Publisher's Letter

The UK has some of the most high profile sports brands in the world. The Asian business community has been and is very successful in many different sectors in the UK. However, the Asian business personalities have been slow to come forward and invest in this very lucrative sector. We now have the perfect opportunity to make the most of these opportunities. India is the place where perhaps lies the greatest hopes for sports business and in this issue we look at which sport is making the most headway.

Since its inception the IPL has been generating the kind of excitement most sports organizers can only dream about. We interview Lalit Modi, the most influential person in Indian cricket today as it returns to India after being held in South Africa last year. We also look at case studies where British sports organizations are looking to generate the next phase of growth. We talk to Asif Rangoonwala who is busy building his own empire on the water, with his Powerboat P1 racing. Asif is also ambitious about his plans for India.

This is the year India also hosts the Commonwealth Games which should further improve prospects in this arena. We have of course the general elections to come later this year and we have thoughts from both major political parties about their intentions to help business flourish in the UK. You only have to look at the major companies that have folded during this recession to realize how much this is needed. Karim Ullah ­ Publisher