Game, set, match: Sports stars serve up Rs 410 crore fund

MUMBAI: Nothing like putting your money where your medals are. Centre Court Capital has closed its maiden fund at Rs 410 crore, comfortably acing its initial target of Rs 350 crore. The firm’s roster of backers reads like a roll call at the Olympic Village: cricketing sensation Rishabh Pant, badminton champion PV Sindhu, batting star Jemimah Rodrigues and javelin king Neeraj Chopra have all signed up.

They’re joined by heavyweight institutional players including the Small Industries Development Bank of India (Sidbi), Premji Invest, SanRaj Family Ventures and GMR Sports, anchored by Parth Jindal. The entrepreneurial brigade—Binny Bansal, Mithun Sacheti and Ankit N—rounds out the team sheet.

With this war chest, Centre Court Capital plans to back 15 to 18 startups across sports, fitness, wellness, esports and gaming. Typical cheques will range between Rs 8 crore and Rs 24 crore per company. The firm has already deployed capital in six ventures, including Quidich Innovation Labs, Michezo Sports and Stupa Sports.

Founder Mustafa Ghouse reckons there’s enormous scope for technology to transform Indian sports—from analytics and player development to sports science and fan engagement. He’s not wrong. India’s sports market, valued at $52 billion in FY24, is sprinting towards $130 billion by FY30. That’s the kind of growth curve that makes venture capitalists break into a sweat.

The pitch is clear: invest in the picks and shovels of India’s sporting gold rush. With athletes who understand the game from the inside and investors who know how to keep score, Centre Court Capital is betting that India’s sports-tech revolution is just warming up. Advantage, India.