Mumbai: Sports For All (SFA), a company focussing on professionalising and commercialising participative and grassroots sports in India, today announced the appointment of Kumar Darpan as chief revenue officer and Rohan Vyavaharkar as global head of partnerships and strategic communications. These appointments aim to bolster SFA’s leadership team as it seeks to enhance its impact in the sports industry.
The company was founded in 2015 by Rishikesh Joshi and Vishwas Choksi, and its mission is to get more Indians to play and experience the joy of sports. As a player in the sports ecosystem, SFA runs a tech-enabled multi-sport school championships platform. The SFA Championships showcase tough competition across 31 sports in best-in-class sporting venues, empowering athletes and schools to discover and nurture new talent.
Founder Rishikesh Joshi said, “We are delighted to have Rohan and Darpan join the SFA Leadership team. We believe this will truly boost SFA’s strength & capabilities as a business, propelling our journey to become the strongest sports platform and radically transform the way India plays and enjoys sport!
Joining as the company’s first-ever CRO, Darpan brings nearly two decades of expertise in media and entertainment across diverse regions specialising in monetising TV and OTT platforms for companies ranging from Disney Star to Warner Brothers Discovery to Odisha Television Network. Known for his digital marketing, content creation, and AI in media, Darpan has a track record in delivering top-tier products and solutions tailored to consumer and client needs. At SFA, he will drive revenue growth, with innovative monetisation strategies while ensuring fiscal sustainability.
Darpan said, “I’m thrilled to be a part of Sports For All’s mission to revolutionise sports in India. By creating opportunities for brands to build, own, and benefit from the growing list of participative sporting platforms at SFA, we can collectively have a transformative impact on sports in India. With its experience of nearly a decade, SFA is in a unique position to partner with brands to create unique consumer experiences for athletes, families, parents, and other key stakeholders.“
Vyavaharkar has a marketing, communications, and sports management background. His strengths are building strategic partnerships, creating content, and executing campaigns having done that for brands like Red Bull, Twitter India, Stepathlon and Omidyar Network India. At SFA, Vyavaharkar will take on the role of global head of partnerships and strategic communications, where he will quarterback efforts to drive global collaborations.
Vyavaharkar said “Sports For All is on a mission to change the landscape of Indian sport. We want to build a nation that is healthier, fitter and with strong values that can be best learned through playing sports. At SFA, we want to build deeper partnerships with all players, from academies to leagues to content platforms, because we believe that the only way to achieve our goals as a company and as a nation is by building a collaborative ecosystem.”
SFA has also kicked off its registrations for the SFA School Championships 2024-25 which will take place in 10 locations – Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Mumbai, Pune, Uttarakhand. it will feature upto 31 sports ranging from football and archery to speedcubing and fencing.
