Gujarat Titans' Junior Titans: Getting Kids Off Gadgets & Onto Playgrounds

Arvinder was speaking to ANI ahead of the rolling out of the third edition of the 'Junior Titans' programme. The programme started on Friday. It is a grassroots initiative aimed at encouraging children under 14 to engage in outdoor sports and physical activity, with the opening leg held in Surendranagar.

Speaking to ANI, Arvinder said that the programme is "very close to their heart" and was planned back in 2022 and started from 2023 onwards.

"We are very proud of the fact that this is something which has caught the attention of every child in Gujarat. Our concept is very simple. You know, people try and confuse it with, you know, us trying to go and conduct cricket games in various cities of Gujarat. Our concept is very, very simple. We are trying to motivate, being a sporting franchise, our intention is to motivate children to get outdoors and play," he said.

"And we are not saying that cricket is the only game to be played. We are saying, get out of your house, leave your gadgets, come out and play. Play whatever you want to play, but play because it is something that is good for you from any aspect that you look at it. In your development, this is very important. So, the concept, as it goes, is let sport out. So, it is all about outdoors and not just indoor games that most children play today. And this is something that is not restricted to only Ahmedabad. Being Gujarat Titans, we have in the last two editions been to 10 different cities. Go to five more this year," he added.

Arvinder said that in the first year, the programme started with the biggest cities of Gujarat, then moved to the second rung of cities and now aims to reach out to even more smaller cities, with an intention to "cover each and every city of Gujarat and the message is constant and that is let sport out."

"This has become like an annual feature where when we approach schools in a particular city, when we have decided that all right, fine, we are going to go to this city. Response is amazing because children these days are pretty aware and they know that all right fine, Gujarat Titans is coming with the Junior Titans programme to my town," he added.

Arvinder admitted that building fan loyalty and engagement is not the intention of this programme, but pointed out that it could be a "byproduct" of the programme."

"But the fact remains that another major factor that, you know, takes us to different cities of Gujarat, you know, smaller cities like we are starting with Surinder Nagar this year. How and when would you expect a franchise anywhere to go down and showcase itself in these kinds of cities? If the whole intention was just to do what you said, you know, from a fan engagement perspective, then it will not be restricted to school children below 14 only. Then there is a lot that we could have gone and done in that city, the road shows, trophy tours, etc. And all that. No, that is not our intention. But yes, obviously, the byproduct of that could be that fine. If the children, you know, see that Gujarat Titans has come out to them, you know, in their cities and at that school level. Well, that is another, you know, great thing for them. Why not?," he added.

On whether they would like to capitalise on this initiative's success by ultimately launching a cricket academy of their own to nurture homegrown talent like several IPL franchises, Arvinder admitted that "it could be something in a long-term perspective".

"This is in its third year (the Junior Titans). We are, you know, one thing I can tell you about GT is we never do something, A, unless we are convinced that needs to be done, and B, it has, you know, at least a three to five-year cycle, if not more. This one, I see it, you know, it has become part of the calendar of Gujarat Titans. I do not see this programme going anywhere as we go along. The second part about, you know, so let us not mix these two (the Junior Titans and academy)," he said.

"That is a totally separate aspect of whether we want to go down the way of academies or, you know, trying to do talent hunts and stuff like that. That is something, it may happen separately from the Junior Titans programme. Junior Titans is all about letting the kids, you know, know about the benefits of physical activity. It is very simple. Let's sport outside, outdoors. That is one, you know, primary aspect of the Junior Titans," he added.

The COO said that GT opening an academy is something "only time will tell".

"At the moment, I do not see any such, we don't have any such plans at the moment. But for sure, whatever we will do, it ought to be at a scale of just a simple academy. I can tell you, we do not do things at that scale. Whenever we announce something or come up with something, it will be much more than that. And it will be something that all of us, you know, not that I am saying that, you know, that is something that is already decided. But obviously, discussions do take place. And whenever we do something in the field of sport, especially cricket, it will be at a much bigger scale," he concluded.

Embodying the spirit of 'Let's Sport Out!', the Junior Titans events will be held every Saturday, with upcoming activations scheduled in Morbi (24 January), Amreli (31 January), Anand (7 February), before concluding in Ahmedabad (14 February).

- ANI