For a lot of us, Deepankar Nandi has been the go-to guy for anything CC&FC. Having served as the club’s CEO for many years, he has taken over as the president of the Gurusaday Dutta Road club. In this chat with t2, Nandi tells us about his history with the club and his wishes as the president.
You’ve had a long association with the club...
I joined the club in 1982, after I relocated back to Calcutta from the tea plantations and represented the club’s first teams in cricket, football, hockey, rugby and cycle polo. Apart from representing the club in various sports and being the CEO, I served on the general committee and the balloting committee before I contested for the position of vice president.
I won the election last year for the position of vice president. This year in August, I was elected president unopposed.
I first played on this ground in 1970, representing St. Xavier’s school cricket team. From then till 1981, I played many cricket and football matches here for St. Xavier’s College team and Dooars/Assam planters’ teams. It was always a dream to become a member here and play a sport in such a nice environment.
This club has a rich history in sports and sports has been an integral part of my life. I have travelled around the world to pursue my dream and watch top-quality sports. Not only cricket and football World Cups, Olympics, and Wimbledon, I have watched rugby in South Africa, Major League Baseball, NBA and ice hockey.
When I worked in Nigeria, through a friend’s sports management company, I used to arrange international friendlies for the Nigerian World Cup team in football. I have travelled extensively with them to South America, Europe and Asia.
How has the club evolved?
When I joined there were approximately 250 members. Today, there are almost 2,000 members. The club has grown in the sense that there are a lot of facilities available to members.
Working as the CEO and the president entails different roles and responsibilities, but the commitment remains the same. I have worked closely with quite a few former presidents and GC members and it has been a good experience. This club has given me a lot and today it’s an honour to lead this institution. I have always felt that it would be nice to be of service to this club and give back something. Now the buck stops with me.
We have a great team of dedicated committee members and we will do our best to uphold the tradition and rich history of this club. Every president I worked with had different styles of operating but the one common thing was they had the good of the club in mind and they devoted time for the betterment of the club.
This is primarily a sports club and it will always remain my priority in this club. I joined the club to play sports. There were eminent people playing for us, like former Ranji Trophy players. There were also football players who had played for the big clubs or for India and once they gave up professional football, they became members and we had a chance to play alongside them.
What are your plans and wish list for the club?
I want to keep the facilities in good shape. There will be a priority on sports and on improving sporting infrastructure, like enhancing the lights for evening sports, to keep the ground in top shape, which is the lifeline of this club. It is also on my wish list to raise some additional funds so that we can give out sports scholarships to the talented needy youngsters in different sports. I also want to tie up with big organisations for cricket and football academies where the club’s youngsters can benefit from. We are already in talks with CAB (The Cricket Association of Bengal) to host some Ranji Trophy matches this season.
You have taken over at a tumultuous time. The clubs are anyway cash-strapped and then you have the pandemic...
In our lifetime, nothing has affected the world more than this pandemic. We have gone through a tough time in the last couple of years. The club was virtually closed for almost one year, with no sports, social functions... food or drinks. That is the main source of revenue for the club. The sponsorships dwindled. But I must say that even in these difficult times, we have been able to pay full dues to the club staff, including their bonus. Now, we are slowly opening the club and hope for better times. We will bounce back and try to ensure that members who come to the club always have a great experience.
We remember with a great sense of loss the club members and near ones who we lost during this pandemic. Their presence is always missed. We have experienced nothing so devastating like this during our lifetime.
What is your message for the members?
This is a fantastic club with such a rich history. We call it our second home. Let us all come together and make it a happier place. Visiting the club should always be an enjoyable experience.
