Doing Good

Gurvinder Singh
3 days ago
4 min read

In 2011, our younger son, Pavit, came to me and said, "Dad, I don't like the work we do now as a family. I want to do something different."

"Well then! What do you want to do?" I asked.

"I don't want only to chase money and fame, I want to do good". He replied.

"Doing good, that's a bit vague. What exactly do you have in mind?"

"I want to make the world a better place through sports. I want more and more people to participate in sports."

"When people do not play, they seem to waste away, even the young", he continued.

"I believe play develops character, brings people closer and strengthens relationships that spill over into other aspects of our lives. In a couple of hours of play, I know more about a person than in years of talking."

"Because of sport, I now have many friends, an extended family. I've forged bonds with strangers in a very short time, and my friendships are solid as we form communities. I've built strong social and business connections, and I want to scale that to include as many people as I can."

"There are many places to play, so what are you going to do that is different?" I asked.

Dad, do you remember you took me along with you to a FICCI program in Delhi in February on 'Changing lives through sport'? I listened to some great sports personalities present, and won medals and fame for India on the World stage."

"I was shocked and saddened by how such great sportspersons should sound so despondent about the fate of sport in our country. A defeatist attitude may be understandable, but in sportspersons and coaches it is unforgivable", Pavit said.

He continued, "There was so much blame being heaped on the government for its negligence of sport, its failure to invest in sport and sportspersons, lack of funds, facilities, etc. There were some domestic and international corporations, along with the Australian government, offering to assist NGO's to advance sport."

You have taught us that initiatives have to be financially self-sustaining to succeed in the long term. So Mohit and I want to do good, keeping a long-term perspective. Instead of depending on the government, why can't private players provide a solution? We want to set up play spaces for children and young people to play. "

"Dad, you know I love playing football, but since I left college. My friends and I have been struggling to find play spaces. There are no facilities available. Even where facilities are available, they are reserved for the members of the institution on whose land they are located. Even if we wrangle some facilities, sooner or later, someone from the institution's management will intervene and chase us away."

"I belong to a well-to-do family with resources, and if this is my situation, can you imagine what must be the plight of less well-to-do youngsters or ordinary children?"

"Good and safe facilities are important, Dad. Opportunities for developing skills and talent are important, and that is missing. I want to set up grassroots-level sports facilities all across the country so that we can provide play spaces for everyone. I am sure people can pay a small fee for the privilege of belonging to a community where they can play, socialise, develop and improve their talent in a good, clean and safe environment."

Will it pay off? I asked.

"Dad, I am sure that by providing such a service, we can make it a great success. But for that, I have to step out of our current family business?"

At first, I opposed the idea, but when Mohit, our elder son, said, "He won't be alone, I will be with Pavit to actively participate and support him.

Our sons Mohit, Pavit and their partner, Nikki, went ahead and started Hotfut Sports in 2011. After a lot of teething problems, they made it a success.

In the year 2016, FICCI honoured them with the 'Best Sports Start Up' award.

We were all surprised. Pavit asked the FICCI team, "Why exactly are we being given this award?"

The FICCI team told them, "You are the first people in India to demonstrate that the government need not be the sole prime mover for sports. That people with conviction, talent, hard work, and patience can fund sports initiatives themselves. You have amply demonstrated that money can be earned by providing good sports facilities at a reasonable cost. You have shattered a glass ceiling, proving that sports can be financially and socially rewarding"

So inspiring and attractive is the concept that, within two years, there were about 100 Hotfut copycat players in Pune and Mumbai alone, and over 00 across the country as of date.

The sports business is no cakewalk; It's serious and requires a lot of hard work, patience, commitment, and some luck. It requires tremendous effort, focus, excellent management, continuous evolution and good people to make it a success.

In 2022, The Economic Times honoured Hotfut with the 'Leaders of tomorrow' award. The top MSME award in India, which recognises an organisation's agility, its ambition and its ascent, was accepted by Pavit.

It's difficult for children to impress their parents, but I have to confess, Mohini and I are indeed impressed with the amazing amount and pace of good our sons are doing. Our sons Mohit and Pavit are good men without being naive.

Here is a great truth. Indeed, one must first have goodness within oneself to do good in life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtZOpWQYfGc

Written and posted 20th May 2026 - Pune, India.

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