CONVOCATION CEREMONY 2018 : A NEW BEGINNING
As said truly, change is the only thing that is constant, and no matter how difficult it is, time flies by. It’s that time of the year when we bid our PGPSM students adieu. It was time to witness our students embrace this new & exciting phase of their life.
IISM Convocation Ceremony 2018 was recently concluded & graced by the Padma Shri awardee and the Indian Hockey Legend Shri. Dhanraj Pillay & Mr. Namdev Shirgaonker (Joint Secretary, Indian Olympic Association). The ceremony was inaugurated by lighting the lamp, followed by a small prayer.
Our founder-director Mr. Nilesh Kulkarni came forward to express gratitude on behalf of the institute towards the dignitaries & also complimented the parents on the student’s achievements. Sharing a few words of wisdom, he exclaimed, “The sports industry is beautiful yet challenging. It is extremely encouraging but there’s no shortcut. The surest way to succeed is to strive with focus, dedication, commitment, honesty & passion.” Congratulating the students, he expressed how it’ll be exciting to see them on the other side.
Taking a cue, honorable Mr. Namdev Shirgaonker further adds why the Indian sports industry today needs “sports managers” to facilitate not just better management but also greater future prospects. He emphasized playing active sports- not just at an individual level but across team levels too. He quips that, in order to succeed, all you need really focus & channel your energies on is your passion, he says, “Your life is a battlefield & you have to win a lot of medals. The game has just begun, you need to start right where you are & keep doing more every passing day. You’ve to leverage your opportunity as a ports manager & not just contribute towards India’s sporting ecosystem but also make the country proud.”
It’s an absolute honor to have Shri. Dhanraj Pillay, share his perspective that’s strongly backed by on-field experience. The true hockey legend that he is, he gave our students key lessons to take away. Being emotional about his journey, he expressed, “If you ask me, I’ll say there’s nothing that can beat sheer dedication and passion. It’s the passion for your game & the love for your country that helps you rise on the ladder of success. You need to give all your head, heart & soul to the game. My dream was to wear the tri-color & see my country proud, if that meant working like a horse day-in & day out, I was up for it.”
Leaving a very beautiful message in the end, he says,” Never run behind money, because it will follow you if you pursue your passion. Rather focus on earning respect & for that learn to respect yourself first. Always remember, you’re never lesser than anybody.”
Proceeding towards the convocation ceremony, it was our top 3 rankers-Garima Palrecha – 1st Rank; Hrishikesh Bang – 2nd Rank; Shashwat Roy – 3rd Rank, who garnered the loudest cheer from the audience and left us all with the biggest smiles and immense pride.
As we finally say goodbye to our astute sports managers, we assure them, that as an institute shall always support them in achieving their goals & being successful!
