Aakriti Vohra Is Championing Indian Football Talent On Global Fields

In the pulsating realm of sports marketing, Aakriti Vohra emerges not just as a leader but as a visionary architect, reshaping the contours of football fandom in cricket-crazy India. As the astute Global Networking Delegate of LALIGA, Vohra orchestrates a symphony of strategy, and passion to propel not just LALIGA in India but also bring forth a more inclusive sporting ecosystem here. She has worked in sports marketing for over a decade, helming pivotal roles that have fortified her dedication to advancing the sports industry.

In an exclusive interview with SheThePeople, Aakriti Vohra discussed her observations on the Indian football scene, putting a spotlight on equitable opportunities for underrepresented communities and the strategies to tackle challenges. She also narrated her illustrious journey in the sports marketing industry, detailing her experiences as a woman in leadership.

Excerpt From Interview With Aakriti Vohra 

Can you share a bit about how you delved into the sports marketing industry?

When I began my journey in the sports industry in India, it was in the nascent stages of its professionalization. The 2010 Commonwealth Games held in Delhi was my first project after I completed my post-graduation in Sports Management. At the time, IPL was only a two-year-old (started in 2008) entity, and grassroots development start-ups were just coming into prominence. It seemed like an exciting and different career path, away from the usual road taken, and hence I chose to take it up instead of getting into the conventional corporate side. 

Not knowing what to expect, when I first started off; I've been fortunate to have worked on some significant projects and exciting roles during my career. Hockey, Cricket, Golf, and now, Football - with the world's biggest football ecosystem, LALIGA -, I am glad I followed my heart and took the plunge back then.

How has LALIGA evolved over the last 6+ years in India? What have the unique challenges been in promoting a sport in a country where cricket is dominant?

The evolution of LALIGA in India since the inception of our office in 2017 has been nothing short of remarkable. To achieve this presence, we looked to focus on a few strategic pillars in the market since our arrival, including:

(a) Localization of digital content to make the Indian fan engaged and involved in the league by driving inclusion through various digital activations. Starting with 300K followers when we arrived in India, today we boast over 7 million followers. A 2000+ % growth in followers since our arrival in the country.

(b) Making our fans experience the magic - which we do by hosting massive ELCLASICO screenings/watch parties in Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata over the years engaging with over 50,000 + fans and counting.

(c) We partner with like-minded stakeholders in the sporting ecosystem and are also constantly in talks with state governments and federations to support the development of long-term football projects in the country.

(e) In 2018, we launched our pan India football schools project which currently is in 14 cities with 31 centres training over 3500 boys and girls. The school focuses on skill development and creating a pathway for young players to potentially reach professional levels with guidance and training from Spanish coaches and curriculum.

Understandably, cricket enjoys over 85% of the market share of the sports industry in India. Leaving all other sports plus international leagues with just 15% to battle it out in, the highly competitive space, means creativity of content and audience engagement are pivotal factors in growth. Hence, of course, there are challenges in the space, but the idea is to keep getting better with time through an effective long-term strategy.

In a country where even male footballers find it challenging to receive ample opportunities and fanfare, how challenging it is for female football aspirants?

The Indian Men's Football team's ranking has been within the 100-150 bracket in recent years, and the Indian Women's Football team's ranking has typically ranged within the 60-100 bracket.

So, if you ask me, the Blue Tigresses have a huge potential to shine given their global competitive rank. As we continue to see development in the women's game, names such as Aditi Chauhan, Bala Devi, Dalima Chibber, and BemBem Devi making a mark for themselves will signal the possibility and be huge inspirations to the next generation of female aspirants in the sport. 

That doesn’t mean there aren’t challenges. It is challenging for male footballers as well, but it’s a great time for aspiring female footballers to follow their passion. Additionally, with the All India Football Federation, state federations, Indian Super Leagues and other stakeholders in football also placing focus on women´s football, things are looking better and will hopefully only improve in the coming years.

When we speak of Indian female football aspirants, one name that comes to mind with pride is Kajol D´Souza. Her journey has been inspiring, From being a LALIGA Football Schools student in our Pune centre to representing India in the U-17 Women´s Cup in 2022.

She is now training at Madrid in LALIGA´s ESC centre on a full scholarship for one year, this is proving to be a wonderful exposure for her growth. Now representing the Indian National Senior team at the Turkish Women´s Cup as the youngest player on the team, We are extremely proud of her journey and hope that more such inspiring stories come out of LALIGA´s initiatives in India.

As an insider, what are the obstacles that hinder viewership of women’s sports? 

Currently, the focus for the game must be to build appropriate infrastructure in terms of grassroots and leagues. As the quality of players continues to rise, the viewership will grow naturally. Being a virtuous circle, the more eyeballs the game attracts, the faster the women's sport will grow. With the wheel already starting to turn, I believe and am hopeful, the momentum will create an unstoppable sport product.

As awareness of the game continues to grow in India, there are learnings to share across Spain and India. Once the infrastructure is in place, viewership and growth will arrive for the women’s game. In Spain, when FC Barcelona played against Wolfsburg in the first leg of the Champions League semifinal in April 2022, a total of 91,648 fans were recorded in attendance. By providing platforms and knowledge-sharing opportunities for administrators, players, and coaches alike, LALIGA is hopeful of also growing the women's game in India. 

Are there any grassroots initiatives to ethically promote the inclusivity of women or people from underrepresented groups in sports?

Programs that seek to support inclusivity in sports have been growing in impact over the years. At LALIGA, through initiatives across the world through LALIGA Genuine - the first professional football league in the world with a competition for players with intellectual disabilities - and LALIGA FC FUTURES we are hoping to inspire a difference.

Talking specifically about India, LALIGA through the LALIGA Fundación, has been working alongside Vicente Ferrer Foundation in Anantapur since 2018. The partnership started with LALIGA supporting their rural football league - with over 3000+ children within the league coming from underrepresented communities of those areas.

In fact, the focus of this partnership was the promotion of women´s football and reducing gender inequality. The announcement of the partnership tripled the female participation in the league that season. Strengthening that relationship further, we also recently launched the first women´s residential academy in the Anantapur Sports Village with 20 girls being paid a full scholarship for a year from education to football training etc.

What is something you would like to tell your younger self about being a leader? What has the biggest learning been about the industry and yourself?

"Leaders aren’t born they are made. And they are made just like anything else that is good, through hard work, self-belief, consistency, and constant learning."

This quote summarizes quite wonderfully what it means, and the journey of getting there. I am confident a few noteworthy people have quoted this before, and I also believe I would have passed this message to my younger self if given a chance. From an industry and personal perspective, my biggest learnings have been in understanding the moment and situation. Not all battles must be fought, be wise and choose the ones that matter. An act of kindness without intention is likely to come back in a good way, so always be kind and helpful.