Indiarace.com - india's first & foremost horse racing portal

Vivek Jain Takes the Chair amidst Records

By Mahendra Mallya | 18 Dec 2009 | MUMBAI


Mr. Vivek Jain

Mr Vivek Jain’s moment at the helm has arrived and how! He garnered the maximum number of votes ever by any contestant in the history of RWITC. The tremendous efforts that Vivek has put in over the past years have expectedly reached its logical point when he was unanimously elected the Chairman of RWITC following the election results. Vivek had been instrumental in roping in the long list of Sponsors, thanks to the marketing strategies and implementations of his dedicated team. It is a well-known fact that Vivek has selflessly devoted countless hours with the sole aim to improve the functioning of the club and to provide a range of facilities to the members. Vivek, like every other committee member on the board who are affluent industrialists or business tycoons, is a very busy man himself. He is the director of his family run corporate DCW Ltd. Despite a tremendous business schedule, Vivek has managed to assign quality time towards the RWITC, which he admits he is passionate about. “When you are passionate about something, you do manage to find time to dwell into it whole-heartedly. I love the Club, hence, I don’t think it a task to do anything that benefits the Club. It gets taxing at times when we are facing deadlines and racing against time is the toughest race of all,” he said using the typical terms of a racecourse leader. “My family though has had to cope with my absence as I spend most Sundays and major holidays at the racecourse. They have been extremely supportive and this has encouraged me and helped me to do my best for the RWITC, which to me is an important agenda as well.” The popularity of Mr Vivek Jain has never been a secret. He is easily approachable and lends an ear to anybody with an issue. The members have seen the progress the Club has made particularly in packaging the sport to attract new and high-profile sponsors and the entertaining activities that come along on a Sunday. He is instrumental in getting the glamour and entertainment quotient into racing and it is a universal fact that the RWITC is the only racecourse in India, which showcases its races in the most fashionable manner. None of the other Turf Clubs has been able to match the pomp and show that is seen at the Mahalaxmi. Yesterday, the Club members were almost unanimous in their choice and Vivek grossed the maximum votes ever in the 94 years of the body. He drew 887 votes, which sums up to an extraordinary 83% sweep and that, you will agree, is a thumping victory. “Yes, I am overwhelmed and I thank all the members for their tremendous support. The sheer number makes me confident that I have their complete backing. This kind of mandate motivates me to strive harder and I shall make every effort in living up to the support and expectations,” he concluded. Dr Cyrus Poonawalla said, “I have had a satisfying tenure. I ensured that the Club’s finances were looking healthy. We did face many hitches though, the fire in the members’ stand, the equine flu and the sort. However, each time we came back stronger. I wish Vivek and his team all the very best.” Vivek’s victory created a few new records as well. The percentage of votes – 887 out of 1068 valid votes (83%) is the highest ever for any candidate for the top post. This is the sixth time that Vivek has topped the list, again the maximum for any contestant ever. At 51, he becomes the youngest Chairman of the RWITC. This is also the only occasion that a father (DR SC Jain) and son have held the post of the Chairman of the club. Vivek was first elected as the Steward of the Club in 1997-98 and has been elected every single year since. He has been the Chairman of the Stewards for the last three years on the trot. Mr Shivlal Daga was elected the Chairman – Stewards of the Club. Mr Adi Narielwalla remains the Chairman of the Appeal Board. Final Results: Total number of votes polled: 1068 Invalid votes - 21 The above members were declared elected. Those who did not make it: Mr Vivek Jain Chairman 887 Mr Jaydev Modi 791 Mr Champaklal Zaveri 715 Mr Shyam Ruia 713 Dr Sashi jain 642 Dr Ram Shroff 582 Mr Gautam Lala 570 Mr Shivlal Daga 552 Mr Mohan Thakur 548 Mr Geoffrey Nagpal 546 Mr Suresh Advani 402 Mr Prakash Kedari 188 Board of Appeal: Total number of votes – 1056 Invalid votes - 32 Mr Dady Adenwalla 587 Mr Byram Jeejeebhoy 545 The above members were declared elected.Those who did not make it: Mr PM Rungta 420 Mr Major Lamba 304