Published on June 29, 2022

The Three-Time World Cup Winner Turned Entrepreneur – Ricky Ponting

“I think sports and businesses have a lot of parallels and I think I have a good grasp of what makes businesses successful”, says Ricky Ponting – the three-time world cup winner. The former captain of the Australian Cricket Team, who is regarded as one of the best captains to ever play the sport, has now turned his eyes toward the field of entrepreneurship. 

Apart from being the head coach of successful IPL teams like the Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians, the former skipper boasts a 500+ crore net worth! The ‘Punter’ also has several multi-million real estate investments to his name and has even made it to the board of a reputed sports recruitment company – NSR Australia. He believes he is ready to take on new challenges outside of sports and make his mark in the world of business and entrepreneurship.

The Former Athlete Turned Businessman Trend:

It is not unheard of for pro-athletes to turn out to be great business owners or entrepreneurs because the very qualities that make a successful sportsperson also form the foundation of a great business leader. Athletes that compete at a very high level adapt to performing under a lot of pressure and in extremely competitive environments. Michael Jordan, the star basketballer is the owner of the Charlotte Bobcats basketball team and is the face of Nike’s Air Jordans; Venus Williams, the former world number 1 in tennis, owns her own fashion line and co-owns the Miami Dolphins football team. 

Numerous Indian athletes have also set foot into the world of business! The Haryana Hurricane – Kapil Dev –  boasts a 5% stake in Zicom Electronics along with a luxury hotel in Chandigarh. India’s very own captain cool – MS Dhoni – co-owns the ISL Champion team, Chennaiyin FC, along with his lifestyle brand, Seven. The Indian Captain and run machine – Virat Kohli – also has a long list of successful businesses and brands built by him including Wrogn, One8, FC Goa, etc.

Why Do Pro-Athletes make Great Entrepreneurs?

Ponting, a legend of the sport, has always had a knack for business and believes that the work ethic and the hard work that comes naturally to top athletes like him will bring him success in building businesses. Ricky has made the headlines again recently after he made his first major move since 2012 when he retired from Test Cricket by launching Ponting Wines – a manufacturer of a premium range of fine wines.

So what is it that makes these athletes successful in the field of business?

1. Discipline: Training diligently for 5-8 hours a day and following a fixed regime for years requires superhuman will and mental strength. The training required to remain a top athlete makes a person more confident and prepared to take any challenge head-on!
2. Teamwork: Leaders are made by the team behind them which is why building/working with the right team is a necessity if one strives for business success. All team sports require every single member to function as one single unit which is a practice that carries on to building a skilled and reliable workforce as well.
3. Learning from Failure: This has to be one of the most critical qualities an entrepreneur must possess as failure molds people into success stories. In any sport, defeat is inevitable and top athletes are well versed in dealing with situations where one is faced with a roadblock. Therefore, they learn from it and come back as a better and more experienced individual.

Conclusion

Every year we hear stories about renowned athletes breaking into the world of business by engaging in roles both inside and outside the sports industry. The sports industry which is valued at $350+ billion dollars is flourishing and has created multiple roles and opportunities across areas – marketing, media, management, etc. Are you a sports enthusiast? Do you want to explore the business aspect of this multi-faceted industry? If yes, then apply for Big Red Education’s – Business of Sports 101 and combine your passion for sports with business!