Hosting of the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, combined with a booming Indian economy and demand for quality educational products creates a fertile environment for Sport Knowledge Australia to broaden its influence on the global management of sport.

Sport Knowledge Australia (SKA) recently announced the delivery of its first educational product into India, via a course it will run at the prestigious Indian School of Business (ISB) in Hyderabad in mid-December, 2005.

At press time, the course has already received registrations from India, South Africa, Malaysia, Oman and Singapore.

Associate Professor Bob Stewart, a leading SKA faculty member and sport management educator at Victoria University in Melbourne, Australia, will head the inaugural programme, which will examine issues and processes involved in the globalisation of sport and share world best practices with postgraduate students. He will present case studies on Cricket Australia, Nike and international trends in sport facility design and facility management, highlighting Wembley Stadium and the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The ISB boasts alliances with the USA’s world-renowned Kellogg School of Management, The Wharton School of Business and London Business School.

Leighton Wood, former chief executive of the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games, visited Delhi in November to speak at the Australia-India Council's Forum on Sports Management and Games Management.

During his visit, Wood also spoke at a Games Business Workshop, an initiative of the Australia-India Council and the Confederation of Indian Industry sponsored by the Governments of New South Wales and Victoria. Workshop host, former Sydney Olympics CEO, Sandy Hollway coordinated themed presentations to officials and companies by leading-edge Australian companies and specialists.

Wood says India is poised to take advantage of its role as host of the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, “Australia has an exciting business relationship with India and shares a $A7 billion two-way trade connection in goods. India is a country rich in sporting culture and traditions and the prospect of hosting a major event like the Commonwealth Games will strengthen that culture and help grow India’s sport industry.”

With India also pitching to host the 2014 Asia Games, Deepak Chandra, Assistant Dean, Executive Education at the Indian School of Business says, “The ISB and SKA share a similar academic philosophy. Sport Knowledge Australia complements our educational focus, which is to deliver cutting-edge global practices in management education and research.”