Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], December 1 (ANI): Former Indian pacer RP Singh and spinner Piyush Chawla have joined the second certificate program in Sports Management rolled out by High-Performance Centre of the Department of Sports and Youth Services, Government of Odisha, on Monday.

The Certificate program is the first and only Indo-French collaboration in the country.

The Certificate Program launched by the Odisha government in collaboration with XEBS Ahluwalia Centre of Excellence in Sports Management, Bhubaneswar will offer a crucial mix of the economics of sport, marketing management, IT, data analysis, e-sport, CSR, sponsorship strategies, and legal as well as ethics of sports through its seven modules.

Speaking about their decision to join the 2nd Certificate Program, international cricketers RP Singh and Piyush Chawla said: "We are excited to have joined the Certificate Program on Sports Management by XEBS Ahluwalia Centre of Excellence in Sports Management. A career in sports has given us an understanding of the game.

"We strongly believe, this course will add to our knowledge of the management side and help contribute to the development of sports in India. We are keenly looking forward to learning from the international curriculum modules and faculty members," the duo added.

Xavier Emlyon Business School (XEBS) is a unique collaboration between two academic leaders from India and France, Xavier University, Bhubaneswar, and Emlyon business school.

Vishal Kumar Dev, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Sports and Youth Services Department, Government of Odisha, said the different facets of state's sports sector form a model and has earned wide recognition, set the benchmark for others to emulate, and will offer apt case studies that will enhance and enrich learnings at this program.

Addressing the occasion, President of Indian Olympic Association and International Hockey Federation and member IOC, Narinder Dhruv Batra complimented XEBS Ahluwalia Centre of Excellence in Sports Management for an impressive draw of students for the second batch in the midst of a pandemic year.

Emphasising the importance of Sports Management as an academic program, Batra lauded Odisha Government for the promotion of sports and hoped students would get the chance to tap into the wealth of opportunities it would offer in the years to come.

In her speech, the Consul General of France in Calcutta, Virginie Corteval greeted the students and wished them an engaging learning experience during the program period.

The program has received an overwhelming response from candidates from all across the country. With 35 students, the batch comprises eminent sportspersons, coaches, entrepreneurs, professionals, and sports enthusiasts from all across the country, starting from Nagaland to Tamil Nadu. (ANI)