ITV

Category: Sports

  • Micromax wins Title Sponsorship Rights for 2014-15 cricket series

    Micromax wins Title Sponsorship Rights for 2014-15 cricket series

    MUMBAI: The marketing committee of the BCCI met earlier at the Cricket Centre, Mumbai, to receive the bids made for title sponsorship of international series and domestic tournaments to be played in India in the 2014-15 season. 

     

    The winning bid for the title sponsorship rights was made by Micromax Informatics, for a fee of Rs18,01,80,000.

     

    BCCI  honourary secretary Sanjay Patel said, “The BCCI welcomes Micromax Informatics as a partner for the 2014-15 season. The forthcoming series between India and the West Indies will feature some exciting cricket. There will be plenty of action in the domestic competitions as well. We have no doubt that it will be a fruitful association.” 

  • Football God Del Piero Chooses India, Joins Delhi Dynamos

    Football God Del Piero Chooses India, Joins Delhi Dynamos

    MUMBAI: Delhi Dynamos FC, the national capital’s Football Team for the Hero Indian Super League, has signed up Italian football superstar Alessandro del Piero as its marquee player.

    The 39-year-old Italian who has won almost every tournament he has played in for club and country, needs no introduction. Some of his top achievements over 2 illustrious decades include:

    • Won 8 Serie A titles, the Champions League & Intercontinental Cup with Juventus; he played for Juventus since 1993 and was captain from 2001 until 2012.

    • Led Italy to their FIFA World Cup win in 2006, scoring in the semifinal, and then in the penalty shootout in the final

    • Golden Boot (top scorer): UEFA Champions League (1995-96, 1997-98), Serie A (2007-08)

    • 2nd player to participate in 7 major tournaments for Italy (EURO 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008 and World Cup 1998, 2002, 2006)

    • Won 2 European Championships as part of Italy’s U-21squad

    • Won a total of 23 trophies

    Alessandro del Piero, also nicknamed “Il Fenomeno Vero” or The Real Phenomenon, is the 10thAll-time Top Scorer in the Champions League and been featured in FIFA 100, a list of the top greatest living footballers compiled by Pele. Having played alongside some great teammates like Gianluigi Buffon & Zinedine Zidane, del Piero has always managed to stand out. Footballing legend Maradona once said, “He (del Peiro) is different to Zinedine Zidane. He likes to play, he feels it in his soul. Between him and the Frenchman, I choose him”

    The Italian great played for Sydney FC for the last two seasons and is credited for putting the A-league (theAustralian League) onto the world stage and inspiring a new generation of football players in that country. The Free-kick King won Sydney FC Player of the Year Award &Sydney FC Golden Boot in 2013 and also scored the A-League goal of the season for 2012–2013.

    After del Piero entered the A-league, there was an immediate positive impact on attendance, membership, TV ratings and corporate support for the club and the league. With Alessandro del Piero’s induction into Delhi Dynamos FC, the club representing India’s national capital is hoping for an encore and expects his presence to galvanize football fans across the country and put a nationwide spotlight on Indian domestic football.

    Commenting on his move to Delhi Dynamos, Alessandro del Piero said, “It’s really exciting to be coming to India and playing for the capital of the country. I am thoroughly looking forward to training with my teammates and work together with the coach and the club and I hope to encourage the people of Delhi to follow our games! My passion has always been to play good football and I think I can definitely identify with my team’s philosophy of playing an attacking & attractive game. It is always amazing to visit new countries but I have a feeling India is going to be a really special part of my journey. See you soon, India…Thok Denge!”

    Sameer Manchanda, Passionate Football Fan, Chairman & Managing Director of DEN Networks, said: “We are very excited with the signing of Alessandro del Piero, a true football legend and a giant of the game. His coming to India is a path breaking moment for football in the country. Alessandro has been an inspirational member in every team that he has played for and his presence in the Delhi Dynamos will drive the entire squad to strive for even greater glory. We are sure that he will fire up the imagination of millions of Indian kids and make football a religion in India”

  • Hero Indian Super League ushers in football revolution

    Hero Indian Super League ushers in football revolution

    MUMBAI: The most anxiously awaited Hero Indian Super League (ISL) finally unveiled its official emblem at a grand event attended by the organisers and franchise team owners. The league also saw the unveiling of its official line- ‘Let’s Football.’

     

    At the beginning, IMG Reliance chairperson Nita Ambani said, “ISL hopes to act as a foundation in creating an ecosystem to nurture talent and make our own national football heroes.” She also added that the Reliance Foundation plans to reach out to 10 lakh kids in India for the first year to help them play the game of football at the micro level.

     

    ‘Let’s Football’ – is an apt fit to its ambition in connecting with today’s youth and creating interest in millions to play the sport professionally. The emblem with hexagons combined to form a football symbolises collaboration of passion, energy and enthusiasm among its stakeholders. Colours chosen to represent the league conveys the values and emotions, with red signifying the energy, passion and action, while blue exudes confidence, trust and responsibility; both seamlessly combining to represent the league’s values.

     

    Star India COO Sanjay Gupta commented, “This is the birth of a footballing nation. This is something that has never been attempted before and marks a historic turning point for the future of football in India. What you will experience is a world class spectacle-in stadium, on television, on your mobile screen and across all digital devices.”

     

    “We plan to attract and nurture the best of Indian talent to play with marquee players selected from 20 countries, spanning five continents,” added Gupta.

     

    The event began with Nita Ambani leading the eight league partners to sign a pledge- committing to the vision of ISL, which is to bring a football revolution across the country.

     

    IMG football vice president Andy Knee said, “The potential for football in India is truly immense and the ambition for the league is to spark a revolution for the game so as to encourage teenagers, even hundreds of millions of Indians to start playing, following and watching the sport.”

     

    Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan was declared as the new team owner of the Chennai franchise. Joining him were other owners like Sachin Tendulkar, John Abraham, Ranbir Kapoor, Sameer Manchanda, Utsav Parekh, Kapil Wadhawan, Team Goa ambassador Varun Dhawan among others like AIFF president Praful Patel.

     

    Each of the teams said that they would help develop football at the grass root level, the announcements of which will be made in the weeks to come.

     

    Scheduled to kick off on 12 October 2014, the Hero Indian Super League will see some of the greatest players in action from the world of football.

  • Domestic cricket league gets a push

    Domestic cricket league gets a push

    MUMBAI: State level Karnataka Premier League (KPL), a Twenty20 series, has got a shot in its arm. And here’s how: national level sports broadcaster Sony Six for the first time has decided to telecast 24 matches of the league’s third season beginning from 28 August to 12 September 2014.

    While different states have experimented with such cricket leagues and failed due to it being telecast on regional channels, Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) showed keenness to revive it by getting onboard a national sports broadcaster. Says Sony Six business head Prasana Krishnan, “We are working closely with the state cricket board. There is a robust growth of different sports in India and the market is changing.”

    Elaborating on the key ingredients being used to revive the format this year, Krishnan adds, “The league has better sponsorship support, a national level sports broadcaster, a celebrity team captained by popular Kannada actor Sudip and participation from international cricketers like Manish Pandey and Robin Utthappa.”

    The broadcast of KPL will clash with the ongoing World Kabaddi League, of which Sony Six is the official broadcast partner. While one would think one sport may hamper the viewership of the other, for Krishnan the audience base for each of the two sports is different.

    “The WKL matches take place on weekends and therefore there will not be any clash,” he informs. He further says that in case of two matches being played on a single day it will be telecast at 1pm and 5pm, while in case there is a single match, it will be telecasted at 5 pm.

    The previous seasons of KPL were telecast on cable news channel Udaya News. Sony Six, for the third season, is working closely with KSCA to get sponsors. While Karbonn Mobiles has been got onboard as title sponsors for the 2014 edition, four other local brands have been roped in as sponsors. Vijay Karnataka is the print partner and the marketing activity will be centered around Karnataka.

    This Twenty20 cricket league has been modeled along the lines of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Born in August 2009, the league includes six franchisee teams besides a single celebrity team representing cities in Karnataka. The six franchisee city teams are Belagavi Panthers, Bellary Tuskers, Bijapur Bulls, Hubli Tigers, Mangalore United and Mysore Warriors.

    According to a media planner, any league should be given a period of at least three years for it to pick up both in terms of fans and sponsorship interest. “It is only after that one should give their verdict on whether the league is successful or no,” adds the media planner.

    The auction for the 2014 edition of KPL was conducted on 7 August 2014. The total purse for each team for the auction was Rs 20 lakh. Of this, Mangalore United spent Rs 19.55 lakh on 17 players, Belagavi Panthers spent Rs 18.9 lakh on 18 players. Bijapur Bulls picked up 18 players for Rs 18.55 lakh, Mysore Warriors purchased 18 players for Rs 17.6 lakh, Hubli Tigers bought 18 players for Rs 16.15 lakh and Bellary Tuskers handpicked 18 players for Rs 12 lakh.

    The auction also received some high bids for marquee players. Wicketkeeper and batsman Robin Uthappa was selected by Bellary Tuskers for Rs 5, 30,000. Bowler Abhimanyu Mithun went to Bijapur Bulls for Rs 5 lakh. Batsman Bharath Chipli went home happy with Rs 4 lakh from Belagavi Panthers.

    Below is a further break up of other marquee players:
  • World number four Stan Wawrinka to participate for Aircel Chennai Open 2015

    World number four Stan Wawrinka to participate for Aircel Chennai Open 2015

    MUMBAI: Current world number four, Switzerland’s Stan Wawrinka today confirmed his participation in the 20 edition of the Aircel Chennai Open, India’s and South Asia’s Premier ATP World Tour tennis event, scheduled to be held at Chennai’s SDAT Stadium from 5 to 11 January 2015.

     

    The 29 year old has had an incredible 2014 that started with his final match victory over Edouard Roger Vasselin in Chennai, en route to which he recorded his 300th career match win at the Aircel Chennai Open. Stan followed this by capturing his first Grand Slam championship title with a stunning four-set victory over top seed Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open final.

     

    Commenting on his presence at the event, Stan Wawrinka said, “I am looking forward to being part of the action and adventure and, of course, all the festivity. I definitely plan to show up ready to play my best with the goal of kicking off the New Year by defending my title in Chennai.”

     

    TNTA vice president and AITA vice president, Tournament Organising committee chairman Karti P Chidambaram said, “Chennai’s tennis fans adore Stan Wawrinka, supporting his every game and rejoicing with every victory he registers. As we celebrate two decades of the tournament in the country, the Tamil Nadu Tennis Association extends a warm welcome to the world number four.”

     

    IMG Reliance COO Ashu Jindal said, “He will be playing in the event for the seventh consecutive year and the continued presence of players of his caliber is a testament to the strength of the tournament and to the ongoing support of fans in the city. We welcome him to Chennai and look forward to seeing him spread his magic at SDAT once again.”

     

    The title sponsor for the tournament is Aircel and the event is supported by a consortium of sponsors in the platinum and gold category, headed by the Government of Tamil Nadu.

  • Ten Sports to see a major revamp by April 2015

    Ten Sports to see a major revamp by April 2015

    MUMBAI:  After being on an acquisition spree of major titles like the Deutscher Fussball Cup and the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, sports broadcaster Ten Sports is looking at a major revamp plan for its existing bouquet.

     

    According to sources, the network is looking at revamping its five channels: Ten Sports, Ten Cricket, Ten Action, Ten Golf and Ten HD. The network will either be adding or removing some of the existing channels from its bouquet.

     

    Sources also indicate that the revamp will possibly take place earliest by April 2015.

     

    While the buzz is that the channels could be named Ten Sports 1, Ten Sports 2, Ten Sports 3, Ten Sports 4 and Ten Sports 5, sources say that the revamp will be much more than just renaming the channels.

     

    Ten Sports has also extended the broadcast rights for the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League for the next cycle of three seasons starting 2015-16.

  • Pakistan Cricket Board fails to woo channels for upcoming series

    Pakistan Cricket Board fails to woo channels for upcoming series

    MUMBAI:  Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has come in for a massive and rude shock.  According to sources, PCB has found no takers for its two upcoming series i.e the Pakistan vs Australia series and the Pakistan vs New Zealand matches to be held in the UAE this year.

     

    The Board received bids from just two sports channels i.e PTV (Pakistan) and Ten Sports. The bid from PTV was rejected instantly because the bidding amount was far too less than what the Board had expected. Ten Sports on the other hand had submitted a bid amount of $2.9 million.

     

    PCB, in lack of takers asked Ten Sports to increase its bidding amount, which the channel flatly refused. Sources say that the Board is surprised by the dwindling amount of interest shown by channels for cricket in the country. It remains to be seen what happens next.

     

    The rights for the two series included Title Sponsorship Rights, Presenting Sponsorship Rights, Co Sponsorship Rights, Instadia Advertising Rights, Global Radio Broadcasting Rights and SMS and Wireless Mobile Telephony Rights.

     

    The Pakistan vs Australia series is to be held from October to November 2014 and the Pakistan vs New Zealand series was to be held from November to December 2014.

  • Seven3Sports bags the digital rights for Bundesliga 2014

    Seven3Sports bags the digital rights for Bundesliga 2014

    NEW DELHI: India’s leading sports company Seven3Sports has bagged the digital rights of the 52nd Season of Bundesliga. The new world champions, Germany, are fast moving towards becoming the new super-power house of Football.

     

    Starting from 22 August 2014, with the best of names from the football world, such as Mario Goetze, Thomas Muller, Aryan Roben, Toni Kroos, Manuel Neur, Bastin Schweinsteiger, Adrian Ramos, Robert Lewandowski and Mats Hummels, are roaring to start the new season of Budesliga. 

     

    After the success of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, that was broadcast by Seven3Sports across five Indian sub-continental and South Asian countries, acquiring digital rights for Bundesliga therefore came as a natural extension of the organisation’s services for the Indian Football fan base.

     

    Seven3Sports CEO and founder Jatin Ahluwalia said, “With inclusion of this undertaking to our portfolio, Seven3Sports is bringing a bouquet of diverse sports to its viewers. We are targeting to go beyond the conventional sports loved in India, introducing new experiences such as French Open in the past and now the Bundesliga. This will be an exciting new venture for us with the ultimate aim to provide live viewership to those who are always on the go.”

     

    Seven3Sports has established itself as a leading Sports Rights Company and has been associated with most of the major sporting events across the globe including French Open, 2014 FIFA World Cup and IPL to name a few. Keeping up with this momentum, through Bundesliga, Seven3Sports aims to bring about a surge in the Football viewership within the country.

     

    Seven3Sports has put together an exciting digital plan to bring Bundesliga closer to over a billion Indians, live on their mobile phones and internet screens. These digital rights cover mobile, internet, app, video on demand, live streaming on digital platform, highlight, audio commentary on mobile and internet besides anything you would like to power on digital platforms.

     

    Seven3Sports will bring about the technological innovation in a first of its sort German football experience packaged together to attract millions of unique users of internet and mobile in India in a never before engagement programme. Neo Sports is the official broadcast partner for the league in India. 

  • Delhi Dynamos goes to grassroots to nurture budding talent

    Delhi Dynamos goes to grassroots to nurture budding talent

    MUMBAI: In line with its philosophy of creating a difference in the sphere of sports, especially soccer, Delhi Dynamos Football Club announced the launch of a novel initiative to take football to the grassroots by tying up with schools of national capital region of Delhi.

     

    Under this programme, Delhi Dynamos will organize training camps and inter-school tournaments and create opportunities for the young generation. The campaign will kick start with the first ever Junior Dynamos Inter-School Championship, a seven-a-side football tournament, to be played in four zones of Delhi/NCR across three different age categories (U12, U14 and U17).
     

    The first leg of the junior championship will be played from 19–22 August at Jaypee Sports Complex, Greater Noida and Ajanta Public School, Gurgaon. It will feature the top schools from East Delhi, Noida, Greater Noida and Gurgaon. A week later, action will shift to DDA Sports Complex, Vasant Kunj and Ganga International School as the young prodigies from schools of central, south, north and west Delhi will showcase their football skills.

     

    The Zonal Champions of the Junior Dynamos Inter-School Championship would then get the opportunity to play at the Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium training ground as they face each other in a knockout format to seize the ultimate crown – The Junior Dynamos School Champion.

     

    Commenting on the Junior Dynamos program, Den Networks head new initiatives and Director Den Soccer Piyush Goyal said: “Aligning with schools is the best way to identify and promote talent and football is no exception. We are kick starting this elaborate campaign across NCR and four other cities in the very first edition of ISL .We have seen the passion for football growing by leaps and bounds. There is raw talent and energy in the youngsters and we are here to channelize this energy. I am confident that  with  guidance from top notch coaches, and our commitment, these players will surely make a mark at various levels including international tournaments.”

     

    While these players will attack and defend on the field, the Junior Dynamos Scouts will constantly analyse their performance to select the best 100 players (U14 and U17) to be trained under the Junior Dynamos Coaches for the next two-months on full scholarship. These young players will then play in the Junior Dynamos Elite League at JLN Stadium training ground during ISL match days.

     

    Based on the performance, Scouts would then select the top 30 players (U14) who would form the Delhi Dynamos Youth Team. The chosen stars will undergo a six month long training program under the Junior Dynamos Coaches on full scholarship. These players will represent Delhi Dynamos in Youth Leagues across India. Scouting exercise will also continue for the U17 FIFA World Cup 2017 – India Dream Team.

     

    With a mission to identify talented players and train them using international methods, the Club will also organise the Junior Dynamos Inter-School City Championship at Chandigarh, Dehradun, Jaipur and Kanpur in North India. These inter-school championships will be played in the months of September, October and November 2014.