“RoundGlass is working to transform sports in Punjab”: Sunny Singh
In 2020, the long-running Hero I-League team Minerva Punjab FC saw a change in ownership. The buyers were RoundGlass, a “wholistic” wellbeing company and the brainchild of Indian-American entrepreneur Sunny Singh.
RoundGlass’s sports division, RoundGlass Sports Pvt Ltd, is engaged in grassroots initiatives across Punjab. Besides football, the company has been actively promoting field hockey and tennis in the sporting talent-rich North Indian state.
In an exclusive conversation with Sportskeeda.com, Mr. Singh elaborated on his company's vision to transform sports in India, the need to integrate sports with overall wellbeing, its goals for the rechristened RoundGlass Punjab FC, and its network of 40 development centers that create a pathway from amateur to professional level.
Excerpts from RoundGlass Sports founder Sunny Singh's conversation with Sportskeeda
Q. Please elaborate on your vision for RoundGlass Sports, and how it ties into your larger mission of “democratizing Wholistic Wellbeing worldwide.”
A: RoundGlass Sports is working to transform sports in Punjab and the rest of India while building a better future for our children. The initiative believes that every child deserves a chance to play a sport of their choice and realize their full potential by living a life of wholistic wellbeing.
We are creating these opportunities in football, tennis, and hockey while providing world-class coaching, infrastructure, learning, and nutrition to our players. We are also cultivating a culture of sports participation and promoting excellence at the international level.
Sports not only enhances our physical wellbeing but also makes children mentally resilient and centered. Facing tough situations in the field, constantly striving to improve one’s performance, and navigating challenges in a nanosecond help improve children’s reflexes and problem-solving capabilities, enhance their decision-making, make them learn new skills, and have more positive effects on their mental health.
Sports also ties in with social and community wellbeing. Playing team sports instills values such as teamwork and discipline while teaching us the spirit of sportsmanship, thereby improving our social wellbeing. At the community level, sports can be a great leveler and help uplift entire communities by giving people from less privileged backgrounds the chance to excel in life, both professionally and individually.
Sports are integral to the wholistic wellbeing of individuals, which is what RoundGlass is all about - we are democratizing wellbeing for the world, and sport is one way to do so.
Q. What was your thought process behind acquiring Punjab FC?
Football is the world’s favorite sport and enjoys immense popularity in Punjab as well as across India. Despite the state being a powerhouse of sporting talent, the opportunities for children to grow into top-class players and fulfill their potential are limited.
This was one of the key factors behind establishing RoundGlass Punjab FC, which is the sole representative of Punjab at the senior level of Indian football. With the club, not only do we aspire to provide a pathway for budding professional players but also inspire young children with an attractive, exciting style of football to go out and play.
RoundGlass Punjab FC is now two seasons into the I-League and we are still learning and growing as a club. The progress made so far has been immense and after two COVID-hit campaigns, we are now excited to finally play at home in front of our fans later this year.
The long-term goal for RoundGlass Punjab FC, and also our entire sports division, is to create world-class athletes and players who will represent the country at the highest level and serve as role models to inspire the next generation. To that end, my commitment to invest in our growth and development remains intact and I look forward to producing and nurturing some exciting talents in the coming years.
Q. At the grassroots level, your preferred approach involves partnering with local academies. Can you tell us more about the nature of these associations?
A: RoundGlass Sports, which is currently into football, tennis, and field hockey, runs several targeted programs — the Grassroots, Development and Elite Programs — to identify and nurture talent from across India and provide them with world-class coaching and wholistic learning in a fully residential setting at the RoundGlass Sports Academy in Mohali.
We have set up a wide network of Development and Grassroots Centers (around 40) in Punjab and lay great emphasis on reaching towns and villages across the state to develop sports at the grassroots level. We encourage children to go out and play, especially young girls, and organize scouting trials at these centers and select the best talent for our Development and Elite programs.
Our programs are of international standards and designed and implemented by some of the world’s leading and most experienced coaches and wellbeing experts. We have also partnered with reputed brands such as Adidas, Babolat, and Six5Six to provide top-quality equipment to our athletes.
By March 2022, the total number of players impacted by RoundGlass Sports at all levels was over 2,300. Young hockey, football, and tennis players from our academy have gone on to represent India on the international stage.
RoundGlass Punjab Football Club plays in the Hero I-League and is the state's sole representative in top-level professional football in India. The team finished fifth out of 13 teams in the latest edition of the league, playing an inspiring brand of football. Earlier this year, two of our players — Bikash Yumnam and Maheson Singh — were selected for the India U20 National Team. Our youth teams have shone at national level as well, winning the prestigious JSW Youth Cup earlier this year.
Our hockey teams across various age groups have won medals at the Academy National Championships, with a few players also receiving call-ups for the national team training camps.
In little over a year of existence, the RoundGlass Tennis Academy has won more than 100 trophies at the domestic and international levels.
Recently, Karman Kaur Thandi, who is India’s second-highest ranked player in women’s tennis, joined the Academy. We look forward to a successful partnership with Karman as we help her realize her full potential and reach the elite levels of the sport.
Q. Your activities are currently heavily focused on Punjab. Is there an intent to expand your geographical footprint into other parts of India or elsewhere within the Indian sub-continent or APAC region?
A: While the base of our operations is Punjab, we have been working continuously to provide opportunities for budding athletes across the country.
Our aim is to help develop and unlock their full potential in Punjab and the rest of India by building infrastructure, providing high-quality coaching and training, and cultivating a culture of sports participation.
For example, our football teams — both senior and junior — have players from Punjab as well as different parts of India. The selection trials for the RoundGlass Tennis Academy, which were held earlier this year, saw children from all over the country participate.
We will continue to focus on our efforts in Punjab as well as drawing talent from the rest of the country. Different sports are at different levels of maturity.