NARAIN KARTHIKEYAN

Has Sania Mirza ever belted a cherry-red ball towards the boundary? And is Narain Karthikeyan ever likely to get out from his F1 Jordan to send a cricket ball soaring over the pavilion?

The answer is clearly: no. But, in a cricket-crazy nation, both Mirza and Karthikeyan are proving it?s possible to be a sporting hero ? or heroine ? even if you?ve never hit a century or scored a hat-trick. They belong to a new breed of non-cricketers attaining heroic status in the eyes of India?s younger generation.

Nowadays sporting heroes are measured by their advertising endorsements. And Karthikeyan and Mirza are proving that their popularity can be turned into advertising megabucks. Though the figures haven?t been released, it?s clear that a handful of companies will be spending millions to keep Karthikeyan on the tracks.

And that?s not all. A clutch of advertisers and sports marketeers are going out of their way to transform unforgettable moments like winning a trophy or a medal into selling shampoo, cars, tyres, shaving cream, power-boosting drinks, liquor and insurance and bonds. So while Mirza refreshes herself with a sip of Tata Tea on the small screen, we see Karthikeyan zipping on to the road in a JK Tyres advertisement.

VISHWANATHAN ANAND

?It?s a trigger-off effect. Once anybody takes the initiative of signing any of the newcomers or achievers, sports marketeers and corporates sit up and take notice. Then it becomes a trend and endorsement and sponsorship offers come rolling in,? says Sunil Kalra, branch director, Percept D?Mark.

Harish Thawani, chairman and managing director, Nimbus, reckons that non-cricketing sportsmen can earn fees of between Rs 1 lakh to Rs 10 lakh and sometimes even Rs 25 lakh. ?It could get bigger, for cricketers earn in the range of Rs 25 lakh-Rs 5 crore,? he says.

Take a look at sharpshooter Rajyavardhan Rathore, the silver medal winner in the 2004 Olympics. The armyman has been swamped with brand ambassador offers from at least three big companies including Sahara and endorsement offers from several brands. ?The Army chief has started looking upon me as a brand ambassador for the Army ? a big honour in itself,? says Rathore.

What is it about them that makes them winners even off the sports arena? For a start, they all have clean-cut images and can be icons for the younger generation.

SANIA MIRZA

These days sports marketeers make huge efforts to discover new talent to be turned into big money personalities. The best types like Mirza are articulate good-lookers, natural both on the court and off.

Even if they aren?t naturals, marketing people are willing to work on potential stars. ?If you can communicate, you?re a winner. For those not adept at it, we have training and public- speaking sessions. It?s all about public appearances ? to be seen in the right places at the right time,? says Kalra

Till recently non-cricketing sportspeople had a tough time getting recognition. Take hockey player Dhanraj Pillai, for instance, who made his debut in 1989, the same year as Tendulkar. But while the latter became a huge youth icon, it?s been a struggle for Pillai though he?s been a star on the field. His lack of star status was evident recently when he was dropped from the team, with barely any reaction from the public.

But things could be looking up even for Pillai. Last year, he was chosen as the brand ambassador for the World Bamboo Congress.

In fact, times could be looking up for the entire hockey team. In December, the team got a new contemporary-looking uniform put together by fashion designer Aparna Chandra. The team logos were designed by JWT, the advertising agency of ESPN-Star Sports in India. The Premier Hockey League (PHL) launch show had the players walking the ramp.

RAJYAVARDHAN RATHORE

There?s also the fact that hockey players Dilip Tirkey and Gagan Ajit are among the four chosen by Percept for their ?Real Life Reel Heroes? project in March. ?It?s a central government project where unsung heroes like artisans from rural areas, will be honoured by these players. We concentrated on non-cricketers because they?ve a tremendous following not yet spoken about,? says Kalra.

Then look at golfer Jeev Milkha Singh who?ll be promoting Indian handcrafts as part of the Percept project. Golfers like Singh earn almost as much as cricketers. ?The lead in promoting golf in India has been taken by Jeev. He?s been followed by players like Arjun Atwal and Jyoti Randhawa,? says Digraj Singh, director, Tiger Sports Marketing.

Singh, sponsored by Hero Honda for the last six years, turned professional in 1993. He says, ?Golf has come a long way. Then, the Indian circuit was worth Rs 34 lakh. Now it?s Rs 3 crore.?

The success story of tennis started with Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes some time back. It took a long time for a Sania Mirza to break into the news and overnight attain an iconic status for herself. After the Australian Open, this 18-year-old has received a huge response from people across all age groups.

BAICHUNG BHUTIA

?People come up to me and say that they see me as a role model for their kids. So long, they?ve only had cricketers to look upto,? says Sania. Young girls are also going her way with funky nose-rings and eyewear. It?s a fairly safe bet they?ll be picking up tennis rackets soon.

Mirza has been flooded with offers for brand ambassadorships and endorsements. But she prefers to choose only a few from the 22 that have come her way. So far she has appeared as a brand ambassador for the Sahara Group, the Taj GVK Hotel and in ads for Tata Tea and Atlas Cycle. But it?s certain she will soon be in more commercials.

Says Mirza?s management company, Globosport. ?We want to maintain a balance between the game and her commercial activities. Unlike cricket, in tennis, the prize money is as good as it gets. The ads range from footwear, beverages, mobile handset providers to apparel and watches,? says Anirban Blah, vice-president, Globosport.

?People have started to look beyond cricket. I am often asked by youngsters, ?How did you overcome the odds and deliver in the face of them?? When it comes to cricket, it?s marketing that?s made stars out of our cricketers, though they are fantastic sportsmen,? says Rathore.

JEEV MILKHA SINGH

Of course, there?s a good reason why the marketing people are keen on the new sports. Statistics show that motor-racing, in some form or the other, is the most-watched sport after cricket in India. ?Karthikeyan started at 16 when there was no benchmark or infrastructure. Yet he?s adapted to rigorous conditions and developed a phenomenal presence on the tracks,? says Sanjay Sharma, head, motorsports, JK Tyres, that?s sponsored him from the beginning.

At the same time, it is not necessary that sports stars should be extremely young or like the bubblegum kind of popstars, say sports experts. Says Kalra, ?Chess master Vishwanathan Anand is an instance. He?s been around for some time, yet he is an icon for the youth. Internationally, cricket is not such a big deal. You?d be surprised how people abroad identify with him immediately.? Anand has a whopping over Rs 2-crore deal with NIIT.

Soccer player Baichung Bhutia too, has been around for some time now. Yet he?s been the face of soccer in India and abroad. Bhutia, signed on by Percept to walk the ramp for the World Bamboo Congress, is estimated by experts to be earning Rs 25 lakh to Rs 35 lakh annually.

Despite all this, there are some like Lokesh Sharma of 21st Century Management, who?d like to play safe by signing on cricket stars. ?After all, it has the attention of the entire nation,? he says.

But he hastens to add, ?India is poised to become a multiple sports country like Australia, the UK and the US with games like soccer, F1 and golf gaining currency. What we are seeing right now with the rise of a Rathore and a Mirza, is a positive sign. It augurs well for the commercial success of Indian sports. But of course, they have to sustain their success.?

It seems at last, the Indian youth will get a fair share of other sporting icons in the days to come. Says Kalra, ?After all, we all need heroes to look up to in life who can communicate their achievements to the youth of today.?