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Rwitc Needs A Visionary As Dr Cyrus Poonawalla To Bring Back Glory Days

By Muneer Mirza | 02-Jun-2017

RWITC needs a visionary as Dr Cyrus Poonawalla to bring back glory days
Muneer Mirza
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Pune: The Pune Racing season is just away a month way and it seems as if the season never happened.

I will be a dull season as 2017, where punters are unhappy about their dwindling income, horse owners just went along with the melee, and above all race-goers found little to cheer as title sponsors worked on tight finances.

The Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) too found itself cash strapped with fund drying up and returns in the negative.

With such a state of affair, regular race-goers, independent horse owners and trainers feel that change was needed to bring back the glory days of the RWITC.

While Dr Cyrus Poonawalla laughs off the suggestion that he should take over the RWTIC to give it a new lease of life, mature members do feel that there is no other person than Dr.Cyrus Poonawalla who could revive the club.

Some estimates say that the club has been left with around Rs 40 crore of fund and with around Rs 27 lakh needed per race day in Pune and Rs 30 lakh for Mumbai race day, the Pune season could face serious financial issues if funds do not get any boost.

The present small controlling group led by current RWITC Chairman Vivek Jain almost raised their hands. Rather than working towards improving club’s finances, they have been carrying on vendetta against a leading trainer and his patrons.

One cannot forget that Dr Poonawalla and Khushroo Dhunjibhoy had turned the club into a financially more successful and better-organised body. Unlike Jain, who is not a racing man, but is an ideal marketing guy and good at dealing with sponsors, should use his skills where he has the expertise.

Like all other sports associations who have their international governing body having a big say in the way thing are to be done, the RWITC seems to have no botheration as the international body has so far been only a paper tiger.

This brings to a situation whether the RWITC needs some government appointed panel, just as the Lodha Panel in looking into the affairs of the Indian cricket board, BCCI. Poonawalla knows that if such panel begins dictating terms to the RWITC it would trigger several heads to fall and so he insists that the committee members should unite and resolve the situation by bringing the club back to its hey days.

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8 Replies

N Shrikant said ...

07-Jun-2017
My request to Mr Poonawala and Mr Dhunjibhoy please share your valuable opinion.

Arpee said ...

05-Jun-2017
@ All,

The Poonawalla Brothers have made tremendous contribution to Indian Racing,and are probably one of the few owners who do not indulge in betting.Simply said they don't need to,considering their status as one of the top breeders in India,besides being owners of Serum Institute supplying life saving vaccines to all parts of the world.Involved in a lot of charities and presently doing their bit towards Swatch Bharat in keeping Pune clean. Such families are rare and their efforts need to be appreciated. I am not aware of any other racing family which does so much for society.

Coming back to racing, it would be really good for RWTIC to elect them back, though they have opted out of heading the committee for personal reasons.Adar Poonawalla would be the right choice,considering his exposure in running Serum Institute,and with the backing and support of his family and other well wishers,would be able to steer RWTIC from the considerable mess it finds itself,because of the petty politics between the two factions that just seems to go on and on,election after election.The whole lot needs to take a walk,(barring A few ),and let the new generation take over.Seventy Years should be a good enough for a warm handshake and farewell party.

RWTIC requires a strong leadership to bring about a paradigm shift in the management of it's affairs, and a professional management similar to Hong Kong,U.K,Japan and Singapore. It is not impossible if the right people are in place,who would ensure fair races by strict stewardship monitored by professional stewards,fair returns to punters by keeping reasonable deductions in terms of their commission in all pools,ensuring that punters are given a fair deal in all aspects or to put in simple terms being PUNTER-CENTRIC. Last but not the least, the committee should use their good office with the State and Central Governments,to introduce All India Totes,which will go a long way in ensuring fair racing,besides generating huge revenues both to the government and the clubs-and will also have a trickle down effect to the punters at large.

Come on RWTIC,show the way.Indian Racing requires your leadership more than ever in the days to come.Your inaction and petty politics will only hasten the end of this wonderful sport. This is a moment of crisis and just giving lip service and asking everyone to come out of their cocoon is not the way to overcome it. Please do some introspection and you will realize it is your egos that needs cutting to size,and not the petty cost cutting that you indulge in with so much fan fare.Sponsors are required,that does not give you a license to convert the paddock into a Dance and Disco stage-and racing and its coverage takes a back seat.You are running a racing industry and not a carnival-the helpless off-course punters are left lamenting the poor racing coverage causing considerable loss as a result.

RWTIC---Are you there ? Poonawallas ? Adar ?

Regards.

P.S.; This is nothing personal against anyone in particular. Sorry, if I sound a little harsh, but consider it as the anguish of a common punter who loves this sport,but not the murky goings-on that has become the norm-rather than the exception.As some frustrated punter remarked after one of the controversial objection was upheld--Racing requires a lot of cleaning up,the horse-waste is the easy part. Got it ,Steve?

Thanks.

Pk said ...

05-Jun-2017
DEAR DR POONAWALLA AND MR DHUNJIBHOY.

WE ALL KNOW THAT YOU HAVE RWITC CLOSE TO YOUR HEART. BOTH HAVE WORKED ON THE SCENE AND BEHIND THE SCENE FOR MANY MANY YEARS TO KEEP THE RWITC AS A PREMIER RACING CLUB NOT ONLY IN INDIA BUT AROUND THE WORLD

I AM NOT SURE IF THERE ARE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN YOU TWO, BUT WHAT EVER BE THE STATE. RWITC NEEDS IT S GLORY BACK

BOTH OF YOU RESPECTED SACHIN AND GAVASKAR OF RACING ARE REQUIRED TO BAIL YOUR FAMILY(RWITC) OUT OF THE MESS, BY JOINING HANDS AND LEAVING EGO,S IF ANY.

WE THE EQUINE LOVERS NEED YOU. WE WISH RACING TO BE BACK AT ITS PEAK.

GENTLEMEN, YOU HAVE ALL THE RESOURCES TO RACE IN ANY PART OF THE WORLD AND FULFILL YOUR HOBBY, BUT WHAT ABOUT SMALL PEOPLE WHO DE STRESS ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY BY SPENDING A FEW HOURS AT THE RACE COURSE.

KINDLY RECOLLECT YOUR PAST GLORIES AND THINK,WOULD YOU NOT LIKE YOUR FAMILY AND NEXT GENERATION TO ALSO ENJOY THIS SPORT AS MUCH OR MORE THAN YOU DID

IF THE CLUB SHUTS DOWN, THE EFFORTS PUT IN BY YOU AND YOUR FAMILY WILL ALL BE WASHED AWAY WITHOUT ANY MEMORIES.

LET SWEET MEMORIES RUN DOWN IN THE FAMILY GENTLEMEN.

YOU WILL NOT ONLY MADE EQUINE LOVERS HAPPY BUT WILL ALSO BE A GOD TO PEOPLE AND FAMILY SERVING THIS INDUSTRY. THERE ARE MANY FAMILIES WHO HAVE BEEN SERVING THIS INDUSTRY FOR GENERATIONS, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO THE LIVE HOOD

WITH FOLDED HANDS ITS A REQUEST

N.shrikant said ...

04-Jun-2017
Poonawala are the top breeder in India and having legacy.Poonawala family is backbone of indian horse racing....

Mad Max said ...

03-Jun-2017
Forget One Dr.C.S Poonawalla, even 10 people like him take up the job jointly the RWITC cannot improve. It is going to be slow death for all Race Clubs in India. I am giving you all maximum two years, by that time the clubs will remove our chuddies also.

Javed said ...

03-Jun-2017
Rwitc may be Ace of spades but Rwitc chairman is 2 of clubs. Get my drift fellas?

Abhay...pune said ...

03-Jun-2017

RWITC IS READY FOR PUNE RACING SEASON 2017.BEST RACING CLUB...

N.shrikant said ...

03-Jun-2017
I already posted,Rwitc is king of racing,they will definitely come out from present crises.and no cancellation of races...