This initiative, a unique bid to give back to the sports community, provides an opportunity for retired and currently unemployed athletes to undergo skills training, followed by a job opportunity in Pine Labs.
“In a country of sports lovers, it’s unfortunate that sportspersons in India don’t have much in terms of career opportunities after their retirement from sports. Most opportunities are restricted to the government sector or sports academies. We wanted to address this gap by offering a path to ex-sportspersons to explore careers in the startup sector. We hope this is just a beginning of something big and more startups in India join us in this quest,” said Arjun Patnaik, head of community initiatives at Pine Labs.
“For the past many years, I have seen and heard of many instances where former sportspersons struggle to come to terms with their retirement and their life thereafter. I am extremely excited and am looking forward to working with Pine Labs on what we believe is a path-breaking initiative for Indian sports and its sportspersons,” said Arjuna awardee Gaurav Natekar, who is the co-founder of NSF.
Pine Labs will be providing a combination of skills training and on-the-job training depending on the requirement of the role where the sportsperson is being placed. “If needed, we will tie up with online and offline training institutions to ensure a smooth transition into the startup world and address any gaps in the skills required for these athletes to excel in their jobs,” said Patnaik.
NSF will be leveraging its network in the sporting community to spread awareness about this programme. This programme is not restricted to any particular sport, and athletes (including para athletes) from all sports are encouraged to apply.
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Pine Labs will be offering opportunities across different functions such as HR, finance, operations, etc to ensure it aligns with the career interests and plans of the athletes enrolling for this program. “We will be starting with the first cohort of athletes by offering them opportunities within Pine Labs but are hoping that the success of this program inspires other companies to launch similar programs. We are more than happy to partner with them to extend this program beyond Pine Labs,” said Patnaik.
He added: “Traditionally, sportspersons have found jobs in either PSUs or large Indian corporate houses like the Tatas. With the launch of this program, we hope to welcome these elite sportspersons into the startup world where their skillsets and experiences will set them up for a great ‘second innings’ in their life.”
