Category: Sports

India’s participative sports firm hosts swift devils circuit in Bangalore

Bangalore: Volano Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., India's leading participative sports firm hosted an adrenaline-pumping event, the 'Swift Devils Circuit' in Bengaluru which saw participation from over 4000 individuals. The event took place on Sunday – 09 October 2016 at Prestige Beverley Hills at Bannerghatta, Bengaluru.

Devils Circuit, one of the most innovative concepts of running introduced by Volano, is designed to encourage sports enthusiasts to stand together for a fit and active India.

Its unique model encourages camaraderie between runners as they tackle a running track interspersed with military-style obstacles, including high net walls, barbed wire and ice.

The day also saw participants of both gender compete in the competitive category with Sanjay Negi and Swati Goswami leaping ahead of all participants to claim the top prize in the men and women category.

Sanjay Negi Winner at Devils Circuit Bengaluru

Commenting on the event, Adnan Adeeb, Managing Director & Co-Founder, Volano Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. said, "I want to dedicate the Second Bengaluru Edition of the Devils Circuit to the spirit of this city and to the indomitable attitude of all participants who signed up to enjoy an experience of a lifetime. We aim to make Devils Circuit Bengaluru a landmark race and will continuously engage with our Devil Slayers here to make it a bigger and better experience every year. We are also confident that we'll receive a greater response with each passing year, thereby making the Devils Circuit one of the most sought-after races in South India. We would also like to extend our thanks to our amazing sponsors Maruti Suzuki swift, Reebok, Apollo Hospitals and Playfish who are on a multi edition journey with us and who make it possible for us to create this amazing engagement platform."

A similar thought was echoed by Mr. R. S. Kalsi, Executive Director – Sales and Marketing Maruti Suzuki India Ltd.: "We truly believe in the potential of Devils Circuit and find tremendous synergies between our two brands. Devils Circuit is designed to appeal to the young and Vibrant India. Brands like the Swift have a cult following among the youth and beyond. Our endeavour is to create platforms that allow young and aspiring Indians to break free from the mundane, explore newer avenues, innovate, and challenge their limits. With a focus on celebrating our customer performance, we feel the Devils Circuit is the right platform for this engagement and we shall work as a team towards a bigger and better future for both brands."

The concept has grown popular among fitness enthusiasts as well as corporates seeking to build a healthy team spirit. Devils Circuit enjoys participation from individuals across a diverse age group ranging from 16 to 70 years old. Designed for those across varying fitness levels, it allows everyone to test themselves in a highly challenging environment.

Amassing over 25,000 participants already, Volano is now on a pan-India roll out and expecting over 40,000 participants overall. Devils Circuit Season 2016-17 kicked off in Chennai last month and will conclude in Delhi in March 2017. With a grand prize of a brand new Maruti Suzuki swift up for grabs in both the male and Female competitive participation categories, the property also offers the biggest prize in amateur sports in the country today.

Volano Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. is India's leading participative sports firm headquartered in New Delhi. Credited with the conceptualization and execution of some of India's biggest participative sports properties, Volano has been responsible for creating brands such as the Devils Circuit, Devils Circuit Swift Challenge, and GameOnIndia.

October 12, 2016
India’s participative sports firm hosts swift devils circuit in Bangalore

Bangalore: Volano Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., India's leading participative sports firm hosted an adrenaline-pumping event, the 'Swift Devils Circuit' in Bengaluru which saw participation from over 4000 individuals. The event took place on Sunday – 09 October 2016 at Prestige Beverley Hills at Bannerghatta, Bengaluru.

Devils Circuit, one of the most innovative concepts of running introduced by Volano, is designed to encourage sports enthusiasts to stand together for a fit and active India.

Its unique model encourages camaraderie between runners as they tackle a running track interspersed with military-style obstacles, including high net walls, barbed wire and ice.

The day also saw participants of both gender compete in the competitive category with Sanjay Negi and Swati Goswami leaping ahead of all participants to claim the top prize in the men and women category.

Sanjay Negi Winner at Devils Circuit Bengaluru

Commenting on the event, Adnan Adeeb, Managing Director & Co-Founder, Volano Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. said, "I want to dedicate the Second Bengaluru Edition of the Devils Circuit to the spirit of this city and to the indomitable attitude of all participants who signed up to enjoy an experience of a lifetime. We aim to make Devils Circuit Bengaluru a landmark race and will continuously engage with our Devil Slayers here to make it a bigger and better experience every year. We are also confident that we'll receive a greater response with each passing year, thereby making the Devils Circuit one of the most sought-after races in South India. We would also like to extend our thanks to our amazing sponsors Maruti Suzuki swift, Reebok, Apollo Hospitals and Playfish who are on a multi edition journey with us and who make it possible for us to create this amazing engagement platform."

A similar thought was echoed by Mr. R. S. Kalsi, Executive Director – Sales and Marketing Maruti Suzuki India Ltd.: "We truly believe in the potential of Devils Circuit and find tremendous synergies between our two brands. Devils Circuit is designed to appeal to the young and Vibrant India. Brands like the Swift have a cult following among the youth and beyond. Our endeavour is to create platforms that allow young and aspiring Indians to break free from the mundane, explore newer avenues, innovate, and challenge their limits. With a focus on celebrating our customer performance, we feel the Devils Circuit is the right platform for this engagement and we shall work as a team towards a bigger and better future for both brands."

The concept has grown popular among fitness enthusiasts as well as corporates seeking to build a healthy team spirit. Devils Circuit enjoys participation from individuals across a diverse age group ranging from 16 to 70 years old. Designed for those across varying fitness levels, it allows everyone to test themselves in a highly challenging environment.

Amassing over 25,000 participants already, Volano is now on a pan-India roll out and expecting over 40,000 participants overall. Devils Circuit Season 2016-17 kicked off in Chennai last month and will conclude in Delhi in March 2017. With a grand prize of a brand new Maruti Suzuki swift up for grabs in both the male and Female competitive participation categories, the property also offers the biggest prize in amateur sports in the country today.

Volano Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. is India's leading participative sports firm headquartered in New Delhi. Credited with the conceptualization and execution of some of India's biggest participative sports properties, Volano has been responsible for creating brands such as the Devils Circuit, Devils Circuit Swift Challenge, and GameOnIndia.

October 12, 2016
Reliance Jio, Times Internet throw their hats into the IPL telecast rights ring

MUMBAI: The names are spilling out about those who could be taking a stab at acquiring the broadcast television and digital streaming rights to the richest cricket league in the world – the Indian Premier League (IPL). Star India, Sony Pictures Network India (without prejudice), Amazon India, are amongst the names known to have coughed up $10,000 to pick up a copy of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) tender document for the IPL.

Apparently the Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Jio has also called for the tender, according to news reports in The Times of India and The Mint. Other companies which the media says have reportedly evinced interest include: Times Internet, Super Sport (a South African network), Econet, OSN (Dubai), BT, Sky Sports (both from the UK), ESPN and Followon (US). Sources reveal that sports OTT platform VEQTA has also bought a tender. Though a report has stated that Zee TV is also in the running, it is not clear how it will do so as sources say the tender document strictly forbids any one involved in litigation with the BCCI from participating in the bidding.

The BCCI threw open the bids to potential bidders on 19 September with the last date for purchasing the document being slotted as 18 October and last date of submission being 25 October.

The current bidding round will give the winner the television rights for 10 years, while the digital rights are being offered for five years.

October 8, 2016
Reliance Jio, Times Internet throw their hats into the IPL telecast rights ring

MUMBAI: The names are spilling out about those who could be taking a stab at acquiring the broadcast television and digital streaming rights to the richest cricket league in the world – the Indian Premier League (IPL). Star India, Sony Pictures Network India (without prejudice), Amazon India, are amongst the names known to have coughed up $10,000 to pick up a copy of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) tender document for the IPL.

Apparently the Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Jio has also called for the tender, according to news reports in The Times of India and The Mint. Other companies which the media says have reportedly evinced interest include: Times Internet, Super Sport (a South African network), Econet, OSN (Dubai), BT, Sky Sports (both from the UK), ESPN and Followon (US). Sources reveal that sports OTT platform VEQTA has also bought a tender. Though a report has stated that Zee TV is also in the running, it is not clear how it will do so as sources say the tender document strictly forbids any one involved in litigation with the BCCI from participating in the bidding.

The BCCI threw open the bids to potential bidders on 19 September with the last date for purchasing the document being slotted as 18 October and last date of submission being 25 October.

The current bidding round will give the winner the television rights for 10 years, while the digital rights are being offered for five years.

October 8, 2016
Hyundai Cricjockey S2 begins hunt for most passionate fan

MUMBAI: Hyundai Motor India, in partnership with ESPNcricinfo, has taken the upcoming India vs New Zealand ODI series a notch higher by launching a talent hunt to discover India’s most passionate cricket fan. Through this, cricket fans can showcase their expertise in cricket:

The Hyundai Cricjockey 2 powered by ESPNcricinfo, will be a multi-phased contest open for fans to submit their entries on the CricJockey website – www.hyundaicricjockey.com by submitting an analysis/commentary on a match scenario identified by the ESPNcricinfo editorial. The best entries from the contestants stand to win goodies every day and will be featured on the CricJockey website.

Apart from the online edition, the contest will also see an on-ground element with a 4 city ground event at Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai and Pune where cricket fanatics will submit their entries along with the extensive digital promotion.

“Cricket is a game that families and friends experience together, much like the cars Hyundai makes. Hyundai is proud to be the ‘Official Partner’ of BCCI for the next four years across the three formats- Test, One day and T20. We are proud to announce the CricJockey Season 2, giving all ardent cricket fans a chance to exhibit their commentary skills,” said Hyundai Motor India general manager and group head marketing Puneet Anand.

The eminent jury includes former Indian cricketer Ajit Agarkar, ESPNcricinfo editor in chief Sambit Bal, senior editor Gaurav Kalra and other prominent members from ESPNcricinfo editorial team. They will identify the top eight who will proceed to the semi-finals. These eight contestants will battle it out to reach the finale where one will win the coveted title at the ESPNcricinfo studios. The winner will be declared on 29 October.

ESPN Digital Media India head of sales Akshaya Kolhe added, “We know that cricket fans in India are among the most passionate and vocal in the world. CricJockey is a platform that gives a chance to cricket fans to transition beyond an ultimate fan and become a potential professional talent. With season 2 our association with Hyundai Motor India has gone further ahead, bringing one of the most existing and entertaining contest to our Fans. This only further reinforces our commitment to our fans by providing the best of “Game around the Game” content.”

The top three finalists will be tested on their cricket analysis skill by participating on the special post-match review segment for the ODI played between India and New Zealand on the match day. They will be acquainted with the entire cricket reporting process and will go through the grinds of covering cricket matches alongside the ESPNcricinfo editorial team.

The first season of Hyundai Cricjockey gave the cricket fans of the country a platform to showcase their expertise in the game and their ability to comprehend the nuances of the sport in front of a jury made up of the ESPNcricinfo editorial. The 2013 edition saw more than 8000 entries from across India where the best of the talent fought it out to claim the title.

October 7, 2016
Hyundai Cricjockey S2 begins hunt for most passionate fan

MUMBAI: Hyundai Motor India, in partnership with ESPNcricinfo, has taken the upcoming India vs New Zealand ODI series a notch higher by launching a talent hunt to discover India’s most passionate cricket fan. Through this, cricket fans can showcase their expertise in cricket:

The Hyundai Cricjockey 2 powered by ESPNcricinfo, will be a multi-phased contest open for fans to submit their entries on the CricJockey website – www.hyundaicricjockey.com by submitting an analysis/commentary on a match scenario identified by the ESPNcricinfo editorial. The best entries from the contestants stand to win goodies every day and will be featured on the CricJockey website.

Apart from the online edition, the contest will also see an on-ground element with a 4 city ground event at Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai and Pune where cricket fanatics will submit their entries along with the extensive digital promotion.

“Cricket is a game that families and friends experience together, much like the cars Hyundai makes. Hyundai is proud to be the ‘Official Partner’ of BCCI for the next four years across the three formats- Test, One day and T20. We are proud to announce the CricJockey Season 2, giving all ardent cricket fans a chance to exhibit their commentary skills,” said Hyundai Motor India general manager and group head marketing Puneet Anand.

The eminent jury includes former Indian cricketer Ajit Agarkar, ESPNcricinfo editor in chief Sambit Bal, senior editor Gaurav Kalra and other prominent members from ESPNcricinfo editorial team. They will identify the top eight who will proceed to the semi-finals. These eight contestants will battle it out to reach the finale where one will win the coveted title at the ESPNcricinfo studios. The winner will be declared on 29 October.

ESPN Digital Media India head of sales Akshaya Kolhe added, “We know that cricket fans in India are among the most passionate and vocal in the world. CricJockey is a platform that gives a chance to cricket fans to transition beyond an ultimate fan and become a potential professional talent. With season 2 our association with Hyundai Motor India has gone further ahead, bringing one of the most existing and entertaining contest to our Fans. This only further reinforces our commitment to our fans by providing the best of “Game around the Game” content.”

The top three finalists will be tested on their cricket analysis skill by participating on the special post-match review segment for the ODI played between India and New Zealand on the match day. They will be acquainted with the entire cricket reporting process and will go through the grinds of covering cricket matches alongside the ESPNcricinfo editorial team.

The first season of Hyundai Cricjockey gave the cricket fans of the country a platform to showcase their expertise in the game and their ability to comprehend the nuances of the sport in front of a jury made up of the ESPNcricinfo editorial. The 2013 edition saw more than 8000 entries from across India where the best of the talent fought it out to claim the title.

October 7, 2016
SPN India to telecast UFC 204 live in Indian sub-continent

MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks (SPN) is all set to broadcast the highly anticipated UFC 204 event in theIndian sub-continent. The volatile fight card will see current Middleweight Champion, Michael Bisping take on Dan Hendersonin the Middleweight bout.

The fight will be telecast live on 9 October at 07:30 pm on Sony Six, Sony Six HD, Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD. UFC 204 will also be available for live streaming on SonyLIV.

The fight card also features more high profile fights as well. Brazilian mixed martial artist Vitor Belfort will take on four time world champion, Gegard Mousasi in the Middleweight bout and Ovince Saint Preux will face Jimi Manuwa inthe Light Heavyweight division. With so much tension in the ring, UFC 204 is slated to showcase some of the most explosive face-offs the Octagon will ever see.

Michael Bisping is the first British mixed martial arts fighter to win a UFC championship which was at UFC 199. Bisping faced his present day UFC 204 opponent, Dan Henderson, a former Olympic wrestler, for the first time back in 2009 and was defeated in a brutal knockout in the second round. At UFC 204, Bisping looks to defend his title as he seeks revenge against Henderson.Henderson, on the other hand is going to give this fight his all as this may be the very last time he enters the Octagon as a fighter given his announcement of his retirement.

October 7, 2016
SPN India to telecast UFC 204 live in Indian sub-continent

MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks (SPN) is all set to broadcast the highly anticipated UFC 204 event in theIndian sub-continent. The volatile fight card will see current Middleweight Champion, Michael Bisping take on Dan Hendersonin the Middleweight bout.

The fight will be telecast live on 9 October at 07:30 pm on Sony Six, Sony Six HD, Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD. UFC 204 will also be available for live streaming on SonyLIV.

The fight card also features more high profile fights as well. Brazilian mixed martial artist Vitor Belfort will take on four time world champion, Gegard Mousasi in the Middleweight bout and Ovince Saint Preux will face Jimi Manuwa inthe Light Heavyweight division. With so much tension in the ring, UFC 204 is slated to showcase some of the most explosive face-offs the Octagon will ever see.

Michael Bisping is the first British mixed martial arts fighter to win a UFC championship which was at UFC 199. Bisping faced his present day UFC 204 opponent, Dan Henderson, a former Olympic wrestler, for the first time back in 2009 and was defeated in a brutal knockout in the second round. At UFC 204, Bisping looks to defend his title as he seeks revenge against Henderson.Henderson, on the other hand is going to give this fight his all as this may be the very last time he enters the Octagon as a fighter given his announcement of his retirement.

October 7, 2016
Star India, Sony Pictures Network India pick up IPL tender document

MUMBAI: The race to pocket the broadcast rights to India’s top cricket franchise, the IPL, has commenced. According to reports appearing in the media, Sony Pictures Network India (SPN-India) has picked up the IPL tender document. A Times of India news item reports that SPN-India took this decision “without prejudice.”

What that means is that SPN-India can still take the BCCI to court for allegedly reneging on its earlier broadcast rights contract with the cricket body, which gave the broadcaster the first right of refusal.

The BCCI, on its part, says it is under public scrutiny and the Supreme Court has ordered it to maintain transparency in all its financial dealings. Any deal would be questionable unless done openly through a transparent auctioning process, it says.

Amogst other bidders who picked up the tender document are Star India which has been pretty gung-ho on sports; it made an announcement in 2013 that it was plonking down Rs 20,000 crore towards developing sports and sports television in India over the next five years. Rs 1,500 crore of this would be towards developing hockey.

Amazon Prime Video has been reported by the media to be interested in throwing its hat in the ring as well, media reports stated. Who else will enter the fray will become clearer over the next few days.

The IPL tender envisages the television rights to be assigned for 10 years, whereas the digital rights will be for five years. Punters are betting as to what extent the bidders will open their wallets to acquire the rights. $2 billion to $4 billion is the range that is being talked about.

October 7, 2016
Star India, Sony Pictures Network India pick up IPL tender document

MUMBAI: The race to pocket the broadcast rights to India’s top cricket franchise, the IPL, has commenced. According to reports appearing in the media, Sony Pictures Network India (SPN-India) has picked up the IPL tender document. A Times of India news item reports that SPN-India took this decision “without prejudice.”

What that means is that SPN-India can still take the BCCI to court for allegedly reneging on its earlier broadcast rights contract with the cricket body, which gave the broadcaster the first right of refusal.

The BCCI, on its part, says it is under public scrutiny and the Supreme Court has ordered it to maintain transparency in all its financial dealings. Any deal would be questionable unless done openly through a transparent auctioning process, it says.

Amogst other bidders who picked up the tender document are Star India which has been pretty gung-ho on sports; it made an announcement in 2013 that it was plonking down Rs 20,000 crore towards developing sports and sports television in India over the next five years. Rs 1,500 crore of this would be towards developing hockey.

Amazon Prime Video has been reported by the media to be interested in throwing its hat in the ring as well, media reports stated. Who else will enter the fray will become clearer over the next few days.

The IPL tender envisages the television rights to be assigned for 10 years, whereas the digital rights will be for five years. Punters are betting as to what extent the bidders will open their wallets to acquire the rights. $2 billion to $4 billion is the range that is being talked about.

October 7, 2016