Down Sarjapur Road, past the flyover over the railway line that emerges from Carmelaram Railway Station, a building grabs your eye on the right. It isn’t an apartment complex or a mall, which are the usual signposts in this busy suburb. But in reality, it is Decathlon’s super-store that has everything related to sport, under one roof. In a sense it fits into the locality’s large demographic profile of young working professionals, who multi-task between working hard and working up a sweat on the weekends, be it through some cycling or a run around the Kaikondrahalli Lake. Restricted to just members during its formative years, Decathlon relaxed its norms and swung its gates open to the general public and soon found a wider market for goods ranging from sporting apparel to equipment.
Recently, in an initiative to blend sport and sale, Decathlon conducted its maiden ‘Sports Santhe’ over a weekend and the response was good. A mini sports village was recreated and local clubs and professional coaches lent their expertise to the events that found enthusiastic takers from the young and old alike.
Tiny tots had the maximum fun especially while playing football and according to the organizers, a young lad named Arjun, just wouldn’t leave the turf. A good turn-out was witnessed in other events like the races, cycling, boxing and skate-board show.
Officials at Decathlon said that the citizens’ response was good despite the harsh afternoon sun back then and the prevailing tension over the arrest of AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa, who was subsequently released.
Decathlon intends to host more events like these besides spreading its footprint in Bangalore beyond its current outlets at Sarjapur, Mysore Road, Bannerghatta and Whitefield. Stores at Hosur Road and New Airport Road are on the anvil.
