India’s top athletes and sportspeople kick off new innings as LinkedIn influencers

On the occasion of National Sports Day, LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional networking platform, announced that it recently on-boarded India’s top athletes and sports personalities on the platform as LinkedIn influencers, as part of a  global collective of 500+ of the world's foremost thinkers, leaders, and innovators. These established athletes and sports personalities include Mithali Raj, Ravindra Jadeja, Abhinav Bindra, Shiva Keshavan, Avani Lekhara, Bhaichung Bhutia, and Rishabh Pant.

These distinguished sports professionals have successfully carved a niche for themselves in the fields of cricket, football, shooting, and luge. They have represented the country at international forums winning numerous accolades, widespread recognition, and immense national pride. As part of the LinkedIn influencer community, these sports personalities are engaging with the platform’s 850+ million members by underlining key takeaways from their personal journeys. They are using the power of their voices to highlight the importance of mental health, diversity, and inclusion in sports, while also sharing their learnings and tips on how to develop a career in sports.

Here’s a look at the debut posts of the newest Indian sports influencers on LinkedIn:

• Mithali Raj relives the wins and challenges from her cricketing journey spanning 23 years
• Ravindra Jadeja reflects on his over-a-decade long cricketing journey.
• Abhinav Bindra discusses the importance of blending sporting values into our lives.
• Shiva Keshavan shares his experience in the arena of international sport and business.
• Avani Lekhara opens up about her journey as India’s first female Paralympics gold medalist.
• Bhaichung Bhutia shares insights into the world of football, and expresses his vision to build a fitter and healthier world.
• Rishabh Pant wishes to help his network and community learn from his anecdotes and experiences.

“LinkedIn has always been a space for everyone, and now sporting professionals have discovered the platform as a place to share different facets of who they are. They are not just sharing relevant sports-related content but also contributing to important topics such as leadership, teamwork, mental health, and learning from failures. By bringing eminent athletes and sports personalities on board, we are aiming for their rich experience to educate and inspire young athletes and varied professional communities. We are excited to witness these sporting legends build their professional networks, spotlight the world of sports, and unlock new opportunities for themselves and their followers,” said Pooja Chhabria, APAC Creator Management Lead, LinkedIn.

Commenting on how they expect their sporting careers to blend into the LinkedIn community, here’s what the sports influencers had to say:

“When I started [my career], people could follow me on the field, but beyond that, there weren’t many means to connect [with others] on a professional level.  LinkedIn has removed that barrier by allowing me to plan how my off-the-field career progresses in the future. For me, LinkedIn is the perfect platform to share my experiences and opinions and connect with like-minded people, while allowing me to go beyond the sports community and reach out to a broader audience,” said Mithali Raj, former captain of the Indian women cricket team at Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

“As athletes, we gain many valuable skills that are transferable to professional life. Teamwork, leadership, time management, sportsmanship, handling pressure, competition and commitment towards a goal are all familiar territories for athletes. By allowing athletes to get a head start in building a professional network, platforms like LinkedIn are an effective way to prepare for the career transition all athletes will have to eventually face,” said Shiva Keshavan, six-time Olympian, four-time Asian champion, and first Indian representative for Luge at the Winter Olympics.

“LinkedIn has made it possible for me to share my learnings and experiences from the world of football with professionals from different backgrounds. Through my posts, I’m able to share what I’ve learned, what’s happening with my football academy, and inspire anyone who wants to follow their passion and dreams,” said Bhaichung Bhutia, former Indian footballer, and current owner of United Sikkim Football Club.