Book Review: Boundary Lab by Nandan Kamath
You can almost sense the forced stoic calm that Mr Kamath has mastered while moving the needle forward in Indian sport – an industry that revels in taking two steps back for every half-step forward.
Boundary Lab: Inside the Global Experiment Called Sport, is authored by Mr Nandan Kamath – a well-known sports lawyer in India – and a trailblazer of this niche branch of law in our country.
The book talks about how the sports field is, in many ways, a laboratory for larger social issues – whether human rights, inclusivity, equality, rule of law, technology, morality, or market forces.
While delving into these universal themes, most of the examples detailed in this book are India-centric, making it very relevant for local readers.
Divided into 20 chapters, each one attempts to answer some really prickly questions – which many of us would have contemplated from time to time: Should we hold separate women’s chess events?; Why is sports betting illegal in India?; How did IPL thrive while other Indian leagues didn’t?; Should Dhoni own the ‘helicopter shot’?; and finally, Should India bid to host the Olympic Games?
The book attempts to carefully balance its approach between being intellectually stimulating and not sounding too academic – a hard feat to accomplish.
In delineating all of the pushes and pulls surrounding sports governance, Mr Kamath’s two decades plus hands-on experience shine through.
Every word is measured and meaningful – forcing readers to pause and digest the depth of what Mr Kamath wishes to convey. You can almost sense the forced stoic calm that Mr Kamath has had to master while playing his part in patiently moving the needle forward in Indian sport – an industry that revels in taking two steps back for every half-step forward.
Mr Kamath is more than just a lawyer in the strict sense of the term. He has also pioneered private investment and support to athletes through his non-profit Go Sports Foundation. Recently, he co-founded the Sports and Society Accelerator, an independent think-tank that actions the very same ‘beyond the boundary’ applications of sport that this book highlights. Moreover, Mr Kamath himself has represented the Karnataka state cricket team at the junior national level – lending him a player-first perspective that no doubt he has fought to retain even after sacrificing the gentleman’s whites for the lawyer’s black robes.
The blurb includes glowing praise from none other than Rahul Dravid, in addition to the hugely respected author and public intellectual Ramachandra Guha (a known cricket buff), besides seasoned sports industry veterans Joy Bhattacharjya and journalist Sharda Ugra.
Those working in the sports sector will find this read to be a wholesome combination of ‘familiar meets insightful’, benefiting from the hard-won wisdom of someone who has traversed the tough terrain of Indian sports, much before any of us.
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