Anonymous immigrant parks to sports heroes in India

New Delhi, April 6. - A group of Indian immigrants who meet on Saturday in a park in Barcelona made ​​the first "selection" Spanish for "kabaddi", a curious sport that attracts these days to tens of thousands of spectators in the northwest India.
The captain, Malkit Singh and his boys have traveled to the Punjab region of India, where his "selection" is dealing with solvency but with no luck to powerful computers in the discipline, such as Canada and Pakistan in World Cup Kabaddi- Punjab 2010.
"We played in a park near the Plaza of Spain in Barcelona. Our nationality is Indian. What happens is that the Government of Spain does not help us. In Spain, only interested in football, and I like, but my sport is kabaddi, "he told Efe the captain, contacted by telephone.
All team members "Spanish" name is Singh, as usual among the faithful of the Sikh religion, concentrated in the Punjab, and divide their residence between Barcelona, ​​Alicante and Palma de Mallorca.
His hobby, "kabaddi" is a contact sport in which, in turn, a team of five to seven members arranged in a midfield attacker tries to catch a lone opposing team, whose task is to "eliminate" with a "touch" to each of his opponents.
During your opponent's field maneuvers, the attacker must hold his breath, so it is traditional that the player constantly repeat the word "kabaddi" as a way of showing who is not breathing, before returning to their camp.
This sophisticated version of "cop-cop" is attracting Hispanic stages, according to the Punjab Cup, an average of 22,000 to 25,000 spectators, fans concitará a game that, if anything, the attention of some curious in parks in Barcelona.
And maybe because its only requirement is to have an open field, the "kabaddi" is popular especially in rural areas of Punjab, where the regional government has decided to organize the first global "youth away from drugs," according the organization.
"There are villages where 50 percent of young people use drugs, so we thought in the sport as an alternative. In addition, so we can unite our people in the diaspora, "he told Efe by telephone Punjab sports director, Pargat Singh.
According to the director, the organization was forced to contact non-professional teams in areas of the world with significant presence of Punjabi community as the "kabaddi" long tradition in parts of Asia, remains unknown in the West.
So says the organization, teams fit like a glove to areas of the world with over Punjabi immigrants, and apart from India and Pakistan come from the traditional recipients of this ethnic group, such as Canada or the U.S..
Although decent, the journey of these "Spanish for adoption" is still insufficient: the team lost to Canada 68-28 in the opening match of the championship and was later defeated by the United Kingdom, but with a tighter 37-28.
"Yes, we lost the first two games, but we had problems with the equipment. Many could not come because they have lost their jobs, "lamented the captain, who has spent three years in Spain but still has difficulties with the language.
The tournament began on day 3 and end on 12 with a cool prize of ten million rupees (about 167,000 euros) for the winner, although the team will pocket Malkit Singh 500,000 rupees for the sake of participating.
And then will return to their lives: "I like playing kabaddi, but what we really need is help getting a job," the player told Efe "Spanish" Shamsher Singh, a few hours before facing today's "kabaddistas" of Pakistan

The promise of the Indian market is still waiting for the unknown Spain

New Delhi, December 5, 2008. - The mutual ignorance, lack of brand image and the absence of direct air connection are some of the challenges that Spain must overcome to penetrate deep into the Indian market, where it occupies a modest position 42 between exporters.
"We need a much larger relationship, something that is in process. We already see signs that will grow and you have to give a big boost, "he told Efe the president of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), Amit Mitra.
With that goal will take place in India's capital next week on "India-Spain Forum of investments and trade cooperation", organized by the FICCI and the Spanish Commercial Office, which will be attended by the Minister of Industry, Miguel Sebastián.
The event, the fourth of its kind organized in India, will go 46 Spanish companies will have the opportunity to explore "new opportunities for investment and business collaboration," the statement said.
The challenge is to strengthen the image and the presence of Spanish companies in a market where exports account for only 0.39 percent of the total in India, with a value of 742 million euros in 2007.
"We need to enhance our brand image Spain, still largely unknown in India. We must also intensify business contacts, which companies are encouraged to have a constant presence in India, "the minister explained to Efe trade of Spain in New Delhi, Teresa Solbes.
Spain aims to achieve a bilateral trade with India worth 7,000 million euros in 2012 from 2.929 million in 2007, according to the annual report of the Spanish Commercial Office in New Delhi.
Trade relations between the two countries grew by 337 percent in the last decade-a 22.74 in the last year-but the Office continues to consider the total amount as "small".
"The value is still low, but we must look at the trend, which is very positive. Spain has traditionally been focused in Latin America and has now begun to look to Asia. Our companies must compete in a globalized world, "Solbes said.
Spain draws an unfavorable trade balance with India, with imports last year to 2,187 million euros, mainly in textiles, leather, footwear, chemicals, fish and steel.
And in chapter exporter, Spain has based its trade with India in industrial goods and machinery, which account for 88.4 percent of the total, due in part to technical difficulties and high tariffs in other sectors suffer.
"Our trade deficit is a structural problem. I think one solution is to develop services. Our technology is sophisticated and goes well with Indian needs, so what we sell conforms to the country, "Solbes maintained.
The evolution of trade relations will be marked by the appointment of the Asian country as "priority" to open a trade office in Bombay and the signing of a Trade Agreement between India and the European Union.
But to achieve the objectives, Spanish companies should show more interest in India: "They should be encouraged to come to a much greater," claimed Mitra, who mentioned the lack of direct air link as a "constraint".
The Commercial Office in New Delhi is aware of 114 Spanish companies operating in India, compared to 34 of 2004, an increase of over 300 percent in less than five years, but that some very low levels.
"This is a complex market that has its own characteristics, so it requires perseverance, Solbes said. It is not as intuitive a market, such as German. The Indian market has conditions that call for adaptation. "
At least in the first eight months of 2008 the trend has been positive, with exports to India grew by 11.88 percent over the same period in 2007, with a value of 535.7 million euros.
Remains to be seen what impact on expectations the economic crisis, which also felt its effects on India.

Clos announces "an offensive on all fronts" to enter Indian market

New Delhi, December 13, 2007. - The Spanish Minister of Industry and Trade, Joan Clos, told Efe that Spain has launched "an offensive on all fronts" to increase its presence in India, where visiting officer.
Clos arrived on Wednesday in Mumbai (west) to oversee the opening in the country's financial hub of a consulate, a Spanish commercial office and another dedicated to tourism to prop up the still under-representation of Spain in India.
Although during his visit is not scheduled to close specific investments, the minister has his eye on the infrastructure sector, one of the most potential.
"Only in the metropolitan area of Bombay live 28 million people who need a spectacular infrastructure development. In five years, officials want to invest 30,000 million dollars, "Clos said in a telephone interview.
The owner of Commerce considers that Spanish companies have experience and good possibility to win contracts in the sector, based on the construction of roads, rail and metro.
India has some infrastructure needs estimated by the Government at 450,000 million dollars over the next five years, and there are some Spanish companies such as Abengoa and Dragados, which have begun to be in the country.
According to Clos, the priorities set by the Spanish Government in India are energy (mainly renewable), the management of urban services, transport and infrastructure and, fourthly, the management of the food chain.
The minister had an impact on India is one of the ten countries that Spain included in integrated development plans of exports, and stressed the existence of a specialized Spanish team in the country.
"The Spanish problem is that we must increase our presence in the country because it is relatively low. We are supporting this presence, which in specific sectors must be extended, "said Clos.
Regarding the Asian country, Spain has a trade flow rather meager: import goods and services valued at 1,800 million euros and exports only about 550 million, although in 2006 the latter figure increased by 40 percent.
Spain must also work to attract Indian tourists, currently about 50,000 per year-who are reluctant to sun and beach tourism but are interested in Hispanic culture and the burgeoning urban areas like Madrid and Barcelona.
"We have to catch up to our economic weight in the world with regard to the Indian market. This requires a major effort and all should face the same direction: from getting direct flights to boost cultural relations, trade and investment, "said the minister.
Clos met Wednesday with representatives of the Indian airline Jet to explore the possibility of direct flights between Spain and India, though the company finally chose Asian Brussels as a hub in Europe.
The minister will meet with representatives of Tata Motors ("relations are very good") before visiting the port of Bombay, where the Spanish Dragados has been done with an expansion project with a value investor of 250 million dollars, according data from the Spanish Commercial Office.
According to the Minister of Commerce, and there are now some 80 Spanish companies are developing large projects in India, but his ministry is now working to encourage Spanish companies to invest more in the Asian giant.
India, where Spanish companies invested only 55 million euros in 2006, is at a great distance from China as a destination for investment, but is "culturally closer to Spain."
"The investment is lower than in China because there is less tradition. Moreover, the democratic administrative system has extensive consultative processes. India requires specific knowledge of their reality, but the stability and security of investment are very high, "the minister added.
Clos leave the country at dawn, after attending a business meeting organized Indo-Hispanic in Bombay by the Spanish Foreign Trade Institute in cooperation with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Industry and Trade.