by the demise of Shri Ratan Tata ji. His leadership, integrity and dedication to the society set remarkable standards for the legacy. My heartfelt condolences to his loved ones. Tributes, sir.’ Indian men’s cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir also paid tribute to him in a special post. He wrote, ‘A true gem of Mother India!’
Dorabji Tata was the first president of the Indian Olympic Association.
From supporting a lesser-known sport like archery, to purchasing a football team in the Indian Super League, to sponsoring top chess tournaments, the Tata Group has been deeply involved with the sports ecosystem in India. This association increased manifold during the tenure of Ratan Tata. Sir Dorabji Tata was the first President of the Indian Olympic Association (1924), he funded the sending of four Indian athletes in track and field and two in wrestling to the Antwerp Olympics and also helped organize their trials in Pune. The Tata Steel Chess Tournament, known as the Wimbledon of chess, is played every year in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands. An official associated with the JRD Tata Sports Academy, established in Jamshedpur in 1991, said, ‘He always believed that sports is a part of lifestyle and we also emulated it. We have been associated with 19 sports including football, hockey, archery, horse riding, karate.
Tata Football Academy built in 1987The Tata Football Academy was started in 1987 by Rusi Modi, the then chairman of Tata Steel, with the support of Ratan Tata. Indian players have been emerging from this academy since the early nineties, including former goalkeepers Kalyan Choubey, Renedy Singh, Deependu Biswas and Kiran Khongsai. An official associated with JRD Sports Complex said, ‘Ratan Tata was present at the launch of Jamshedpur FC in ISL in 2017. He talked to the players and coaches and also posed for photographs with them. The players also gave him their autographed jerseys. He also visited Jamshedpur for the inauguration of the Hockey Academy in 2019 and this was probably his last visit there.