Dr Narayanappa Janardhan is a professor and director of research at the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy, Abu Dhabi. He offers diplomats PGD, MA and executive training courses on Gulf and Asian foreign policies. A non-resident fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, he was also an adjunct faculty at the Paris School of International Affairs, Sciences Po. His fifth book – Gulf Middle Powers and Multialignment in a ‘Multiplex’ World – will be published in 2025.
With a PhD from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, Janardhan is an avid sportsperson [a jack of several trades (cricket, tennis, volleyball, basketball, running, swimming, and skydiving), but master of none, which helps break the monotony of everyday exercise and keeps him physically and mentally fit]. He mixes his profession and passion by occasionally dabbling in sports diplomacy issues.
Dr. Janardhan also manages a self-funded social transformation initiative – matrushree.com.
Favorite sports memory:
Irony of cycling (as part of a triathlon) on a F1 track in Abu Dhabi!
Your global sports Mount Rushmore:
Chris Evert, Diego Maradona, Rahul Dravid, and Roger Federer
Which world leader would you put in goal:
Donald Trump!
Which athlete would you want to be world leader:
Lionel Messi (superstar and sober)
Best rivalry:
Novak Djokovic vs Rafael Nadal vs Roger Federer
A sign that the world of sport is shrinking:
On the contrary, the world of sport is expanding, especially in the Global South
Where would the Great Game Lab find the quintessence of global sport:
United States and China (top two performing countries in Olympics)
Question you'd most want to ask other fellows:
How can sports better help eradicate poverty and achieve peace?