Dileep’s redemption: Spotlight on India’s unsung coaches

Following the recent ‘The Syllabus of Champions’, Sportz Village, a school sports organisation, has launched its latest campaign in collaboration with Scarecrow M&C Saatchi. The campaign is a heart-warming redemption story of Dileep, a boy from humble origins who gets ridiculed on the cricket field.

Saumil Majmudar, CEO and MD of Sportz Village pointed out that while talent is abundant, it needs to get the right opportunities at the right place at the right time. Dileep’s story is a powerful reminder that creating champions is a collective effort, which that includes parents, educators, coaches, school leaders, funders, government and policymakers.

“At Sportz Village, we often encounter such talent, working with schools and students all across India. As we release this film today, we also celebrate the 16th birthday of EduSports, our pioneering in-school sports and physical education program. The film reflects our commitment to identifying and nurturing talent from schools and communities across India, to fulfil dreams of gold and glory,” Majmudar added.

Raghu Bhat, co-founder Scarecrow M&C Saatchi said that through Dileep, the agency wanted to shine the spotlight on school coaches because they are the real agent of change and create a pathway for talent. “Selfless, driven by pure 24K passion and a repository of knowledge—the school coach embodies Sportz Village just as Dileep embodies a child’s dormant potential. When the two come together, magic happens,” Bhat stated.

A school sports organisation Sportz Village spans over 18000 private and public schools across 22 states in India. In the past 21 years, it has partnered with over 100 brands and corporates, sports academies, federations and leagues as well as governments and touched the lives of over six million children.

Kapil Tammal, national creative director of Scarecrow M&C Saatchi said, “At Sportz Village, their passion lies in delivering the best sports facilities, training, and coaching to children everywhere. They are driven by the belief that sports education should be accessible to all, transcending geographical, financial, and social barriers. This film portrays this truth beautifully."

He revealed that the team wrote many scripts before zeroing in on this. The story had to mirror the struggles of India’s young student athletes. It needed to have emotion, conflict and enough twists to keep the viewer hooked. “A story with such emotional depth also required immaculate casting as everything had to look authentic. Kudos to the director for the drawing out great performances from every actor,” Tammal said.

Campaign’s take:  Sportz Village’s latest ad film, The Syllabus of Champions, is a masterclass in storytelling, blending raw emotion, conflict, and redemption to highlight the journey of Dileep, a young cricketer ridiculed for his humble origins. Created in collaboration with Scarecrow M&C Saatchi, the campaign underscores a universal truth: talent alone isn’t enough; it requires timely opportunities and the right mentorship.

The film honours school coaches as the unsung heroes of India’s sporting dreams. This poignant narrative serves as a clarion call for a collective effort from parents, educators, policymakers, and funders to nurture young talent. It also tries to bring authenticity to Dileep’s struggles, mirroring the challenges faced by countless young athletes in India.

With its evocative narrative, the campaign is not just a tribute to student athletes but a rallying cry for accessible sports education, proving that behind every champion is a community that believes. 

Credits:

Client: Sportz Village

Client team: Saumil Majmudar, Upma Jain, Nishant Parvataneni

Agency: Scarecrow M&C Saatchi

Creative team: Kapil Tammal, Narendra Naik, Krunal Parkar, Prathama Shaw, Raghu Bhat

Production house: Puppet Pictures

Director: Naren Multani

Producer: Hozefa Alibhai

DOP: Rahul Accot

Casting: Girish Jamdhade

Post production: Splice Studioz

Offline editor: Vipin Yadav

Music director: Samyukta Narendran

Sound engineer: Carl Nazareth