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    Square Panda India MD shares what he learnt from basketball, Michael Jordan and Andre Agassi

    Synopsis

    Ashish Jhalani is a keen learner and has picked up a number of learning from the game.

    Jhalani
    Andre Agassi’s ability to play smarter is something that Jhalani has tried to pick up and apply to his professional life. The former tennis star is one of the investors of the company.
    Ashish Jhalani, President - International Markets, Square Panda Inc. & Managing Director, Square Panda India, started playing basketball at the age of 11. "My parents moved to the US in search of better opportunities. The sports I knew about from India, were cricket and football, but no one in our new neighbourhood played either."

    "Basketball was preferred and learning to play it, helped me make friends in a new country. Other than the obvious rush of energy and vitality that sport provides, it teaches you concentration. You simply cannot look away in the middle of the game. It may sound weird, but the fact is that in the middle of a fast paced game-the ability to mute all the noise around and just concentrate- helps to clear the mind," he says.

    Desire
    On a sports team, players are motivated by their own internal desire to win. The key phrase here is "internal desire", feels Jhalani.

    "I've taken this lesson to my workplace at Square Panda and always focussed on creating an environment where my team will find their own internal motivations. There’s strategy and planning in every game- but basketball specifically involves developing peripheral vision, anticipating what comes next, learning from losses, improvising as you go along; etc," he says.

    He continues to play basketball with friends in Mumbai whenever and wherever it's possible.
    Ashish Jhalani
    Ashish Jhalani, Global CMO and MD, Square Panda India (in black t-shirt and shorts at front) with friends.
    "Luckily we had the gym at my kids' school available on weekends where a lot of us played. I’m quite motivated about it- I helped organise basketball tournaments in our building too. When I return to New York, there's always the desire to squeeze a game or two with old friends," Jhalani says.

    Lessons
    Michael Jordan is his favourite basketball player of all time. "He strived to be the best himself and pushed his teammates to be the best they could be. His work ethic towards being the best was second to none and I apply that to both personal and professional life; strive to be the 'best' and put the work in to achieve that. One of my favourite quotes by him is ‘There is no 'I' in team but there is in win,'" he says.

    Andre Agassi’s ability to play smarter is something that Jhalani has tried to pick up and apply to his professional life. The former tennis star is one of the investors of the company.

    "Reading the situation, making a quick decision (sometimes may mean changing the approach), at times playing defensive till the time is right, being relentless and backing yourself unto win, are a few things that one can learn from a sporting legend such as him," he explains

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