Drumming it Up

The success of the volunteer programme during the 2010 Commonwealth Games seems to have rubbed off on the organisers of the IPL,GMR,who have conceptualised a similar programme. The roles of the volunteers have been divided into five key areas,which includes spectator services,venue and workforce operations,media centre,transportation and accommodation of the athletes,and the protocol area,which will manage high-profile guests,celebrities,politicians and industrialists who will be watching the matches.

“Each time I have gone for a match at a stadium,I have not been able to see the match because of hooligans on the stands who obstruct the view. Now I will get to interact with media persons and watch the match,” says Abhishek Mukherjee,a third-year journalism student at Delhi University.

There were certain skills required to be a part of the programme though,as organisers shortlisted 200 volunteers,from 1,600 entries. “We chose presentable people from the age group of 18 to 24,those who can work late night shifts,as most matches are after 8 pm. We also had to maintain the ratio between boys and girls,” says Sagar Pruthi,director,Flyp,an agency that was in charge of hiring volunteers. While an announcement for the volunteers was made on the Delhi Daredevils Facebook fan page a few months ago,everyone was free to sign up for the progamme.

While catching the action live on the field,the volunteers will be kitted in the IPL gear,which includes a Delhi Daredevils T-shirt,cap,track pants,backpack and a utility bag.

Twenty-year-old Kashish Malik,a second year business studies student,is looking forward to escorting high-profile guests as a protocol operations volunteer. “I would like to get an autograph of Mukesh Ambani,” he says.

And as cheerleaders have been banned,a group of six dholwallahs will be rousing the crowd during boundaries and fall of wickets. “The dholwallahs will stand on three podiums around the boundary line. They will keep the morale high,” says Raghav Mehra,manager,GMR.