IBF to seek BCCI advice on marketing boxing

New Delhi :

While other associations continue to sulk and crib how cricket gobbles up lion's share of the sponsorship revenue on offer, the Indian Boxing Federation has decided to seek BCCI's help to replicate their successful marketing model.

IBF Secretary General P K Muralidharan Raja will meet BCCI Chief Administrative Officer Ratnakar Shetty during the Super Cup in Mumbai from January 13 to 16 and has also planned a meeting with Indian Premier League Commissioner Lalit Modi.

"BCCI is a role model when it comes to how sports should be marketed. Although it's a tall order but we will try to replicate that after taking their advice on marketing and how to take boxing to the next level," Raja said on Thursday.

"I will be meeting Mr Shetty during the Super Cup and hopefully will also get to meet Mr Modi during that time and discuss their model of success. We just need their advice and nothing more," he added.

The IBF is on the lookout for a marketing agent for which it will float tenders on Thursday, giving the interested companies 21 days to respond.

"Five to six major players like IMG, Percept, Infinity Optimal Solutions (IOS) and a couple of more have shown interest in becoming our marketing agent," Raja said.

"The interested parties will have to agree to a minimum guarantee and that will work out on the basis of our requirements. Once we get a marketing agent on board, it will be a four-year arrangement until 2014 during which they will have to take care of certain things like the arrangements at the National Championships," he added.

"We have the wherewithal to do everything but we are just lacking in finances. Once we have a marketing agent, even that would be taken care of," he said.

The marketing agent will also assist in brining bilateral, tri-nation and other international events to India.

"Besides, they will also help in organising reality shows and road show to take boxing to the grassroots level, which is a difficult task right now," he said.