IMG ropes in Bobby Sharma as SVP

IMG ropes in Bobby Sharma as SVP

Reliance

MUMBAI: Global sports and media company, IMG Worldwide, has appointed Bobby Sharma as its senior vice president for global business development of basketball.

In his new role, Sharma will oversee the growth of IMG‘s basketball business around the world including the emerging economies of India and Brazil.

Sharma will initially relocate to Mumbai to begin developing the company‘s exclusive commercial rights of basketball in India.

He will be working as part of IMG Reliance (IMGR), a joint venture between IMG and Reliance Industries. Earlier this year, IMGR acquired all commercial rights of basketball in India for a 30-year period.

Said executive vice president of IMG and executive director of IMGR, "With successful talent pyramids in place, these leagues will thrive. With his experience developing the sport of basketball for almost a decade at the NBA, Bobby is the right person at the right time to help us achieve IMG‘s goals for the game around the world, both from a player and league development perspective."

Sharma joins IMG from the National Basketball Association (NBA) where he served as the chief legal officer and a senior executive of the NBA Development League, the NBA‘s minor league and its various operating entities. He was also responsible for related initiatives such as expansion and international league consulting.

Stated Sharma, "This is an enormous opportunity for me to make a lasting and meaningful contribution to the sport of basketball on a global level. There is tremendous interest in the game in India and its dynamic market in particular, where more than half of the nation‘s population is under 25 years old and just about every economic metric is headed in a positive direction. I‘m excited to join the talented team of executives that IMG Chairman Ted Forstmann has put in place to help take the company to the next level."

IMGR is aiming to develop a professional basketball league in which players from around the globe will compete alongside Indian players at the highest level.

The NBA recently awarded its telecast rights to Ten Sports and Pix, after its term expired with ESPN Star Sports.