Category: Press Release

1700 Mumbaikars cycle to raise awareness for mental health

MUMBAI: Mpower, a pioneer in Indian mental healthcare from The Aditya Birla Education Trust, today returned with its fourth edition of Aditya Birla Health Insurance Ride to Mpower, a cycle ride to create awareness and stamp out the stigma associated with mental health illnesses. In this edition, Mpower aims to bring the #StampOutStigma in our society today by bringing together Mumbaikars and encourage them to increase conversations around mental health.

The cycle ride saw more than 1700 cyclists and fitness champions lend their support towards this critical cause as they cycled through the streets of Mumbai on 17th March 2019. These Mumbaikars pledged to become champions of mental health. Aditya Birla Health Insurance Ride to Mpower marks Mpower's most successful awareness initiatives. Over the last four editions, it strived to educate individuals on the correlation between physical and mental health toward an individual’s overall well-being.

Flagged off by Mrs. Neerja Birla, popular Cyclist and RTM Ride Director Firoza Suresh and Mr Mayank Bathwal, CEO Aditya Birla Health Insurance Co. Limited, the 27km ride began from Dome@NSCI to Asian Heart Institute, 15km ride began from Dome@NSCI to Shivaji Park and 7km rides began from Dome@NSCI to JK Kapur Chowk. The Movement saw avid participation of people from all walks of life including social and mental health activists, business leaders, inspirational youth icons and school children.

One in six people in India suffer from a serious mental disorder, and yet mental health remains a taboo in most Indian households, schools, colleges and offices. This taboo is what prevents real progress on the mental health front, primarily by attaching stigma to any and all mental health related concerns. The uncaring attitude, the ignorant labels, the tone-deaf conversations, the endless stigma and the lack of mental healthcare need to change. These #StampOutStigma through Aditya Birla Health Insurance Ride to Mpower will bring awareness and encourage conversation around mental health, as well as engage people to support, diagnose, prevent and seek help for mental health concerns.

Mazhar Nadiadwala, Managing Director, Dome Entertainment Pvt Ltd, said, “We, at Dome, truly believe that being healthy is beyond just having a fit body. It is about keeping the mind healthy as well. Dome Entertainment hosted Ride to Mpower 2019, a cycling marathon to spread awareness about mental health. This initiative was our effort at trying to reach out to the society to highlight that simple fact. It was truly heartening to see eminent personalities like Firoza Suresh, Mumbai’s first bicycle mayor and Dr. Ambrish Dharmadhikari, Psychiatrist & Head, Medical Services, Mpower – The Foundation be a part of this venture and participate in the cause. As a cycling enthusiast myself, I am thrilled to see cycling gain such a popularity as a sport. I have always believed that cycling is a unique sport which keeps both mind and body healthy. It was truly great to show people the benefits of cycling and the importance of mental health. This was the best way for us to do combine the two. It was a great experience collaborating with Mrs. Neerja Birla, Founder & Chairperson of Mpower for this event and we truly believe that what she is trying to do is a much needed aspect in today’s society. The events team of Mpower, headed by Anita Lobo were extremely cooperative to work with and it is great to align with a team that understands our values and perceptions so well. We saw great support from the Aditya Birla Group with Mayant Batwal, CEO of Aditya Birla Health; Darshana Shah, Head of Marketing, Aditya Birla Health Insurance and Amit Bajaj – President, Corporate Affairs, Aditya Birla Group all present at the event and helping us flag off different marathons. The presence and support of Bhushan Gaghrani – Principal Secretary, Chief Minister’s Office and Mr. Sanjay Barve – Commissioner of Police, Mumbai showed us the intensity of how important this cause was.”

Being a fitness aficionado herself, through this event, Mrs. Neerja Birla aims to bring together all fitness aficionados to pledge their support towards mental health. Commenting on this initiative – Ride to Mpower, Mrs. Neerja Birla, Founder and Chairperson, Mpower, said, “Mpower – The Movement is all about creating a paradigm shift in the way people think of mental health. Everyone knows that it's important and normal to take care of one's physical health and Mpower endeavours to make people aware that it is just as important and normal to take care of one's mental health. The cycle ride is our way of reaching out to the community, in order to highlight that a healthy mind is as important as a healthy body. This is the fourth cycle ride we've done and as participation increases, I hope that it will encourage more people to embrace a more holistic approach to wellness and self-care.”

Mumbai’s first bicycle mayor and a prominent figure in the cyclist community herself, RTM Ride Director Firoza Suresh said “I am happy to be part of the Aditya Birla Health Insurance Ride to Mpower initiative and see Mumbai come together and support this cause. We hope to have created awareness about the positive impact of cycling on mental health and how is very important in building physical endurance, connecting with nature, socializing & skill development, all invigorate the learning process”

Mr. Mayank Bathwal, CEO Aditya Birla Health said, “Mental health and awareness is crucial today and it must be welcomed without any stereotypes and preconceived notions in the society. Having seen Mumbaikars ride towards stamping out stigma and supporting our cause makes us believe that we have achieved a milestone towards promoting philosophy of health first in health insurance. With such a large participation, Aditya Birla Health Ride to Mpower has made a strong and impactful step forward in spreading awareness on the mental health menace that is slowly crippling our society.”

Anita Lobo, Head – Events, Mpower said, “I am happy to play a small part in creating awareness about this cause and delighted to see Mumbaikars extending their support. Ride to Mpower is in its 4th year now and encourages everyone to stay physically and mentally fit. People are now becoming more open about the subject and slowly, but steadily the taboo is being lifted. Through Mpower – The Movement, we aim to stamp out the stigma around mental health and sensitize people to be alert and speak up whenever necessary”

The brainchild of Mrs. Neerja Birla, Mpower was launched three years ago, and has been at the forefront to affect change and proactively champion the cause of mental health, create awareness, advocate prevention and provide services with a professional, holistic and multi-disciplinary approach in the country.

Stamp Out the Stigma around mental illnesses with Mpower – The Foundation

A World Health Organisation study reports that over 6% of the Indian population suffers from a serious mental disorder and do not have the right kind of help to facilitate recovery, which may lead to extreme situations like suicide. In India, it is difficult to change perceptions related to mental health. The challenge lies in repairing the inborn conditioning which perceives mental illnesses as evil. We do not talk about mental health.

March 19, 2019
ZEEL launches an exclusive campaign for its english cluster #WhereIsMyChannel

MUMBAI: With TRAI initiating the implementation of the MRP regime, consumers now have a choice to select the packs and channels that best meet their content needs. While the broadcasters are busy building their bouquets and communicating the prices to the viewers, Zee English Cluster has taken a rather differentiated route. The new insightful ad campaign #WhereIsMyChannel, encourages the viewers to choose their preferred channels and inform their cable operators. While the consumers are involved in their content choices, they often tend to postpone communicating with their cable operators. The campaign prompts for this necessary action, at a time when TRAI’s deadline for the implementation of MRP regime is just around the corner. The two entertaining ad films feature Bollywood filmmaker Anurag Kashyap and the percussion maestro Sivamani as viewers of – Zee Café and &flix.

Bringing some of the choicest films, dramas, news and lifestyle content for the Indian viewers, Zee Premium Cluster is the destination for carefully curated collection of entertaining international content. With a powerful bouquet – Zee Prime English Pack – comprising &flix, Zee Café, LF and Wion, priced at an attractive Rs. 15/- per month, viewers are truly spoilt for choice when it comes to compelling TV shows and the biggest Hollywood hits, alongside international news, food and lifestyle content. For those who appreciate content that is compelling, &PrivéHD brings riveting, award-winning films that stimulate the mind and enthrall viewers. Bringing this world of nuanced cinema, Zee Prime English HD Pack comprising – &Privé HD, Zee Café HD, &flix HD, LF HD is priced at Rs 25/- making premium content more accessible.

What is also striking about the campaign is that it comes at an opportune time when Zee Café is going to launch a plethora of new shows like the iconic music reality show American Idol, the endurance-based reality show inspired and hosted by Dwayne Johnson – Titan Games and the final season of The Big Bang Theory. Not just this, &flix too has an exciting line-up of new blockbuster Hollywood films to be premiered in the coming few months.

With #WhereIsMyChannel campaign, Zee English Cluster attempts to throw light on the need to inform the cable operators for your content choices. The first TVC shows Anurag in his residential society where he inadvertently bumps into his cable operator. Anurag is seen rather disheartened as he has been missing some of the biggest Hollywood hits on his favourite movie channel – &flix. Puzzled, the cable operator is caught completely unaware of Anurag’s content tastes, since he sees Anurag as a Hindi filmmaker. The film breaks into the broadcaster driving home the message – ‘Your Cable Operator May Not Really Know You.’ so inform him of your pack choice.

The film with Sivamani revolves around a similar encounter with his cable operator as he is unable to view the latest episodes of American Idol on Zee Café. The cable operator is unaware of Sivamani’s interest in music which leads to his assumptions that he is only fond of fashion and lifestyle channels.

Prathyusha Agarwal, Chief Marketing Officer, ZEEL, said, “The discerning urban English consumer is highly involved in their content choices. However, selecting their channel packs is new behavior that they are currently not used to. Through this communication our objective was to nudge them towards becoming more active in informing the cable operator of their channel pack choice. We also wanted to bring alive our insight that the “Cable Operator May Not Really Know You” and hence inform him of your pack choice.”

The campaign was conceptualized and executed by Zee English cluster, along with their creative partner for this campaign – tiqui-taka.

Sharing his views on conceptualizing the campaign, Jigar Fernandes, Founder, tiqui-taka, said, “We changed the lens and saw the cable guys point or view. How will he ever know what channels you like? We stayed with this for a while before we finally cracked it by bringing in the expert celeb angle – if a cable guy can misjudge a well-known celebrity, it could happen to anyone. We took a shuddh desi Hindi script for a premium English channel. And Zee was cool enough to embrace it! The one with Mr. Sivamani followed later.”

March 19, 2019
MyTeam11 Launches Campaign on 25 Television Channels Targeting Upcoming T20 and World Cup Cricket Season

New Delhi: India’s leading fantasy sports website MyTeam11, today announced a collaboration with 25 Television channels across the music, news, sports and knowledge sharing genres among others, in a massive campaign targeting the upcoming T20 and World Cup cricket season.

MyTeam11, who have popular former India cricketer Virender Sehwag as their brand ambassador, has a user base of around 10 million+ active users and offers fantasy cricket, fantasy football, fantasy volleyball, and fantasy kabaddi in two formats, namely the “Safe Play” & the “Regular Play,” being the only platform to offer multiple playing options to its users.

A significant number of regional channels have also been collaborated with under the aegis of this association, so as to maximize the reach and offer a familiar feel to the audience by offering them information in their native languages.

Commenting on the development, Vinit Godara, CEO and Co-founder, MyTeam11 said, “We are planning to become the leading brand in the world of fantasy sports, and the upcoming cricket season involving T20 leagues and the ICC cricket world cup seems to be the right fit for our plans. With this collaboration we want to reach out to people in every nook-and-corner of the country and encourage them to use their talent, skills & knowledge of the game to earn while enjoying their favourite sport.”

Prior to this collaboration, Myteam11 had signed some noteworthy deals with various sporting properties like the RuPay Pro Volleyball League, Karnataka Premier League and others as their “Official Fantasy Partner.”

These associations become pertinent in their attempt to outgrow as an organization and target people who are not much familiar with the concept of fantasy sports. In the words of the company leaders, they are presently targeting on reaching the remote locations of India, spreading the word regarding fantasy sports.

MyTeam11 had also previously partnered with DSport, a premium sports channel of Discovery Communications, as “Official Broadcasting Partner” for the India-Australia series and as ‘Broadcast Co-presenting Partners’ of the Bangladesh Premier League. They had also inked a deal with DD Sports for the India-New Zealand T20 series held recently.

March 19, 2019
Festival Tourism is driving Travel Demand Thomas Cook India observes 20% growth in bookings

Mumbai: Thomas Cook (India) Ltd., India’s leading integrated travel and related financial services company, has reported a strong growth in ‘Festival Tourism’ as the Indian traveller seeks to combine spiritual elements with unique cultural experiences. This year, the Kumbh Mela and Holi have proved to be significant drivers, with over 20% growth from the previous year. The company has also recognized that a ‘smart weekend holiday’ concept (taking a day off from work to extend festival holidays) is creating a distinctive boost to travel demand.

This year, Holi has reiterated the trend of Festival Tourism and this has been a boon to Thomas Cook India’s domestic travel business, with demand up by over 12%. Indians are showing significant interest in the celebrations at Vrindavan’s famous Banke-Bihari temple and Gulal Kund’s re-enactment of Holi by local Krisha-leela drama troupes in Brar; equally Mathura-Dwarka; or joining in Shantiniketan’s cultural events started by Tagore.

Thomas Cook India’s customer data and analytics also reveal that Festival Tourism is no longer restricted to India, with the country’s new age travellers opening up to cultural experiences globally, and an increase in demand of approximately 20% for experiences including the water festival/ Songkran in Thailand, the lantern festival in Taiwan, Chinese New Year in Singapore, the Dragon Boat Festival in Hong Kong, the colourful Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Venice, Italy, Mardi Gras festivities in Louisiana, USA, the famed tomato festival/ La Tomatina in Spain, a colourful display of costume and culture – Dia de los Muertos in Mexico, and the Boryeong Mud Festival in Korea, amongst others.

The concept of ‘smart weekend holidays’ is another significant trend being witnessed this Holi weekend, with work-weary millennials taking a Friday off to create an extended weekend from Thursday to Sunday. Short haul, no-visa or easy visa regime destinations are in high demand, with an increase of over 25% to destinations like Dubai-Abu Dhabi, Singapore, Bali, Thailand, Sri Lanka; also off-roading and adventure getaways to Uttarakhand, Corbett, Kufri, Neemrana, Kolad/Dandeli in Maharashtra, Andamans, Mysore-Coorg, and more. Growth is being witnessed predominantly from millennials/the DINKs-SINKs segment and ad-hoc groups of friends and families.

Rajeev Kale, President and Country Head, Leisure Travel, MICE, Thomas Cook (India) Ltd. said, “Festival Tourism is the new trend, with India’s new age travellers rediscovering their roots and joining in the celebrations of festivals like Holi in India’s Vrindavan, Mathura-Dwarka; also Mardi Grass, Songkran, and several others in international locations. Extending the weekend by taking a day off from work, is giving rise to an interesting concept of ‘smart weekend holidays’. Both are catalysing our travel demand this year, and clearly trends that we are looking forward to!”

About Thomas Cook (India) Limited: Set-up in 1881, Thomas Cook (India) Ltd. (TCIL) is the leading integrated travel and travel related financial services company in the country offering a broad spectrum of services that include Foreign Exchange, Corporate Travel, MICE, Leisure Travel, Insurance, Visa and Passport services and E-Business. It operates leading B2C and B2B brands including Thomas Cook, SOTC, TCI, SITA, Asian Trails, Allied T Pro, Australian Tours Management, Desert Adventures, Travel Circle International Limited, Private Safaris East & South Africa.

As one of the largest travel service provider networks headquartered in the Asia-Pacific region, The Thomas Cook India Group spans 25 countries across 5 continents, a team of over 8226 and a combined revenue in excess of Rs. 11,411.6 Cr. (over $ 1.75 Bn).

TCIL has been felicitated with The Best Outbound Tour Operator and Leading Company with Cutting Edge Travel Innovation at the Times Travel Awards 2018, Excellence in Domestic Tour Operations at the SATTE Awards 2018, Best Travel Entrepreneur of The Year at TTG Travel Awards 2017, The French Ambassador’s Diamond Award for Exemplary Achievements in Visa Insurance– 2015 to 2018 and the Condé Nast Traveller – Readers’ Travel Awards from 2011 to 2018.

CRISIL has removed its rating from ‘rating watch with developing implications’ and reaffirmed the rating of ‘CRISIL AA–’ on the long-term bank facilities of TCIL, while reaffirming its ‘CRISIL A1+’ rating on the short-term bank facilities and short- term debt of the Company.

For more information, please visit www.thomascook.in

Fairbridge Capital (Mauritius) Limited, a subsidiary of Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited promotes TCIL by holding 66.94% of its paid up capital and is responsible for the execution of acquisition and investment opportunities.

March 19, 2019
LimeRoad rewards loyal customers with new gold membership programme

MUMBAI: To further enrich the shopping experience of its loyal customer-base and further deepen ties with them, LimeRoad, India’s online fashion platform, has announced its new loyalty programme titled “LimeRoad GOLD”. This customer-benefits programme will offer all its exclusive members a plethora of benefits including early access to all its upcoming surprise deals and events, free shipping and a 15 per cent discount on products purchased through its website.

LimeRoad has been successfully creating a niche in the way fashion is sought and bought online with its unique fashion discoveries that are all affordably priced.

LimeRoad has been creating doses of happiness by generating unique fashion discoveries for its users combining it with its extremely affordable pricing. Customer delight is our primary focus and LimeRoad GOLD customer loyalty program was created to completely engage the customer and make them happy”, said Suchi Mukherjee, Founder & CEO ,LimeRoad.

LimeRoad GOLD will offer free shipping on all the products on its platform, any day anytime. GOLD members will also have access to surprise deals and events. Since LimeRoad GOLD is a loyalty program, members will earn an extra 15% discount on the purchase made through GOLD accounts. Not only this, the program will give its customers a chance to be part of the elite circle of Fashionistas and will also help the customers save upto 20,000 INR in a year on the purchases.

All existing and new users will be eligible to be part of the GOLD programme and can make prepaid payments through credit/ debit card, net-banking, Paytm and Mobikwik wallets. Also, one can pay for the GOLD membership in cash only if purchased with another item. The membership will be activated only after the order has been paid for.

LimeRoad is India’s most innovative online fashion platform with a unique network of over 400,000 women community members from across the country who create and style different looks for the avid online shoppers. LimeRoad is a fashion destination for the entire family with products for women, men and kids. LimeRoad has a supplier network of 10,000+ manufacturers who inject fast fashion into the system that goes from design to live to site in less than 30 days, with winning styles getting established in 48 hours.

Every user gets a completely personalised experience – the app changes for each person every minute. Users therefore discover fast fashion unlike anywhere else in India.

March 18, 2019
Kubrra Sait to host an interactive Bollywood quiz show on Facebook

MUMBAI: Internet's latest sensation, Kubbra Sait is all set to host Jhacaaash, an interactive Bollywood quiz show on Facebook Live. The show will make its debut on March 18, 2019 and will test the viewers’ Bollywood prowess, allowing them a golden chance to win a cash prize of Rs. 50 000 every episode.

Kubbra Sait-Indian actress and TV Host has appeared in films like Sultan, Ready and City Of Life and has been highly praised for her performance in the web series, Sacred Games recently. Jhacaaash will see Kubbra pose viewers with 10 interesting questions for which they will have 10 seconds to respond and get lucky.

Viewers can catch the live action by tuning in to the Facebook page of Jhacaaash ( https://www.facebook.com/jhacaaash/) every Monday and Thursday 6:00 pm.

March 18, 2019
Vodafone Idea & Zee Entertainment add a new dimension to content partnership

MUMBAI: Vodafone Idea Limited, India's leading telecom operatorandZee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) announced a strategic partnership today for ZEE5 – the fastest growing OTT platform in the country. Under the strategic partnership, aimed at driving the growth of digital ecosystem in India, the content portfolio of ZEE5 will be available to Vodafone Idea customers on Vodafone Play as well as Idea Movies & TV app.

Customers of Vodafone Idea can now enjoy the entire content catalogue of ZEE5 thereby providing a seamless viewing experience via multiple devices.The association between the two industry leaders will help create a beneficial ecosystem for viewers that will drive the growth of video viewing in smaller cities and towns in times to come. The content of ZEE5 can be accessed by customers through Vodafone Play or idea Movies & TV app. The ZEE5 content is available across 12 languages like English, Hindi, Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, Oriya, Bhojpuri, Gujarati & Punjabi across genres like Kids content, Cineplays, Live TV and Health and Lifestyle content.

Commenting on the partnership, Avneesh Khosla, Operations Director – Marketing, Vodafone Idea Limited said, “Our customers are constantly seeking rich and diverse content options and we aim to provide enriched entertainment to our customers by offering high quality content on Vodafone Play and Idea Movies & TV. We are happy to partner with ZEE5 and bring their library of content to our customers. Our insights on customer preferences, salience and relevance along with ZEE’s deep understanding of the Indian content viewership habits are being brought together through this partnership. We are happy to offer the entire catalogue of ZEE5 along with 2 exclusive channels to our customers as an introductory offer.”

Speaking about the association, Tarun Katial, CEO, ZEE5 India said, “ZEE5 and Vodafone Idea lend themselves to a complementary partnership. Having established ourselves as the fastest growing OTT platform in India with the largest repertoire of content, we have attracted subscribers across geographies and demographics. We have an ambitious growth plan charted out for us and through this partnership with Vodafone Idea, India’s largest telecom company, we will leverage synergies between the brands and further bolster our presence across the country.”

March 18, 2019
Colgate remains India’s #1 Most Trusted Oral Care brand, for the 8th consecutive year, in Nielsen’s consumer survey

MUMBAI: Colgate-Palmolive (India) Limited, the market leader in Oral Care, has been ranked as the Most Trusted Brand in the Oral Care category for the 8th year in a row, as per the India’s Most Trusted Brands Survey 2018, conducted by Nielsen and commissioned by Economic Times – Brand Equity.

Mr. Issam Bachaalani, Managing Director, Colgate-Palmolive (India) Limited, said, “We are delighted and extremely thankful to our consumers for the trust they show Colgate every year to make Colgate India’s Most Trusted Oral Care brand. It is our constant endeavour to ‘keep India smiling’ by making a real impact in the lives of the people and through our 100% commitment to safety and quality to provide the best quality products.”

About the survey: The Brand Equity Most Trusted Brands survey was conducted by Nielsen. At the first stage, sales, social buzz and media visibility data were analysed to arrive at a list of brands for further discussion and shortlisting for the Most Trusted Brand 2018 consumer survey. After considerable evaluations, the categories and brand list were finalised. In total, there were 341 brands that were considered as part of this year’s survey with the achieved sample size being 2200; conducted in January 2019 across 4 metro cities, Mumbai UA, Delhi NCR, Chennai and Kolkata.

About Colgate-Palmolive (India) Limited: Colgate-Palmolive (India) Limited is the market leader in Oral Care in the country. The company manufactures and/or markets toothpastes, toothpowder, toothbrushes and mouthwashes under the ‘Colgate’ brand, as well as a specialized range of personal care products under the ‘Palmolive’ brand. For more information about Colgate's business and products, please visit www.colgatepalmolive.co.in

March 18, 2019
Gautam Gambhir & Funngage.com give warm send-off to 15 cricketers for Perth, Australia

MUMBAI: Padma Shri Gautam Gambhir and Funngage.com gave a warm send-off to 15 of the 33 talented aspiring cricketers who have qualified for the 5-year cricket scholarship and are selected to go to Guildford Grammar School, Perth, Australia for 21 days of overseas training. Earlier in August’18, Funngage.com in the inspiring leadership of Gautam Gambhir launched FG PowerPlayer – India’s First Cricket Scholarship. While in Perth, the cricketers will train under the watchful guidance of former South African Test Cricketer, HD Ackerman who is now engaged as the Director of Coaching at Guildford Grammar.

All these 33 PowerPlayers have been awarded 5-year Cricket Development Scholarship which includes the following:

Benefits of FG PowerPlayer Cricket Development Scholarship

·5 years of fully paid cricket equipments

·5 years of fully paid medical support along with sports physiotherapy sessions at Funngage’s wellness partner and hospitals across India

·5 years of fully paid match fees for cricket matches and tournaments across India

·5 years of fully paid cricket camps by experts for continued exposure and training

·Fully paid for oversees training (for topmost 15) at Perth, Australia (Guildford Grammar School), this includes visa fee, return air fare, accommodation, trainings, nutrition sessions, injury management, and matches with local clubs etc.

Trials and selection process

A scientific process of assessing the cricketers started in October last year with the video-based trials held in 17 cities in 10 states across India. The program attracted both girls and boys and 5000+ aspiring cricketers participated in 12 to 24 years of age categories. The trials were held at the center wicket of the ground with at least 5 High Definition (HD) cameras making ball-by-ball videos of each and every cricketer. These videos were shared with players on their Funngage.com account.

These videos were then shared with the panel of top coaches of Funngage.com for a thorough assessment. The detailed report card and assessment scores highlighting their strengths and areas of improvements were given to each player. The program progressed as under:

·Stage 1 – Basic Skills Trial: 12-balls trials on the center wicket with each batsman facing 4 bowlers and each bowler bowling to 4 batsmen and 5 HD Video cameras capturing the action

·Stage 2 – Advanced Trial: each player got to bowl or bat 4 overs on a turf wicket

·Stage 3 – Residential Camp: 14 days of training camp wherein each player got coaching, training, and got to play minimum of 5 matches of 40 overs each

·Stage 4 – 5 Years of Cricket Scholarship: 33 aspiring cricketers selected for 5 years of Cricket Development Scholarship and topmost 15 were chosen to for 3 weeks of oversees training at Guildford Grammar School, Perth, Australia in four batches

*Overall Funngage.com is committed to selected 120 aspiring cricketers across the age groups and to send 60 to Australia for oversees training

Highlights of Residential Camp

110 (Age group 17 – 24) out of 5000+ applicants were invited for a residential camp at Funngage’s Meerut Centre, Neelkanth Group of Institutes (NGI). Under the able guidance of Senior Coach Arun Bharadhwaj along with Jayaraj Samual, Biju Nair, Sanjay Bharadhwaj, and Manu Kumar, the players were put through a rigorous schedule of training, coaching, fitness, and matches.

·Players were divided into 8 teams

·All eight teams played seven matches in a round-robin format with each player playing a minimum of 5 matches of 40 overs each.

·Matches were played at three cricket grounds in Meerut – NGI Cricket Ground, Victoria Park Cricket Ground, and Gandhi Bagh Cricket ground

·Matches went on for 13 days that included three matches every day

·The best players were awarded as the Man of Match and inducted into the FG PowerPlayer Hall of Fame

·Umpires from UPCA were engaged for transparent and credible decision-making

·Players were constantly assessed on the basis of their potential and performance and their stats were updated real-time Funngage’s website and mobile apps

Marquee experts during the assessment process

·HD Ackerman, former South African Test Cricketer and Director of Coaching at GGS

·Samuel Jayraj (KL Rahul’s coach)

·K. Barathan (Former BCCI Umpire and Ranji Player)

·Biju Nair (BCCI Level C and Ranji Coach)

·Dinesh Lad (Rahit Sharma and Shardul Thakur’s Coach)

·Sanjay Bharadhwaj (Gautam Gambhir’s Coach)

·Yajuvendra Krishnatry (indian Railways Coach)

Quotes:

Gautam Gambhir, inspirational partner of Funngage.com said, “I always wanted to give back to the game which has given meaning to my life. With FG Powerplayer I am living my dream of helping young, budding cricketers in exceling at their game. Perth is a wonderful city to train at, and once these 15 cricketers come back, they will have a different outlook towards the game.”

Kavendra Karan Singh, Founder, Funngage.com said, “We started this initiative six months back and now the first batch of 33 PowerPlayers have been announced, 15 of these boys are going to Perth for oversees training and we have a solid plan for the selected lot to develop into better cricketers. We are committed in our endeavor of providing a platform to these cricketers and with Gautam, we have understood the nuances of the needs of young cricketers. Hopefully many more will participate in the coming years.”

March 18, 2019
This Holi, enjoy ‘Colour Blast’ on Movies NOW

MUMBAI: Movies Now, India’s destination for Hollywood Blockbusters, announces their vibrant line up of the biggest fantasy and animation films with a special property titled ‘Colour Blast’, to celebrate Holi. The movie marathon on March 21, 2019, 9.30 am onwards, will complement the fun, festive spirit with movies engaging viewers across age groups, as they assemble with their families and friends to celebrate the day.

Start the day by stepping through the looking glass to join Alice and her friends on their adventurous wild-ride to the whimsical wonderland, in ‘Alice Through the Looking Glass’; followed by the rib-tickling comedy of ‘The Mask’ – the story of a man who suddenly discovers more power than he can handle. While the beloved ‘Minions’ make your afternoon bright and yellow, ‘Moana’ then takes you on an adventure to the cool blue waters of the Pacific. Catch the heart-warming tale of the old man and his lifelong dream in ‘Up’, before you end the day with the blockbuster musical fantasy of ‘Frozen’.

With this stellar line- up of some of Hollywood’s most revered animation and fantasy blockbusters, Movies NOW is set to add more colour and spirit to the celebrations.

March 18, 2019