In the name of the game

NEWSMAKER/Abdulrahman Bukhatir

Shaikh Abdulrahman Mohammad Bukhatir, chairman of Bukhatir Investments Ltd, quietly alighted at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International airport on the night of March 15, the visa having been stamped on his passport only hours ago.

Within minutes of touching down at Delhi, Bukhatir was in the comfortable confines of his suite in The Oberoi, calling up key people in the corridors of power.

The government was aware Bukhatir was on his way. Officials had hastily put together a one-page dossier on him, listing everything from his age to his varied business interests and his love for cricket. (Bukhatir, the dossier noted, was equally proficient in Hindustani as in English.)

The BJP had locked horns with Bukhatir in its bid to score brownie points in the coming general elections. Bukhatir's Taj Entertainment Pvt Ltd had bought the rights from the Pakistan Cricket Board to telecast the historic India-Pakistan cricket series on its Ten Sports channel.

But, the government decided it was a matter of national importance and had to be shown on the Doordarshan terrestrial network. When Bukhatir came calling, the matter was being heard in the Supreme Court.

Bukhatir knew only too well that having raised the issue, the BJP was desperate to make the telecast available on Doordarshan. His visit was to ensure that Ten Sports was adequately compensated for that.

Bukhatir began by speaking to Commerce and Industry Minister Arun Jaitley. The two agreed to meet, but they couldn't because of a communication gap.

Early next morning, after addressing a hurriedly called press conference, Bukhatir flew out of India. There was an Indo-Pak match at Rawalpindi and Bukhatir was expected to be back on time.

Two days later, the courts allowed Doordarshan to show the telecast, though Ten Sports' distributor in India, Cable Distribution Network, claimed it would suffer a loss of Rs 208 crore.

Though Bukhatir says he is happy that people in India will get to watch the series, the bitterness is unmistakable. "I am disturbed at the way it was handled by Doordarshan," he told Business Standard after the verdict.

When asked if his well laid out business model was scuttled by competitors, he said: "Rival channels are not interested in our welfare."

But observers see it as an investment. Bukhatir is keen to get India to participate in the cricket carnivals at Sharjah. India's participation could turn these events into hugely profitable ventures. "India's staying away has not been good for the game, the region and for us," he admitted.

He is, after all, an astute businessman. Born into an affluent Arab family with interests in manufacturing, trading and construction, Bukhatir developed a taste for cricket during his schooldays at Karachi.

Back at Sharjah, Bukhatir set up the Cricketers Benefit Fund Series in 1981 for Indian and Pakistani cricketers who were invited to play exhibition cricket in the UAE. The next step was one-day matches at Sharjah, beginning April 1984.

In the last 20 years, it has become one of the most popular cricketing destinations in the world, complete with its share of glitterati. In the recent past, Bukhatir has taken cricket even to Morocco.

Those who have known Bukhatir describe him as down to earth, humble, pragmatic and media-shy. "There are two kinds of businessmen: those who have a general vision and those who know the nuts and bolts. He combines the best of both," says a friend of his, adding: "He always asks the right questions."

Over the years, he has made Bukhatir Investments one of the most successful conglomerates in the UAE, several of his business partners being from India. This makes Bukhatir a frequent visitor to the country. He slips in and out of India with ease.

Except, of course, when he is involved in a legal battle with Doordarshan.