Money is best on sports – a fit country is a happy country: Tarun Singh Chauhan, Wonder Cement

Wonder Cement concluded the world’s largest consumer engagement event Saath7 Cricket Mahotsav in the City of lakes – Udaipur on Sunday, 24 December 2017. The one-of-a-kind cricket tournament saw participation from more than 48,000 players spread across Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. Women too came up on the field and showed their sporting vigor. More than 60 women team registrations were received this year and more than 1000 women participated in the 2 season of Saath7.

Tarun Singh Chauhan, Management Advisor, Wonder Cement and the master strategist behind this visionary rural immersion campaign caught up with EssentiallySports in a candid conversation.

Sir, why did you choose Cricket? Why not any other sports for this campaign

Saath7 is a community program. There are only two things that every Indian has an opinion on – cricket and politics. We chose cricket to target the masses. There is Neo Sports covering the event live on TV, and Red (93.5) & Big (92.7) FM stations on the radio. Watching themselves live is the biggest platform that the masses want and we have achieved in providing that platform.

This is the 2 edition of the tournament. You have already expanded from Rajasthan to Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh as well. Are there plans to expand further?

Of course. No doubts about expanding this campaign. In fact, we wanted to include Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh this time as well. But it couldn’t materialize. They are quite miffed with us. Hopefully we’ll go much bigger next time and include these states as well.

Although you should understand that Saath7 is a brand initiative. We launched the campaign to penetrate our markets deeper. You won’t find teams participating from Jammu & Kashmir because we don’t sell cement there. But, if you go to any of the tehsils in these 3 states (Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh), you will find Wonder Cement cemented in their minds.

Coming to the quality of the players in the tournament – what are your thoughts about that?

I think they are much better than some of the players playing in our national side. Just look at these players here – absolutely raw. They don’t fear anyone. Players from Bangladesh, Pakistan do really well in international formats. That’s because they are completely raw. The moment you train talent, you have lost its color.

There is no doubt that this campaign provides a platform for rural youngsters to showcase their talent. Beyond this what more is Wonder Cement planning for these gifted players?

See we are doing our bit. We are already giving Rs. 40 lakhs as prize money. We have ordered 15000+ bats. Every team reaching the semifinals gets a full kit and gear, inclusive of shoes.

Further, we have ensured the rules and regulations remain the same and the platform is exactly aligned with the international level.

We have provided the platform and it is for the cricket associations and cricket government to recognize the talent we have discovered. We would like if other brands can associate with us and further this cause.

How can other brands and firms take a leaf out of Saath7’s success formula?

Partner with us. Simple. If these brands want to take a leaf from our notebook, they should rather help us. Pool in more resources and we can take this initiative to much larger heights and reach to a wider audience. There is no point spending money on IPL and other leagues as it has many other promoters.

On a serious note, I feel money is best spent on sports. A fit country is a happy country. All our modern superpowers have fit citizens and that is the reason behind their success. Invest in Sports and Fitness, and you will see the benefits.  

About Wonder Cements Saath7 Cricket Mahotsav:

Wonder Cement Saath7 Cricket Mahotsav 2017 is world’s largest Consumer Engagement Campaign involving cricket, where 48000 people will participate across the 3 mega states of India viz. Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh & Gujarat.

It is a high energy 7 players 7 overs tournament which provides a ground for the people of remote areas of our states to up come on the field, show their talents and make their cricket dreams a reality. Giving it a twist, if a team has a girl member it gets 7 runs as bonus for every match, a feature added for encouraging the aspiring women to come up on the field with dignity and play alongside men. With a total cash prize of Rs. 40 lakhs to be awarded to the winning teams across the entire tournament from tehsil level to the finals, the champions of the tournament will be awarded 3.5 lakh cash prize.

The Scale and the Spirit of Wonder Cement Saath7 Cricket is directed at encouraging local talent, promoting women emancipation, bringing unity across all strata of society, and generating local employment. It is eagerly awaited by people to interact, play and enjoy the fun and amusement it brings along.

About Wonder Cement:

Wonder Cement Limited is a leading cement company catering to markets across the country pre-dominating the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. Established in 2010 with its headquarters in Udaipur, Rajasthan, Wonder Cement Ltd is known for its high quality of products that reflect the enriched heritage of its parent company RK Marble, a leading name in the marble industry. The company with its plant located at Chittorgarh today produces 6.75 million tons per annum, thus occupying a prominent position in the industry. Special efforts are taken to ensure that the plant upholds the latest environmental norms with the help of reverse air bag house, ESP and a number of nuisance bag filters to remain clean and dust free. The manufacturing unit is established with technical collaborations with Thyssenkrupp and Pfeiffer Ltd. of Germany. Wonder Cement is planning to further expand its current capacity to 10 million tons by setting up a third production line.