KumbleÃÔ decision to ditch Mallya for Ambani was all business

[rkt.india]

So what makes Anil Kumble ditch the Royal Challengers Bangalore and join the Mumbai Indians? KumbleÃÔ assignment with his new employers will begin with IPL 6 this year. Å®umbai Indians is a very competitive team in the IPL and it is my honour to join the franchise as its chief mentor, Kumble said on Monday. The former India skipper was associated with the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for the last five years as player and mentor but his decision to switch wasnÃÕ too difficult. Some say the changes are because the Mumbai Indians want Kumble to play a greater role in the 2014 player auctions when all the players are back in the pool, others say it is because Robin Singh has joined the US national team. Other sources indicate that Royal Challengers Bangalore were having trouble making their payments to players and the coaching staff. But Kumble, who is IndiaÃÔ highest Test wicket-taker with 619 wickets in Tests, said he made the decision because of an opportunity that his talent management firm Tenvic has been offered by Mumbai Indians owner Reliance Group Management. Ū passionately believe that sport has the potential to be a change agent in nation building. I have made this decision to take up a new assignment based on an opportunity that my company, Tenvic has been offered. With this, we will be uniquely positioned to consolidate my passion with the interests of our partners to contribute to the growth of sport across disciplines, especially grassroots sport, he said. Ūt is only a calling for a greater challenge and potential for national impact that justified my separation from the RCB fans, Kumble added. Now, Kumble hasnÃÕ come out and said what exactly this opportunity is. Perhaps we will all be more comfortable if he did. Tenvic basically offers three things: Structured coaching to help children excel in a sport of their choice, Training and mentoring for businesses and sportspeople, Insights and ideas to help brands better leverage sport in their marketing. The Reliance group should be a perfect fit. As were the businesses under Vijay Mallya. But Reliance and the Ambanis mean stability while over the last year Mallya has been anything but that. Last year, Kumble faced ÃÄonflict of interest charges. The Outlook magazine did a story which claimed that his role as director of a player management firm Tenvic is incompatible with other key administrative posts held by the former Indian skipper. So maybe, he just wants to move away from it all. At the end of the day, Bangaloreans shouldnÃÕ take it personally, KumbleÃÔ decision to shift base is all business. Perhaps it also tells you how closely inter-linked the IPL and business has become.

http://www.firstpost.com/sports/kumbles-decision-to-ditch-mallya-for-ambani-was-all-business-598078.html