As we celebrate completing four years in the industry and meet for our company offsite over lunch today, it is time to take stock of the Empowerment Cup, which concluded successfully in Kolkata on Sunday with SSB Siliguri winning the competition.
The Empowerment Cup is our attempt to promote women’s football. Sixteen teams from six states participated, and the matches—intensely competitive—were all played in Kolkata. Multiple footballers from yesteryears, both women and men, came to support the effort, and the prize money is something we are truly proud of. Local politicians and party functionaries from across party lines also attended the games, giving the event a carnival-like atmosphere.
Supported by Tata Steel, this was the fourth year we conducted the tournament, and the scale has grown each year. The interstate format was an addition this year, and the entire effort, by every yardstick, was an eye-opener for all of us. We had to stop registrations weeks in advance, and every day at the games, team owners and officials turned up wanting to participate next year.
Honestly, who won or lost doesn’t really matter to us. What truly matters is that women from all age groups played in the competition and found it meaningful. If we can help it grow, and if we see talent emerge that goes on to make the national team in the years to come, what better legacy could we ask for?
At RevSportz, we know that the Empowerment Cup will not be watched the way viewers watch content about Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma. It is not about ROI or P&L. It is not easy to work on a tournament of this scale for nearly a month and maintain it as an annual property. And yet, we have done so. With support from Tata Steel, Coca-Cola, and Wow! Momo, we have managed to scale things up meaningfully.
Sharmistha Gooptu, COO and the Revsportz representative during the final, put it well: “Revsportz is not just about sports coverage. It is also about disruptive sports coverage. That’s why the Paris Paralympics was covered with the same verve as the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. And that’s why we are keen to add to the empowerment story.”
We don’t need many players from here to break away and build a career. Even if one girl does so, the mission is successful. The message has been sent, and the call has been given. We will create a platform for women footballers to come and showcase their talent. We will bring scouts from the IWL to assess the players, and yes, we hope many will earn professional contracts through the Empowerment Cup platform.
As for the standard of play, I was extremely satisfied with the effort and intensity. The teams gave it their all, and in the end, the entire undertaking proved worthwhile. As we gather for our team-bonding session, we will indeed celebrate a job well done. Here’s to a bigger and even better effort next year.
