IMG is also talking to sponsors as it plans to organise special cricket events like the Masters or the double wicket tournament. The world's biggest sports marketing and management company has acquired five-year rights for the Sahara Cup played at Toronto in Canada but is yet to get ownership of an event in India. With the national cricket team on a tight schedule, Alford hopes to rope in senior players like Sunil Gavaskar for a tournament. The Sahara Cup rights expire after two years but IMG is keen to extend the rights.

IMG is examining various ways on how it can commercially work in partnership with the state association bodies. However, the five-year contract with the Board forControl of Cricket in India, which controls cricket bodies in the country, expires this May. IMG, says Alford, will make an aggressive bid to retain that contract as it gets the rights to the matches played by India in the country.

IMG is working out the economics for bringing figure-skating, an entertainment sport aimed at a broad range of adults, into Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Calcutta. The skating show `Stars on Ice' has traveled to several countries like the US, Russia, Japan and China.

Developing winter sports, however, will be hard in the country. Alford believes indoor and table sports has scope to grow. IMG will bring the World Billiards Championship once again this year, a sport which is easy to televise.

IMG is prepared to play a bigger role in sports marketing of some of the traditional games like hockey and football as it believes their popularity can be revived. Alford is trying to find a major sponsor for the national hockey league.

``India's win in the Asian Games, has sparked newinterest. If they manage to do well in the Olympics, then commercial interest in the game will get a big boost,'' Alford said. IMG has identified football as a potential game which could attract big money. The company wants to organise a national league championship but has to win the approval of the All-India Football Federation. The sport is expected to gain popular interest in Asia with the World Cup being hosted jointly by Japan and Korea in 2002. Corporates are already backing football. While the liquor giant UB Group has bought East Bengal and Mohan Bagan clubs, the National League is sponsored by Kalyani beer. Even Mahindra sponsors a team. But football, Alford says, does not enjoy the best marketing position in the country. ``The teams have to get exposure. Some organisation has to take place to make football a success.''Says Alford, ``While cricket will be the dominant sport in the short-to-medium term, football will attract money in the long run.''

IMG is keen to develop tennis events like awomen's or a mixed doubles tournament. The Gold Flake tournament, Alford says, can act as a catalyst. ``More money is coming to the challenges. In addition to the winning pair Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi, there is a legacy tracing back to Vijay Amrithraj and Ramesh Krishnan. The game has potential to be marketed. But it has to be packaged well, televised and brought to the right kind of viewer.''IMG has recently been hired by Indian Golf Union to market the Indian Open golf championship. Corporate golf championships have become a trend in the country--one that IMG plans to capitalise on. However, adds Alford: ``Golf is a big growth area. But we are yet to fight the right player whom we would like to support.''