In a State often seen through the lens of tourism and beaches, Shashwat Kamat’s (@shashwat.kamat) journey tells a different story — one of talent, discipline, and quiet ambition. A young Goan who grew up in Porvorim, Shashwat has carved out a niche for himself in the emerging world of sports data and performance analysis. From working with FC Goa to gaining experience with clubs in the UK, he now uses his growing online presence to inspire others to explore unconventional career paths in sports and tech.
Discovering sports
and data analysis
Goa isn’t famous for a lot of sports, but it is a hub of football, and as everyone says, football runs in the blood for Goans. For me, it was always a dream to work with the team that I love the most — the team that made me start watching football in India — which was FC Goa, and I always wanted to pursue that dream. Being in Goa and being able to get the opportunity to work with FC Goa opened my mind to a career in sports despite my diploma being in an engineering field. I tried to correlate both together and came across data analysis, which is a part of computer engineering, and I tried to associate it with sports, which led me to believe that I could do something big in the sports industry.
Changing perceptions of Goa
I have always had a dream of putting Goa on the international map and showcasing that even Goa and Goans have got it in themselves to pull off the biggest of dreams. People think of Goans as sussegad, but I don’t think so. A lot of people like me work hard and struggle to put Goa on the map but aren’t recognised, and I feel that since I’m getting this wonderful opportunity to speak about my journey, I’d love people to know about how Goans have the most discipline and understanding and can make it big as well! My journey has just started, and I will do everything in my power to make sure Goa is recognised as a global talent hub as well.
Lessons from work
in India & abroad
I’ve learnt that grassroots play a major part in everything, and they need to be worked upon with proper time, resources, and management.
Goa has a lot of talent if you look at different sports, but the grassroots systems aren’t that great for the athletes to get a push, and me being in another country has given me a lot of new ideas and knowledge about various types of technologies which can be used to develop the athletes, and a good youth talent development model can be set. The aim would be to speak to a lot of government officials and sports departments to make sure that the grassroots are improved in other sports (handball, basketball, tennis, table tennis, badminton), and the youth are well supported throughout all the stages of talent development.
Niche careers and Goan talent
This is a career which I never thought I could get into, honestly speaking, and now that I have grown into this profession, I feel the need to share it with the upcoming youth because I feel they need to know that careers like this exist so that they can also follow their passion and work in the field that they love. The sports market in India is growing, and this is the right time to step into it and make it big, so I’d love to start the revolution in Goa so things go well for a lot of youth.
A message to young GoansI’d love to tell all the passionate and enthusiastic Goans that this is a career pathway which will get you the most excited as well as make you feel happy. The path will always be tough when you begin, but the fruits will be there when you’ve made it step by step. A quick piece of advice would be to try and get as many unpaid internships as possible to learn how the industry works and make sure that you’re enjoying every single moment while working. The required attitude in this industry is about learning from every individual around you and applying it in your professional and personal life, which would give you a lot of confidence, flexibility, and value.
Plans to mentor
or collaborateI’ve always believed that I can mentor people in a way that would help them understand what they’d love to do in the sports industry, and yes, collaborating with various local institutions ensures that we are reaching out properly to the local community and highlighting something very important and very exciting. So, I would be looking to speak to a lot of companies and educational institutions to make sure that we try and reach out to the younger sections so they can choose whether they’d want to pursue a career in a sport they are passionate about.
