Category: Sports

Mumbai: Cybeart, the chair brand across Canada, India and the Middle East has been announced as the official merchandising partner of India’s cricketing outfit Gujarat Titans on a multi-year deal.

Having expanded their global footprint by entering the Indian market last year, Cybeart has partnered with some of the country’s notable Esports teams, IPs and youth events. Within just four months of their arrival in India, the brand has set foot into the cricketing landscape with their association with Gujarat Titans. Through this partnership, Cybeart will now aim to tap the Cricket followers and introduce the high quality, futuristic chairs for the team as well as their worldwide fanbase that provides them with a world-class sitting experience.

Speaking on the significance of this one-of-a-kind partnership, Cybeart founder Krutik Patel said, “We are extremely delighted to partner with one of the biggest cricketing teams of India. Adding this partnership to the brand’s portfolio is the first step in entering Cricket and diversifying from the Esports sector specifically to cater to a much wider demographic. Gujarat Titans is one of the most admired teams and they in their very inception year have won titles and accolades in the country’s top most cricket league. I am confident that this partnership will help us in our vision of creating an ecosystem that values ergonomics. This association will provide fans with the most comfortable chairs on the market, branded with their favourite team and give them a luxurious viewing experience.”

Gujarat Titans, a team of India’s T20 circuit are home to international cricket’s biggest names such as Hardik Pandya, Shubhman Gill, Rashid Khan, David Miller, Kane Williamson, and many more who will be utilizing the world’s first cricket league chairs to experience the difference. As part of the agreement, the chairs will also be present in the team rooms as well as KIOSKS on the home field where the chairs will function as an experience centre.

“Since inception, we have partnered with brands that symbolise innovation, excellence and a new-age approach to business. With their futuristic chairs, Cybeart have created a niche for themselves at the international level and continues to grow. We welcome Cybeart to the Gujarat Titans family and look forward to a fruitful association that strengthens with time,” said Gujarat Titans COO Arvinder Singh.

According to a report by coherent market analysis, the global gaming chair market was valued at USD 1126.36 million in 2021 and is forecast to reach a value of USD 2034 million by 2030 at a CAGR of 7.8 per cent. The significant rise in the frequency of health concerns due to longer working hours and the appeal of comfort are driving the growth of this industry.

Cybeart’s partnership with Gujarat Titans will boost their aim to revolutionize the gaming chair sector with its products that prioritise ergonomics and emerge as the foremost brand in the international market.

Mumbai: Tata Capital, the financial services arm of the Tata Group, has announced that they would join in the title sponsorship of the upcoming Women’s Premier League (WPL) for which Tata Group is the Title Sponsor and Tata Motors would be another brand to join. The WPL is being sponsored by the Tata Group for a period of five seasons up to 2027. The inaugural edition of the Tata WPL is scheduled to take place between 4 March and 26 March 2023.

Tata Capital has always demonstrated its commitment towards diversity and inclusion in all spheres including sports. The women’s Cricket team of India has seen success at a global level and brought a new spirit amongst young girls to dream of a career as cricketers. This sponsorship aims to further foster the enthusiasm and immense support that Indians have shown towards the Women’s Cricket Team.

Speaking on the partnership Rajiv Sabharwal, Tata Capital managing director & CEO said, “We are delighted to be associated with the Women’s Premier League. Women’s sports are becoming increasingly popular in India, and we feel this will only grow with time. We hope that our partnership with BCCI for WPL will help provide the opportunity to promote women’s cricket by continuing to attract the best talent. We also believe that such initiatives will help build a team of cricketing champions.”

Mumbai: India’s poker tournament, National Poker Series India (NPS) hosted on PokerBaazi has announced its 2023 edition with its latest campaign, ‘Ab India Khelega Glory Ke Liye’.

This year’s edition will award gold, silver and bronze medals to podium finishers in a total of 107 tournaments and three NPS podium medals for the finishers with the highest medal tallies who will be crowned the NPS India 2023 champions. The tournaments will also award prize money of INR 25 Crore and begin on 29 March, however, players can already register for them on the PokerBaazi app and also play practice tournaments.

The full schedule is available on the website – https://nationalpokerseries.in/

The campaign will build awareness and get active participation in the National Poker Series 2023. The communication taps into the cultural insight that sportsmen and athletes strive to be recognized as the best in their respective sports, and how that hard work and perseverance brings glory and success. The same holds true for poker players who win both gold & glory as National Poker Series champions with their skills and grit.

The new campaign features a series of two films that highlight the pride and glory that comes with winning the National Poker Series. The campaign aims to inspire and motivate players, both men and women to strive for greatness in the game and to establish poker as a sport that demands the highest levels of skill and strategy. The creative storytelling, music and elements of surprise give registering for the tournament a ‘pull factor.’ With this campaign, the aim is to make the National Poker Series a success and inspire players to join and be a part of this ultimate game of glory. By using a simple cinematic device, the ads were able to create visually engaging films, portraying the transformation in their life.

Here are the links of the films:

The series has had more than 180K entries and 450+ medals, across 150 events over the past two years.

On the announcement, Baazi Games founder & CEO Navkiran Singh said, “We, at PokerBaazi, are honoured to host the National Poker Series India once again. The two editions’ record-breaking entries across demographics and regions were a testament to establishing the NPS legacy. We see NPS India as the true podium of glory for the sport of Poker in India and are excited to celebrate the champions in the making.”

The general perception of poker is that it is just a game. Whereas globally it is considered to be a sport which involves an immense amount of skill to play and the ones with the right skills can achieve ultimate glory. National Poker Series as a platform is providing this opportunity to poker players in India.

“We wanted to talk to poker enthusiasts and new poker players alike and give them a clear sense that poker, more than just entertainment, can also be life-changing if you play it right. And National Poker Series hosted on PokerBaazi is your opportunity to experience that. A simple yet interesting creative device of life-changing in an instant for a youngster, landing him/her in the spotlight helped us capture this thought in a short duration”, said DDB Mudra South creative head Nitin Pradhan.

The 360° Campaign is launched across multiple platforms, including Television, OTT, digital platforms, outdoors and social media. The campaign is expected to reach a diverse set of audience of poker players and enthusiasts and establish the National Poker Series as the go-to tournament for players who seek both gold and glory.

Mumbai: Red Bull India and Oracle Red Bull Racing are all set to enthrall F1 enthusiasts with the Red Bull Showrun here in Mumbai along with racing legend & 13-time F1 grand prix champion David Coulthard. The spectacle can be witnessed on the scenic roads of Bandra Bandstand in Mumbai on Sunday, 12 March 2023 10 am onwards with David Coulthard driving the iconic Oracle Red Bull Racing F1 car, the RB7. 

Red Bull Racing remains the only team to win all the Indian GP during its three-year stint at the Buddh International Circuit. This is not the first time they will be bringing their Showrun to the country – their last appearance in India was at the Hyderabad Showrun in 2015, with Coulthard behind the wheel. Red Bull athlete and Lithuanian freestyle stunt biker Aras Gibieza will also be seen showing off his daredevil act in between the Red Bull Showrun along with a host of other acts. These include the Super Car showcase by the Super Car Club.

Speaking about his return to Mumbai and driving the F1 car on Indian soil once again, David Coulthard said, “Namaste India! I am very excited to be coming back to your wonderful city again. It’s been a while since my last trip to Mumbai, but it feels like I never really left. India has gained such a strong fan base for F1. I am sure when I drive those dazzling streets at Bandstand, I will see a huge turnaround of the crowd. Looking forward to seeing you all in Aamchi Mumbai on the 12th of March.”

After captivating the crowd in the first ever Showrun at Bandra Worli Sea Link in 2009, David returns to the maximum city that never sleeps after 14 long years. Red Bull Showrun aims to bring motorsport fans closer to the Formula 1 Car. The Mumbai Showrun comes at the back of a golden year for Oracle Red Bull Racing, with Max Verstappen dominating the F1 scene with the largest points haul by any driver in F1 history. With the growing popularity of F1 globally & the recent success of Red Bull Racing, this Showrun is a perfect experience to give the Indian audience a glimpse of scintillating F1 action. Make sure not to blink, and soak in the whiff of burnt rubber as a mean machine from a decorated team whizzes past you.  

Mumbai:  LaLiga in partnership with India On Track has announced a new ‘Development Program’ under LaLiga India’s focal grassroots development project, LaLiga Football Schools ( LLFS) that brings together the best players across LLFS centers in Mumbai. LLFS celebrates five years in India this year and will provide elite Under 13 & Under 15 players with advance training under this program. The program will also setup the first ‘Goalkeeper School’ and provide LLFS players the opportunities to play in official competitions. In the future, the program will be converted into a development center.

Starting from February, LLFS will begin their new development program at Wings Sports Turf, Bandra. Overseen by the technical director of LaLiga, the program will be instructed by four licensed coaches for two age-category teams: Under 13 & Under 15. The target is to replicate the Mumbai model across LLFS in India and hold open trials to attract talent across the nation. The Development program team will participate in this season’s MDFA second Division League and other official competitions.

Speaking on the development, LaLiga Football Schools technical director India Miguel Casal said, “Strong grassroots & youth setups are the foundation of any football program. Through the LLFS initiative we have aimed to develop technically sound players in India, by providing them with access to global resources. The vision for the ‘Development Program’ is to build on the work done by LLFS since 2018, while providing elite players with advanced training for their growth. With player growth continuing to be at the center of LLFS, the upgraded program is an extension of our vision for India.”

On Track India founder & CEO Vivek Sethia added “The LaLiga Football School project has grown exponentially since 2018. The impact of the new development program will look to further strengthen LaLiga’s vision of developing talent in India and positively contributing to its football development. By expanding the program’s impact to include specialized training schools & more game time to the players, we are confident in the identification of talent & in the scalability of the program.”

One of India’s leading sports management companies, India On track focuses on positively impacting India’s sporting narrative through grassroots initiatives fueled by technical expertise. Partnering with LaLiga Football Schools, they locally connect global leaders in the football ecosystem, with an aim to provide the next generation of Indian talent a platform for growth.

Mumbai: Giving impetus to women’s cricket as much as it does to men’s cricket, Tata Group, on Tuesday, bagged the title rights for the inaugural Women’s Premier League which is to flag off in Mumbai on 4 March.

As per media reports, the deal has been inked for five years. The first edition of the WPL will be played in Mumbai at two venues – Brabourne Stadium and DY Patil Stadium.

BCCI raked in Rs 951 crore with the sale of the media rights, and the five teams were sold for Rs 4700 crore.

Indian opener Smriti Mandhana was the most expensive buy at the auction held earlier this month, at Rs 3.40 crore.

The Indian multinational firm replaced Vivo as the title sponsor for the Indian Premier League (IPL) last year.

Mumbai: Revenant Esports, one of the country’s leading Esports organisations have become the second Indian team at the Pokémon UNITE Asia Champions League Finals in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The team put up a dominant performance in the final day of the India Qualifier to earn a slot at the offline event.

The Pokémon UNITE Asia Champions India Qualifier, hosted by Sky Sports, one of the leading esports tournament organizers in South Asia, took place from 8 January to 9 February with $8,500 on the line.

Revenant will now fly down to Malaysia alongside Marcos Gaming to compete in the Pokémon UNITE Asia Champions League finals on March 18 and 19. They will be up against the best teams from East Asia and Southeast Asia. The winner of the tournament will walk home with $30,000.

“We were one of the first Indian organizations to recognize the potential of Pokemon UNITE in the country and invested in it,” said Revenant Esports founder & CEO Rohit Jagasia. “After representing India last year in the World Championship, I am proud of our boys for qualifying for the Pokémon UNITE Asia Champions League LAN final in Malaysia despite faltering in the group stage. We are super pumped to have been able to represent our country twice in the same title and we are highly committed to invest in Pokémon UNITE in the future as well.”

Revenant’s run in the Indian Qualifier is one for the history books. The team, considered to be one of the best in the region, had a terrible start to the competition with three back-to-back losses to finish in last place in the Group Stage.

They made a tremendous comeback in the Playoffs, though, and won elimination matches against Gods Reign, True Rippers, and S8UL Esports to advance to the Grand Final.

In the grand final, they were up against the formidable Marcos Esports. However, the team continued its dream run in the playoffs to take them down 2-1 in an intense best-of-three series and become the champions of India.

“We had a really rocky start to the India qualifier and lost some crucial matches to finish in last at the group stage,” said Revenant Esports Pokémon UNITE team captain Jeet Kundra. “Luckily, the tournament’s format allowed us to compete in the Playoffs as well. We returned to the drawing board, worked really hard, analyzed our mistakes, and completed a dream comeback. It feels really great to become the Indian champions again and we look forward to representing the country in Kuala Lumpur.”

Revenant Esports was awarded $5,000 for their victory in the India Qualifier while Marcos Gaming received $2,500. Third-placed S8UL Esports pocketed $1,500.

Mumbai: Former Indian national cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni mentored a group of under-19 women cricketers during a workshop by Mastercard. Titled ‘Cricket Clinic – MSD’, the workshop was organised at Mumbai’s Wankhede stadium, where the cricketer held a training session with 15 players and shared some valuable tips along with his on-field experiences and learnings. These players were selected through a social media contest hosted by Mastercard for young women cricketers.

The event was part of Mastercard’s efforts to help young women cricketers develop a passion for the game through such interesting and insightful experiences. During the course of the workshop, Dhoni guided the players on managing pressure, making a career in cricket, maintaining fitness, devising the right game plan, and a lot more. There are more such clinics planned in the coming weeks.

The wicketkeeper batsman also passed on valuable tips to players on batting technique, body movement, and wicketkeeping. The event concluded with Dhoni posing with the girls and giving them Mastercard bats autographed by him.

“India has always been a sporting powerhouse and women cricketers today are breaking the glass ceiling with their consistent performance and strong determination. My interactions with several women cricketers during Mastercard Cricket Clinic – MSD have deepened my confidence in the future of women’s cricket in India. I am extremely excited to partner with Mastercard for furthering the women in sports movement and offering them a priceless learning experience,” said  Dhoni.

“Mastercard is deeply invested in encouraging women in sports through priceless experiences in the form of mentorship and training. This cricket clinic with legendary Indian captain MS Dhoni is an initiative that will help aspiring women cricketers realize their dreams and make the country proud both on and off the field,” said Mastercard VP & head of marketing & communications Manasi Narasimhan.

“We are thrilled to bring alive Mastercard’s priceless proposition in cricket with this experience with MS Dhoni. This effort will pave the way for the growth of women in cricket in India,” said Midas Deals commercial partnerships Swaminathan Sankar. 

MUMBAI: India’s pro basketball league ‘Elite Pro Basketball League’ has announced that the inaugural pre-season will kick-start from 11-20 March 2023 at the Noida Indoor Stadium. The icing on the cake is the expansion to 16 teams from 12 teams which will give more players a chance to turn pro. Nagpur Knights, Goa Saints, Surat Diamonds and Eastern Tigers are the new four teams that are added. The league will also include a minimum of two university players on each team giving them a chance to go professional.

The pre-season which will be held for ten days will have all 16 teams, coaches and staff coming together for the first time. The pre-season will help players get to know each other and gel together as a team. The most attractive part of the pre-Season is the additional salaries and perks the players will get. This became the first Basketball league in India to pay hefty salaries to all players, something that was missing.

Elite Pro Basketball League CEO Sunny Bhandarkar said, “We are excited to announce the expansion of four more teams, this will make the league more competitive and will give more players the opportunity to showcase their talents. We have been working on our dream of having a Pro Basketball league in India for the past year and now it is turning into a reality and we are quite excited about it. The pre-season will help players and coaches gel with each other and start working on a strategy.

“We have got the best players in the country playing in the league and we will leave no stone unturned to make this a landmark league and hope that it inspires the growth of Basketball in the country.”

Indian basketball player Prudhvi Reddy said, “A league like this is what Indian Basketball requires, attractive salaries, great coaches and staff, a platform where people can showcase their talents. Never in India has a basketball league been conducted in such a way with preseason and I am sure this will help grow the sport in a big way in India.”

The key signings include Indian national team players, state players, local players and University players. Mumbai Stars, Pune Pythons, Jaipur Giants, Kochi Pachers, Chandigarh Conquerors, Hyderabad Hoops, Lucknow Swarm, Chennai Turbos, Punjab Gladiators, Ahmedabad Aces, Delhi Dominators, Bengaluru Stallions, Nagpur Knights, Goa Saints, Surat Diamonds, Eastern Tigers concludes the team.

Mumbai: ReelStar, India’s Web3 integrated social media platform ReelStar, has announced its collaboration with the ninth season of Celebrity Cricket League as the official powered by sponsors of Punjab De Sher which is all set to begin from 18 February 2023. The Punjab team will be represented by the likes of Sonu Sood, Hardy Sandhu, Amy Virk, Navraj Hans.

Teams from eight different regions of India will compete in this season of CCL. Nineteen games will be held in six locations, including Bangalore, Jodhpur, Jaipur and Raipur. Among the teams in the competition are Punjab De Sher, Mumbai Heroes, Chennai Rhinos, Telugu Warriors, Bhojpuri Dabanggs, Kerala Strikers, Bengal Tigers, Karnataka Bulldozers.

This partnership aligns with ReelStar’s mission to democratize the media and entertainment industry and further opens the gates for the Indian media and entertainment industry as well as sports. The sponsorship of the CCL is a significant milestone for ReelStar, as it marks the first time a token will be featured on a large scale. ReelToken which underpins the ReelStar app and ecosystem is based on a multi-blockchain platform and architecture. As a token, REEL is unique due to its integration with ReelStar’s proprietary technology stack which efficiently fuels the app’s ecosystem facilitating its seamless usage by both creators and consumers.

ReelStar aims to create India’s first multi-blockchain social media platform and ecosystem that reimagines how artists, creators, and fans will engage, collaborate, and jointly benefit in the growing media and entertainment industry. ReelStar is an ‘everything app’ – a functional, easy to use, private and secure social media, video streaming, messaging and payments platform that will help artists and aspiring talents to mint their own NFTs and monetise them.

ReelStar co-founder Nick Bahl said, “We are excited to join hands with Punjab De Sher for this exciting season of CCL. Punjab has always been close to my heart as my family belongs here. Being a huge cricket fan myself, I can’t wait for the matches to start. ReelStar is a revolutionary app for the entertainment industry. With this collaboration we are hoping to entertain a wider range of audience.”

Punjab De Sher owner Puneet Singh said, “On behalf of Punjab De Sher, I am very excited to welcome on board ReelStar as our ‘Powered by’ partner. I look forward to a great branding association and partnership along the entire Celebrity Cricket League matches of Punjab De Sher. As a brand, I am sure we both will add value in making it a strong and niche brand. I am intrigued by ReelStar App features, and they will likely disrupt the digital media market soon. I whole heartily welcome on board ReelStar.”

Recently veteran cricketer Irfan Pathan launched ReelStar’s logo in Australia. It is also the title sponsor for Creator United Awards 2023 and the upcoming Nora Fatehi and Guru Randhawa’s The Unity Tour in Australia. ReelStar has raised USD 5 mn from just the first two stages of its Initial Token Offering (ITO), REELT. The ITO is capped at 5 per cent of 15 billion tokens.