Just after Mirabai Chanu bagged a silver at the Tokyo Olympics, a video of a little girl went viral. The adorable little girl copied Mirabai’s lift and even her winning namaste. And she wasn’t the only one. While usually India is always about cricket, this year millions of Indians tuned in to watch our Olympic heroes giving it their all on the biggest sports stage in the world
To celebrate the achievements of these under-appreciated Olympic heroes, MPL Sports Foundation decided to start a fan movement, the first of its kind for India. This new initiative, #FanBannJaaoge, is an attempt to bring us all together to show our support for the Indian Olympic team, who are battling it out in Tokyo. And it’s done through one of the most powerful tools we have — stories. If we knew the stories of these amazing athletes, it would be impossible not to root for them! Like the story of the first Indian fencer to have qualified for the Olympics.
But trying to convince all of us cricket fans to watch the Olympics at 5AM in the morning was not easy. So the MPL Sports Foundation got some help! They got the support of many of the most popular sports clubs in the country. Organisations like Kolkata Knight Riders, FC Goa and Gokulam Kerala FC , Real Kashmir, Shillong Lajong and Ultimate Table Tennis asked their fans to come together and join this movement. The combined forces of these clubs with the MPL’s gamer base created a humongous 100 million plus fan army for the Indian Olympic team.
And it didn’t end there, because MPL Sports Foundation also got some of our favourite Bollywood celebs like Vidya Balan, Vicky Kaushal and Sonu Sood to pitch in and tell us how they have become fans of this Olympic squad, urging us to do our bit to become fans too.
And the voices of these fans were heard loud and clear. Even the official account of the Olympics made a note of the overwhelming support thanks to the #FanBannJaaoge campaign
Olympics appreciating we Indians for Cheering our athletes. What a proud moment for the nation as well as @PlayMPL for such an awesome #FanBannJaaoge initiative.. https://t.co/dVfQCrdjfY
It is not the medals that make someone a true Olympian. It is their unwavering dedication, their inspiring journey and their admirable fearlessness. They represent you and me at the world’s biggest sporting stage, giving us not only someone to cheer for, but a little something more — hope. That if you do your best, no matter where you come from, your dreams are always within reach.
This video by the MPL Sports Foundation shows us that knowing them, their stories, and their struggles is enough reason for anyone to want to be their fans.
So what are you waiting for? Tell their stories and pay your tributes. You want to amp up the volume further? Participate in the hunt for India’s biggest fan organised by MPL Sports Foundation.
Upload a video on MX TakaTak showcasing why you’re Team India’s Biggest Fan with a fan-tastic cheer for the Indian Olympic Team.
Tag @mplsportsfoundation on MX TakaTak and @mplsportsfdn on Twitter. Use the hashtag #FanBannJaaoge. Tag as many friends as possible & increase your chance of becoming the BIGGEST FAN!
The lucky winner will win a chance to attend the 2022 Commonwealth Games at Birmingham, England for four days, with all expenses paid. Send in your entries before August 12th.
The Olympics might be coming to an end, but our fandom shouldn’t. We hope to see you cheering for our heroes at the Commonwealth and Asian Games next year.
