Bridging the gap: From engineering to sport

Sai Krishna Pulluru shares his experience on working in a rural Odisha project, “Khel Vikas”, initiated jointly by Pro Sport Development, a sport development organisation and Gram Vikas, a rural development organisation.

My life and my involvement in sport went hand in hand throughout my childhood, where I happened to pick up several sports and games which finally led me into basketball and football. Since then my association has been diverse and ever-changing, from playing and coaching, to volunteering at sport events and later organising them. This firm interest combined with my perceived future in Indian grassroots sport development has led me away from engineering to pursue my passion, sport.

I graduated from Coventry University with an MSc in sport management. After my education, I was adamant on moving back to India. Hence, in the process of securing a job, I have finally secured a role in rural Odisha with Pro Sport Development, a sport development organisation, as a communications and management intern.

In a communications capacity, I maintained the organisation’s social media platforms alongside writing articles for online sport content publishers and monthly newsletters on behalf of the organisation. My previous experience of writing articles, assignments, dissertations and reports could not have been more different, in the professional setting it occurred to me that I had to learn to adapt a new tone of writing, something that took a little getting used to. Thanks to the Pro Sport Development team; I not only honed my skills as a professional but they also helped me to gain confidence in writing articles, which I initially felt was not my cup of tea.

This being my first spell in an office atmosphere, I didn’t know exactly what to expect. The office environment is quite relaxed, yet it taught me how to behave in the workplace. Observing the daily events has taught me more about teamwork, and how people can come together to get things done. Moreover, I was fortunate to be around during the organisation’s most exciting phase, which included hosting a Khel Vikas inter club weightlifting competition, a Khel Vikas 5k run and the inauguration of the Centre of Excellence for Weightlifting. Being part of these events was a great opportunity as it offered me the chance to experience the real world through hands-on work.

In addition, my keen interest in coaching allowed me to teach badminton in one of Pro Sport Development’s after-school sports programmes. Through the coaching, I was able to engage with young school children on a daily basis and learned about their lifestyles, which was very rewarding.

Pro Sport Development is actively contributing to the development of grassroots sport development in India. My time with the organisation has definitely given me the ideal way to expand my work portfolio in my field and to gain a real insight into my chosen path.

[This article has been edited by the Operating Team]

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