Cricketer buys stake in a startup app called Run Adam, which intends to help athletes connect to sponsors, coaches and other resources.
New Delhi: He started out as a railway ticket collector and ended up as one of the most successful cricket captains India has ever had. If anyone knows the struggles of an athlete, it’s M.S. Dhoni.
And now, he has acquired a 25 per cent stake in an app called Run Adam, a tech startup with a small amount of capital (known as ‘bootstrapped’), which intends to help athletes connect to potential sponsors, coaches and other resources.
Dhoni has invested in a personal capacity, and will be the startup’s mentor and brand ambassador.
Dhoni said: “Run Adam will play a significant role in aspiring sportspersons’ life to help achieve their dreams. I have faced challenges during the initial stages of my career and I see Run Adam filling a vacuum.”
Founders’ vision
There appears to be a real vacuum in the country that Run Adam seeks to fill. Its founders, Yeragaselvan Kumarasamy and Mothakaladharan Soundarapandian, have previous experience of finding coaches for schools, and share numerous instances of where their app can help out.
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Yeragaselvan said: “We came across a former athlete who is now an IT professional. She has represented the Indian women’s basketball team internationally, but had to retire at 28 due to an injury. She was more than willing to become a professional coach, and she said, ‘I am sitting in front of a computer screen, but my heart bleeds for basketball’.”
Then, there were others for whom it wasn’t about the money, but who just wanted to be part of sports in some capacity. “There were other athletes on a sports quota, working government jobs and representing India at sporting events, who were ready to coach students. This wasn’t about the money or pay, but it was something that they were extremely passionate about.”
It is exactly this sort of gap their app attempts to bridge.
Right now, the platform has over 9,000 registered athletes from sports like athletics, archery, weightlifting, table tennis and swimming. Over 3,000 of these are verified state-level and national-level competitors (marked with a tick symbol). A crown symbol is used to represent verified international athletes. Over 500 coaches are listed.
Association with cricket and Dhoni
Yeragaselvan and Soundarapandian have had a long association with cricketers, and have organised coaching camps with them in the past.
“It all started in 2013 when we began to manage a cricket team in the Caribbean Premier League —Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel, led by Dwayne Bravo,” Yeragaselvan said.
They eventually began managing these cricketers when they came to India for the IPL too. “In 2015, we produced Dwayne Bravo’s ‘Chalo, Chalo’ music video which was very well received.
“Somewhere in 2015, we started organising coaching camps by legendary cricketers like Courtney Walsh, Shaun Pollock, and Lance Klusener. We also ensured that the coaching camps with these legends were reasonably priced (Rs 10,000-12,000 for a ten-day engagement).”
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On how Run Adam’s partnership with Dhoni came about, Yeragaselvan said: “I am a big fan of Mahi bhai, and I wanted to meet him because I knew that not only would he identify with the struggles of an athlete trying to pursue their dream, but also he would be very excited with the idea of a platform that can solve their troubles.
“A friend set up a meeting, and I met him in London. He helped a great deal with ideas and product development, and in making the platform meet the needs of the athletes.
“He is one of the best human beings I know, and as shown in his biographical film, his journey and the struggles he went through to pursue his sport make him the apt person to be the face of Run Adam.”