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Category: Sports

  • ISL announces partners in its journey to revolutionise Indian football

    ISL announces partners in its journey to revolutionise Indian football

    MUMBAI: IMG Reliance and Star India promoted Indian Super League (ISL), under the aegis of All India Football Federation, on Sunday, 13 April reached a crucial junction on its path to rediscover Indian football, as it identifies and awards eight ‘League Partners’ across the country ahead of the proposed September-November 2014 inaugural season.

     

    Touted to be an unrivalled footballing tourney, the ISL – that is being planned under the Football Sports Development (FSD) – aims to ignite a revolution in the sport and ultimately enable Indian football to thrive and perform at the highest level on the international stage.

     

    “Today’s announcement is the culmination of several years of hard work and strategic planning,” said IMG chairman & chief executive and IMG Reliance chairman Michael Dolan in a statement. “We are enormously pleased at the level of interest the creation of the Indian Super League has generated. We believe the League signals the beginning of a new era in the development of football in India and, in the future, will be the source of great pride for the people of India.”

     

    ISL’s proposal for ‘League Partners’ received an overwhelming response from the business, sports and Hindi film industry, to own a team from the nine proposed cities in the contention. Four of the final eight cities – Delhi, Kochi, Guwahati and Bengaluru – will find itself in the mainstream football map of the country, which is traditionally being dominated by Kolkata, Goa, Pune and Mumbai, through the high-profile professional tournament.

     

    “Inspiring our nation to excel is a priority and comes naturally to us at Star India. With our expertise in marketing and production of sports content, our task is cut out to etch football in the sports culture of India,” said Star India CEO Uday Shankar. “The nation has been awaiting its second sport for far too long. And we’re delighted to collaborate with esteemed partners in the business and sports world to make that happen!”.

     

    The winning bids, which boast a good mix of corporates and celebrities, include – the Sun Group for Bengaluru; Sameer Manchanda led Den Network for Delhi; Venugopal Dhoot (Videocon), Dattaraj Salgaocar and Shrinivas V. Dempo for Goa; John Abraham & Shillong Lajong for Guwahati; Sachin Tendulkar & PVP Ventures for Kochi; Sourav Ganguly, Harshavardhan Neotia, Atletico Madrid, Sanjeev Goenka, Utsav Parekh for Kolkata, Bollywood’s Ranbir Kapoor and Bimal Parekh for Mumbai and Salman Khan together with Kapil Wadhawan and Dheeraj Wadhawan of the Wadhawan Group for Pune.

     

    “It is with great pride that I welcome the eight League Partners to the Indian Super League. We want to unlock the unbound aspirational energy of our youth through grassroots and community development programs,” said Nita M. Ambani. “Together, we will strive to build a vibrant ecosystem that will provide impetus to football in India. As Mentor of the League, I commit myself to development of football as a major sport for the youth of India.

     

    Ernst & Young, the designated international advisory firm, had the mandate of drawing up and validating the bid process. Each bidder was subject to strict eligibility norms and was required to submit the bids, as prescribed under the ‘Invitation to Bid’ document. Bids were evaluated by the jury panel in the presence of Ernst & Young representatives.

     

    The ISL represents a transformational progress for Indian football, progress that will be good for players, fans and the League Partners. It’s an opportunity to be part of one of the most exciting new properties in football anywhere in the world and Indian Federation, the AIFF has extended all its help for the success of the League.

     

    AIFF president Praful Patel said: “No period in India’s long and proud history in football is more exciting than today. This day will go down in memory as a special day for Indian football as eight high profile celebrities & corporates are being introduced into the sport through Indian Super League. With IMG Reliance & Star providing the perfect foundation, the League has become an unstoppable force which would change Indian football.”

     

    “I hope the grassroots’ obligation of the franchises gives a huge push to the development of the game. Along with the world class infrastructure that is being created for the Under 17 FIFA World Cup, and AIFF’s expression of interest to host 2015 and 2016 FIFA Club World Cup, Indian football is definitely turning a new leaf in its history,” he added.

     

    AIFF general secretary Kushal Das too is a firm believer of the fact that Indian football needs an innovative approach to amass popularity. “I have always believed Indian football needs an innovative and experimental format like Indian Super League to bring the fans back to the stadiums. Today, with the kind of owners and organisers that we have behind Indian Super League, we have the perfect recipe to a successful professional tournament. I wish the Indian Super League all the best.”

     

    Here is a closer look at the winning Bidders/Consortiums:

     

    A new Sun rises in the Garden City

    Bengaluru – Sun Group

     

    Sun Group is an Indian conglomerate, based in Chennai, India. Sun Group’s Sun TV Network is one of the largest media networks in India. It owns over thirty three television channels, 45 FM Radio Stations, Two Daily News Papers and Five Magazines with a reach of more than 95 million households in India. Sun Direct is one of the largest DTH service provider in the country having more than 9 million subscribers. Sun Pictures is the film division of Sun TV Network. The group is also present in the aviation business with SpiceJet and also owns IPL cricket team Sunrisers Hyderabad.

     

    Den to lay football Network in Delhi

    Delhi – Sameer Manchanda of Den Networks

     

    DEN Networks – led by Chairman and Managing Director Sameer Manchanda, is India’s largest cable TV distribution company serving 13 million homes in over 200 cities. Based in Delhi, DEN is a frontrunner of digitisation of Indian cable TV. DEN is also launching India’s fastest high speed broadband service with speeds of 100 Mbps and more. DEN aims to become the default destination for entertainment, information and interactivity for the Indian family.

     

    Goan sport to get Dempo, Salgaocar & Videocon’s push

    Goa – Salgaocar / Dempo / Videocon

     

    Dattaraj Salgaocar: His company has diverse interests in Mining, Hospitality, and Shipping. It exports over 4 million tonnes of Iron Ore every year. The company also runs the Goa Marriott and Hotel La Plaz Gardens in Goa.

     

    Dempo: Dempo Mining Corporation Limited is a prominent mining company from  Goa. Shrinivas V. Dempo is the chairman of Dempo Group. They are also the owners of Dempo Sports Club, popularly known as ‘the whites’ from Goa. The team has been a constant performer in all the national football championship and gained immense popularity in the last four decades of its existence. The team has several accolades and honours in its kitty. They have won the National Football League title in 2004 and 2006 and followed it with two I-League triumphs in 2006–07 and then in 2009–2010.

     

    Videocon: The group is a US $5 billion global conglomerate with a diversified set of products ranging from handsets, D2H, Electronic Appliance etc. The group has 17 manufacturing sites in India and plants in Mainland China, Poland, Italy and Mexico.

     

    John joins Lajong for Guwahati

    Guwahati – John Abraham and Shillong Lajong

     

    John Abraham: John Abraham is an established Bollywood actor, producer and former model. Known for his obsession for football, bikes and fitness, John is an avid follower of football and sports in general. He has bought a stake in Delhi team of Hockey India League.

     

    Shillong Lajong: Shillong Lajong is an I-league team based in Shillong. It was established in the year 1983. It was promoted to the 1st division of the I-League in the 2009-10 season. They have been associated with prominent brands such as Aircel and Adidas. The team plays its home matches in the Nehru Stadium in Shillong.

     

    God of cricket comes to ‘God’s own country’

    Kochi – Prasad V. Potluri of PVP Ventures & Sachin Tendulkar

     

    PVP is one of the largest investors of the country in media and entertainment industry and is listed on the BSE and the NSE. Prasad V Potluri, the known serial entrepreneur in the global outsourcing services space is the Chairman and MD of PVP Ventures. PVP was one of the bidders for Hyderbad team of IPL in 2012.

     

    Sachin Tendulkar: The batting maestro and a world renowned personality, also known as the God amongst his global fan base, will be associated with the team as its brand ambassador.

     

    Kolkata looks forward to Dadagiri in football

    Kolkata – Sourav Ganguly, Harshavardhan Neotia, Atletico Madrid, Sanjiv Goenka, Utsav Parekh

     

    Sourav Ganguly: Affectionately known as ‘Dada’, is a former Indian cricketer and captain of the Indian national team. Currently, a cricket commentator, Ganguly is regarded as one of India’s most successful captains in modern times. He is the 5th highest run scorer in ODIs and was the 3rd person in history to cross the 10,000 run landmark. In 2002, the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack ranked him the sixth greatest ODI batsman of all time.

     

    Atlético de Madrid: Spanish club based in Madrid that plays in the La Liga and has been the champions on 9 occasions. It is the third most supported club in Spain. They will be moving to a new stadium in the 2015 season which will have a capacity of 70,000 spectators. It is one of the biggest clubs in the world in terms of associates with more than 65,000 season ticket holders.

     

    Harshavardhan Neotia: Harshavardhan Neotia of Ambuja Neotia Group is one of the most prominent and respected businessman in India. The corporate houses headquartered in Kolkata has its forte in real estate and recent forays into hospitality, healthcare and education. The group has championed the cause of woman and child healthcare by setting up Bhagiarthi Neotia Woman & Child Care Centre in Kolkata.

     

    Sanjiv Goenka:  Sanjiv Goenka of RP – Sanjiv Goenka Group from Kolkata is a prominent businessman in India having interest in Power business in the city and national network of modern Retail chains across country.

     

    Utsav Parekh:  Utsav Parekh has been Non-Executive-Non-Independent Chairman at SMIFS Capital Markets Ltd. since April 1, 2009. Mr. Parekh has about 25 years of in-depth experience in merchant banking and financial services.

     

    Mumbai Wakes Up to Sid’s passion

    Mumbai – Ranbir Kapoor & Bimal Parekh

     

    Ranbir Kapoor is one of the leading Indian film actor of the current generation. Through his successful career in Hindi (Bollywood) films, he has become one of the highest-paid actors and one of the most high-profile celebrities in India. He is the recipient of several awards and nominations including five Filmfare Awards. Kapoor is the son of actors Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh, and the grandson of actor-director Raj Kapoor. He began his career in Bollywood as an assistant director on Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s 2005 film Black and later turned actor to give many a hit movies year on year. A keen follower of football and an avid fan of FC Barcelona, Ranbir is often seen on the maidans of Mumbai playing football with his co-stars and friends when he is not shooting.

     

    Bimal Parekh: Bimal Parekh is a renowned Chartered Accountant from Mumbai.

     

    Pune will play its football Dabang style

    Pune – Salman Khan, Kapil Wadhawan & Dheeraj Wadhawan

     

    Kapil & Dheeraj Wadhawan: Kapil Wadhawan is the Chairman and Dheeraj Wadhawan is the Vice Chairman of the Rajesh Wadhawan Group, which has diverse business interests including financial services, food retail, hospitality, education and real estate. Sport development has been a major focus area of the Wadhawan family, which believes in taking sport to the grassroots level, thus enabling access for India’s young to good quality sporting activities and infrastructure. Over the years, Wadhawan Group has been associated with sports – especially cricket – either as sponsors or team owners.

     

    Salman Khan: Salman Khan is an Indian actor, producer, television presenter, and philanthropist. Known as the actor with mass appeal, Salman is the promoter of ‘Being Human Foundations’. He has appeared in the highest grossing film nine separate years during his career, a record that remains unbroken. He has starred in more than 80 Hindi films and thus far and has established himself as a leading actor of Hindi cinema.

     

    Leveraging the strengths of all its partners, the Indian Super League envisions creating new football powerhouses in this part of the world, which will rise to global prominence as the country and the sport further develops.

  • IPL 2014 gets a special advisor in Deepak Parekh

    IPL 2014 gets a special advisor in Deepak Parekh

    MUMBAI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), at the instance of BCCI-IPL interim president Sunil Gavaskar has appointed Deepak Parekh as his special advisor, for the 2014 season of the Pepsi Indian Premier League (IPL). Parekh will be a special invitee to the governing council meetings of the IPL. 

     

    Parekh is the chairman of Housing Development Finance Corporation, one of India’s leading housing finance company, and is also on the boards of many Indian and international corporates. He also happens to be an avid cricket follower, and his management skills are well documented.

     

    “I am delighted that Deepak has accepted my invitation to come on board as a special advisor and special invitee to the Indian Premier League governing council. It is apt that an individual of the calibre of Parekh will be joining the BCCI-IPL’s leadership group. With a diverse combination of skills and experience, this appointment will result in a well-rounded senior management team at the IPL – one that will set the direction for a better and bigger league,” Gavaskar said in a statement.

     

    Parekh has been dubbed as the unofficial crisis consultant of the government. His role as special director on the Satyam Board in 2009, to revive the company and restore the confidence in the Indian IT industry, was greatly acknowledged.  He has always been willing to share his ideas and experience to formulate reform policies across sectors. This, at times, has also meant advising the government to take hard decisions. It is this quality of being a trouble-shooter that has made him a guiding force and an active member of various high-powered economic groups, government-appointed advisory committees and task forces.

     

    “We are pleased to have Deepak Parekh in our team. His expertise will enable us to deliver a memorable IPL,” said IPL governing council chairman Ranjib Biswal. 

    Accepting his appointment, Parekh added: “I am excited to be invited to be a part of the IPL. I look forward to fulfilling this challenging new role on the IPL’s senior leadership team as an advisor to Gavaskar, as we look to strengthen the Indian Premier League.”

     

    The government and industry, impressed by Parekh’s performance and sobriety, have honoured him with several awards. Some of the most important ones are; the Padma Bhushan in 2006, and the “Knight in the Order of the Legion of Honour,” one of the highest distinctions conferred by the French Republic, in 2010. He was the first international recipient of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales’ Outstanding Achievement Award, in 2010.

  • Sony Six to broadcast Redbull Air Race World Championship

    Sony Six to broadcast Redbull Air Race World Championship

    MUMBAI: Sticking to its promise of providing its viewers with a diverse offering of sports; Sony Six, has acquired the broadcasting rights to the Red Bull Air Race World Championship.

     

    Being one of the fastest and most exciting motorsport on the planet, the event will feature on the channel possessing sole television rights across the subcontinent. The acquisition also marks the inaugural broadcast of the series for the first time ever across Indian television screens. As the onset to the sport going live for Indian viewers, the series leads to its maiden visit to Croatia this Sunday 13 April 2014.

     

    Speaking to indiantelevision.com Sony Six business head Prasana Krishnan says: “This is a great opportunity for sports fans to witness something that has never been telecast before on Indian screens. We look at it as an essential addition to our diverse sports offering.”

     

    The fastest and fiercest global motorsport series, Red Bull Air Race utilises the most agile, lightweight racing planes. This one-of-its-kind air sport combines speed, precision and skill, as the competing pilot’s race in high-performance airplanes, between 15 and 25 meters above the ground, navigating a challenging obstacle course of Air Gate pylons at speeds of up to 370kph.

     

    “It’s a great lifestyle product to have on board, and it serves the aspirational quotient in sports enthusiast. Everyone likes fast sports like a Moto GP and a Formula One, we are targeting those individuals with this event,” adds Krishnan.

     

    The World Championship features 12 pilots from across the globe. The reigning champion from the last world championship Paul Bonhomme of the United Kingdom is also in the mix and will be looking to defend his title.

     

    An exciting feature of the 2014 Red Bull Air Race World Championship is the debut of the Challenger Cup that will give a new generation of talented pilots from around the world a chance to experience the thrills of the sport.

     

    The Roving race is set to be an electrifying follow-up to the season opener in Abu Dhabi and ardent followers of the Red Bull Air Race will be able to catch the action unfold exclusively on Six at 07:30 pm on 13 April.

  • Affiliate sales VP leaving ESPN Star Sports

    Affiliate sales VP leaving ESPN Star Sports

    After five years with ESPN Star Sports, Simon Yu, ESPN STAR Sports’ senior vice-president, affiliate sales, will be moving on to take on new and different challenges in his career.

     

    In a mutual agreement with the company, Yu will not be renewing his contract come 30 June.

     

    Yu joined ESPN Asia in 1993 before the company’s joint venture with Star TV in 1996. Yu is one of three people who started the distribution of ESPN in Asia. After the joint venture of ESPN and Star Sports, Yu c

  • ICC honchos meeting culminates in Dubai

    ICC honchos meeting culminates in Dubai

    MUMBAI: The International Cricket Council met on Wednesday at the ICC headquarters in Dubai for the second of its scheduled quarterly meetings of 2014. The Board discussed a range of issues, including reports from the ICC chief executives’, audit, finance and commercial affairs, among other plans.

    The two day meeting that ended today resulted in some very important announcements regarding the schedule for 2014 as well as the coming years.

    Meritocratic pathway for Test cricket

    The ICC Board approved the introduction of an ICC Test Challenge which will take place every four years between the lowest ranked Test team and the winner of the ICC Intercontinental Cup.

    The proposal is that the 10th ranked side on the Reliance ICC Test Team Rankings on 31 December 2017, or at the conclusion of any series in progress at that time, will play two five-day matches at home and two five-day matches away against the winner of the upcoming ICC Intercontinental Cup, with the inaugural Challenge scheduled to take place during 2018.

    In the next eight years, two ICC Intercontinental Cup tournaments are planned with the first to run from 2015 to 2017 and the second to be held between 2019 and 2021.  The second ICC Test Challenge is scheduled for 2022.

    ICC chief executive David Richardson said: “The ICC Test Challenge now opens the door for Associate Members to play Test cricket and in doing so gives even greater context to the ICC Intercontinental Cup which will now be a pathway to Test cricket.”

    ICC reform of governance and financial models

    Further to the resolutions passed at the ICC Board meeting in Singapore on 8 February 2014, the ICC Board members agreed a long-term work plan to support the implementation of those resolutions which do not require constitutional change.

    At the same time the ICC Board authorised the drawing up of the necessary constitutional amendments which will be placed before the Full Council at the ICC Annual Conference to be held in Melbourne at the end of June.

    One of the cornerstones of the new financial model is an extended Future Tours Programme (FTP) which will now run until 2023.

    Richardson explained: “The FTP is a very important piece of work as it gives Members long-term certainty in relation to both their playing schedule and financial planning. Significant progress has been made but there is still work to be done to develop a balanced calendar of tours and finalise these agreements.”

    ICC World Twenty20 Bangladesh 2014

    The ICC Board thanked the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) for the successful staging of the ICC World Twenty20 Bangladesh 2014 and praised the Bangladesh government, security agencies and the general public for their contributions and support. The ICC Board also congratulated Sri Lanka for winning the men’s title and Australia’s women for completing a hat-trick of titles.

    ICC president Alan Isaac said: “The ICC World Twenty20 Bangladesh 2014 was an extremely successful event which was thoroughly enjoyed by the players, officials, spectators and media. A lot of credit must be given to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the ICC team for putting up a memorable show.”

    “The event helped Bangladesh enhance its infrastructure in Dhaka and Chittagong and develop a new international venue in Sylhet.  Sri Lanka’s triumph means the event has produced five different men’s champions in as many editions. The encouraging performances of the Associate Members and their successes over the Full Members clearly reflect that the ICC World Twenty20 is the most open tournament on the ICC calendar,” he added.

    Format and qualification process for the ICC World Twenty20 2016

    Following the success of the ICC World Twenty20 Bangladesh 2014, the ICC Board agreed that the same format be retained for the ICC World Twenty20 events in 2016, which will be staged in India.

    For the 2016 event, the top eight Full Members on the Reliance ICC T20I Team Rankings as on 30 April 2014 will automatically qualify for the second round, while the ninth and 10th ranked Full Members will get automatic places in the first round. The six qualifiers will progress from the 14-team ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier 2015, which will be staged in Ireland and Scotland from 9 July to 2 August 2015 during which a total of 51 matches will be played.

    ICC Cricket Committee

    The Board ratified the appointment of Australia coach Darren Lehmann and the West Indies coach Ottis Gibson as the representatives of national coaches on the ICC Cricket Committee following the completion of former India and South Africa coach Gary Kirsten’s term.

    Other updates

    The ICC Board also considered a general update on anti-corruption and integrity while the IDI Board received a report from the Finance & Commercial Affairs Committee which included updates on the commercial rights post-2015, Host and Members’ Participation Agreements for the next commercial rights cycle, online piracy, event forecasts and audited financial statements for 2013.

    The next ICC and IDI Board meetings will take place during the ICC Annual Conference week in Melbourne in June 2014.

  • WWE legend Ultimate Warrior passes away

    WWE legend Ultimate Warrior passes away

    MUMBAI: In a rude shock to the WWE universe, news broke that the latest and much deserved inductee to the Hall of Fame class of 2014, The Ultimate Warrior is no more.

     

    A press statement from the company said: “WWE is shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the passing of one of the most iconic WWE Superstars ever, The Ultimate Warrior.”

     

    Warrior began his WWE career in 1987 and quickly went on to become one of the biggest stars in WWE history. Warrior became WWE Champion at WrestleMania VI, defeating Hulk Hogan in an epic encounter.

     

    “We are grateful that just days ago, Warrior had the opportunity to take his rightful place in the WWE Hall of Fame and was also able to appear at WrestleMania 30 and Monday Night Raw to address his legions of fans. WWE sends its sincere condolences to Warrior’s family, friends and fans,” the release added.

     

    Death is always a sobering topic to deal with. In Warrior’s case, however, it was his final public appearance – eerily serving as own eulogy – on Monday Night Raw and a quote that will forever send chills down the spines, “Every man’s heart one day beats it final beat. His lungs breathe their final breath.”

     

    Warrior was 54 and is survived by his wife Dana and his two daughters.

  • Max announces anchors for ‘Extraaa Innings’

    Max announces anchors for ‘Extraaa Innings’

    MUMBAI: The Pepsi IPL is more than just a cricketing tournament. It is about entertainment as well as the game. And to keep the excitement alive, Extraaa Innings T20, the match analysis show has returned.

     

    Sony Max and Six, the official broadcasters of the Pepsi IPL 2014 have once again roped in Archana Vijaya and Shibani Dandekar to host Extraaa Innings T20. The duo along with male hosts, Samir Kochhar and Gaurav Kapur will bring analysis, excitement and a whole lot of fun for the viewers across the country.

     

    A vibrant, vivacious and effervescent set has been designed for the show. The set is a palate of myriad colours that signifies a cathedral of cricket for cricket fans. The arrangement is integrated with towering arches, heritage artwork and wall-paintings of the cricketers that resemble a larger-than-life set up for a program that showcases the biggest T20 festival in the world.

     

    Commenting on the show, MAX executive VP and business head Neeraj Vyas said, “Extraaa Innings T20 has always engaged and attracted audiences across age groups and regions, be it true cricket enthusiasts or viewers who look forward for the entertainment quotient , EI T20 possesses a perfect blend of both. We are very happy that Archana Vijaya and Shibani Dandekar are back to add to the glam quotient along with the proficient anchors Samir Kochhar and Gaurav Kapur.”

     

    Being a part of Max Extraaa Innings T20 once again, an elated Vijaya said “The Pepsi IPL is the home of cricket and entertainment and therefore when Max approached me to host the tournament it was right up my alley. We as hosts help bring cricket and entertainment to the fans and I don’t think there is any better platform than the IPL.”

     

    Dandekar added, “IPL is the biggest sporting and entertainment event of the year and it is great to be a part of it. Therefore, it was a no brainer when the chance came to host Extraaa Innings. Being out there in the stadium with the atmosphere, the ambience, the vibe and being so close to the action is something that anyone would love to do and we are very lucky to do that.” When questioned about her thoughts on the marketing campaign ‘Bulaava Aaya Hai’ and the rapidly getting popular collar-up mnemonic ‘Buckram’, she said , “I’m very excited about it and I’ll encourage the winning team to give interviews with their collar up and will urge the fans of the IPL to watch the matches with their collar up too.”

     

    Commenting on his association with Extraaa Innings T20, Kapur said, “I have been a huge fan of cricket since the age of 5 and on the other hand I also love watching live television. Hosting Extraaa Innings is like two of my favourite things coming together so I am always thrilled and excited to take on this role.”

     

    Similarly, Kochhar said, “I have been the part of IPL since its inception. After hosting the first season I fell in love with it and since then there has been no looking back. I am very fortunate to be a part of such a great property and look forward to another splendid season”. Talking about the ‘Bulaava Aaya Hai’ campaign he says, “Buckram is the new word of this season. I would want all the cricket fans to put up their collar and watch the IPL in style.”

     

    That’s not all! Max will also bring forth to the viewer’s an in-depth analysis in Hindi with comments from the expert panel which includes cricket stalwarts like Navjot Singh Sidhu with his inimitable ‘Siddhuisms’  along with the inevitable Ajay Jadeja. For the first time ever former Pakistan captain and coach Waqar Younis will be associated with the show along with the regulars like Ramiz Raja, Arun Lal and Isa Guha.

  • WrestleMania XXX: The Undertaker’s streak ends…

    WrestleMania XXX: The Undertaker’s streak ends…

    MUMBAI: The most anticipated event of World Wrestling Entertainment – WrestleMania – always springs a few surprises and leaves the audience spellbound with the shear grandeur and glitz around the ‘Super Bowl of Wrestling’.   

    But very few would have expected such a shocker, in what could be termed as the end of an era. Seeing The Undertaker actually lose at WrestleMania is going to be a talking point for months, but Bryan’s win begins the “YES’ title reign.

    WrestleMania XXX host Hulk Hogan kicked off the festivities as he transported thousands of fans to their childhood, only to hear The Rattle Snake’s – Stone Cold Steve Austin – theme music play and it sent the fans into a frenzy; he was soon followed by Miami’s own Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. They blew people’s minds by standing in the same ring together. It was the biggest star of the 1980s with the most popular performers of the 1990s Attitue Era and into the new millennium. The cross-generational moment set the tone for the evening’s proceedings with the coolest beer bash in history.

    The stage was set to witness Daniel Bryan fight for a title opportunity against the King of Kings – Triple H – who appeared in “Game of Thrones” style on a throne. The Game always has some of the most epic entrances at WrestleMania over the years and this year was no different.

    This match could well be termed as the biggest opening match in WrestleMania history. It had to be scheduled to also give either one of the winners get some time to recuperate for the Triple Threat WWE World Heavyweight match. If my memory serves right it was way back in 1994 in WrestleMania X, which saw Owen Hart take on Bret Hart for best opener in the grand event’s storied history.

    Bryan triumphed against all odds and qualified for the main event title match. WWE must be commended for such a great script for the ‘Biggest Underdog Story’. The match had ring psychology, brawling and to add to the mix Stephanie McMahon standing ringside to support her COO husband. Post the defeat the frustrated authorities berated him verbally and physically even as Triple H destroyed Bryan’s already injured arm/shoulder.

    Next-up, The Shield squared-off against Kane and The New Age Outlaws. This match was made for The Shield to settle the score with Kane, who had trouble taming ‘The Hounds of Justice’, and thus used his authoritative powers to punish them. The Shield made easy work of this match as Ambrose and Rollins hit dual suicide dives on The Outaws and then Reigns hits a Spear on Kane and a double Spear on the Outlaws followed by both Outlaws given the Triple Powerbomb at the same time, to win.

    Next on the slate was the inaugural Andre the Giant 30-Man Memorial Battle Royal, which saw Big Show make the first entrance in a one strap singlet as an homage to Andre. Other big men Brodus Clay and Khali were eliminated early on. And Big Show eliminated Mark Henry from the match. After random eliminations every 15-20 seconds to get things down to about half of what we started with. Fandango gets the crowd Fandangoing on the apron until Sheamus hits him with so many shots to the chest that he can just lightly push him off the apron to the floor.

    Carrying on, Cesaro hits Rey with a big uppercut as he is coming back into the ring to eliminate him from the match. Ziggler takes a huge uppercut, followed by Kofi barely saving himself from elimination by keeping his toes on the steps as he lands on the floor. Cesaro then swings Kofi around dozens of times before walking right into a Chokeslam from Big Show. Sheamus eliminates Kofi with a kick and Ziggler gets tossed out by Del Rio.

    The field is down to Cesaro, Del Rio, Sheamus and Big Show. Sheamus and Del Rio eliminate each other to leave it to Cesaro and Show. Cesaro starts nailing uppercuts and clotheslines and even comes off the top rope to only jump into a big slap to the chest. What followed left everyone speechless; Cesaro just picks Big Show up and drops him over the top rope like he it was nothing and is handed the ‘HUGE’ trophy of the inaugural Andre the Giant 30-Man Memorial Battle Royal.

    The festivities took a spooky turn as John Cena readies for his encounter with Bray Wyatt. Not much was expected of this face-off, and Cena picked up the pin fall victory over Wyatt.

    The match to follow was something that every WWE fan eagerly awaits, as for the past 21 years The Undertaker has remained unbeaten at the grandest stage of them all. The Phenom walked into the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, ready to win again. He was flanked by 21 caskets, all labeled with the names of the fighters he had ‘put to rest’ in the past 21 years of WrestleMania. There was even a 22nd labeled Brock Lesnar – who he was about to fight.

    As the match progressed The Undertaker attempted to slam Brock with a second tombstone (and his throat-slashing gesture), but the beast countered and took The Undertaker up onto his shoulders. The Dead Man then was slammed, flat on his face with a thunderous F-5. Needless to say, in a final 1-2-3 count, the streak was over – and the crowd was shocked. The Superdome went silent in complete disbelief that they had just witnessed the end of an era.

    Introducing a loss that no one saw coming helps keep fans on the edge of their seat and interest high. There is no doubt this match will accomplish those feats. Still, this streak was an event in itself. It generated interest in every WrestleMania, and The Undertaker’s matches have been a perennial highlight. If the WWE was going to take this marketing tool away from itself, it should have done so in a way it could regularly build upon for the next year, and not with a part-timer in Brock Lesnar.

    To cool things down the Divas were called upon for AJ Lee’s title defense match. All 14 women are in the ring at once and it’s once fall to a finish. All the Divas try to pile on AJ and then they break up into separate fights. Several covers happen at once and everyone kicks out at once. Every Diva hits a move on each other one after the other. But AJ ends up retaining the title after making Naomi tap out to the Black Widow.

    Now all that is left is the final match of the night. After having qualified for this match after defeating the ‘King of Kings’, a battered and bruised Daniel Bryan was geared up to take on Batista and the champion Randy Orton in a Triple Threat title match.

    The match shapes up as it was supposed to, with all three fighting it out to come out a winner. In the end stages Bryan hits the running knee to Orton and Batista throws Bryan out of the ring to steal the pin, but Orton kicks out. Then, Batista hits Orton with the Batista bomb only to be hit with the running knee by Bryan. He locks in the Yes Lock and Batista taps.

    The crowd erupts as Bryan’s epic journey to the title finally comes to a close. What a great moment for a truly deserving wrestler.

    He has had one of the most epic journeys in the business. He clawed his way from the bottom through lesser known wrestling outfits and became a fan favourite. His story of becoming the biggest thing in the WWE with his ‘YES’ movement has certainly paid off, with this title win at WrestleMania XXX.

    Confetti rain from the rafters as Bryan celebrates an amazing win. We all knew it was coming, but seeing it come true is something totally different.

    What a night of ups and downs. This Mania will have people talking for a long time.

  • IndiaWin Sports clarifies Mumbai Indians is not a bidder in ISL

    IndiaWin Sports clarifies Mumbai Indians is not a bidder in ISL

    MUMBAI: The curiosity around the Indian Super League football seems to be building with the organisers having received positive responses from many interested parties. It was in keeping with this that the deadline for submitting the bid documents had been extended by two days to 26 and 27 March.

     

    While there has been much speculation around who all could be vying to own the eight city franchises; there have been rumours that IndiaWins Sports – owner of the IPL franchise Mumbai Indians – allegedly bid for the Mumbai team as it also happens to be a ‘League Partner’ for the city.

     

    IndiaWin Sports released a press statement saying: “We have received several media queries over the last few days on whether we have bid for a franchise in the Indian Super League. Most of these queries are specific to the interest Mumbai Indians ‘must’ have in being a ‘League Partner’ for the city of Mumbai.”

     

    “IndiaWin Sports, which owns the IPL franchise Mumbai Indians, wishes to state that we have not bid for a franchise in the upcoming Indian Super League,” the statement added.

     

    The Indian Super League certainly provides a promising opportunity for a sports brand to develop unique connect, brand extension and value creation. “However adhering to the highest standards of corporate governance and transparency, and in the larger interest of the sport, the management at IndiaWin Sports had taken a conscious decision not to participate in the bidding process,” the statement further said.

     

    ISL aims to be India’s next major sports property. Having put in place the foundational structure, it is now at the homestretch identifying the ‘League Partners’ who will form the pillar of this professional league.

     

    Eight committed team owners (to be known as League Partners) will be selected as per a sophisticated evaluated criteria encompassing financial and developmental parameters. The league aims to unlock the aspirational energy in the youth, build a stage for talents and teams to flourish, co-create a vibrant ecosystem, and make the sport a national mission by giving much – needed impetus to the game of football.

    Some of the big names from the country’s corporate world, Bollywood biggies and present sports team owners have shown keen interest to be part of the tourney.   

     
    The league was to begin in January but had to be postponed owing to issues like scheduling and lack of a window.  

     

    The winning bids announcement will take place in the second week of April. Ernst & Young, the advisory firm, has been entrusted the responsibility of evaluating the bid documents.

  • Indian leg of the IPL to begin from 2 May

    Indian leg of the IPL to begin from 2 May

    MUMBAI: There is good news for Indian cricket fans, who were left disheartened after the news hit that the first 20 matches of this edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will kick-off in UAE.

     

    IPL is set to return to Indian shores on 2 May for the remaining 36 matches, including four play-offs, which will be played in the home-leg.

     

    The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after having successive discussions with the authorities at home, decided that the IPL can be played at home beginning from 2 May. The first leg of the IPL will be held in UAE from 16 to 30 April due to the general elections in India.

     

    In the home-leg, each franchise will play nine matches and five of the eight teams will be playing at least four matches in their home stadium.

     

    Chennai Super Kings will play two matches at Ranchi, while Kings XI Punjab will play two games at Cuttack. Rajasthan Royals will play four matches at Ahmedabad. There will be no matches on 1 May and 17 May.

     

    The schedule of the UAE leg has also been tweaked to suit the franchises. The evening match slated for 26 April in Abu Dhabi, between Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), will now be designated as a home match for the Knight Riders and the 28 April match in Dubai, between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and KXIP, will be designated as a home game for Kings team.

     

    “Following on from the launch of ticket sales for the UAE leg today (3 April), I am pleased that we are now able to confirm the dates for the rest of the season,” said BCCI-IPL interim president Sunil Gavaskar in a press statement.

     

    “It is great news that the fans back home in India will be able to watch a large part of the Pepsi IPL 2014. Given the various challenges and the logistical complexities, we have spent a considerable amount of time in crafting a balanced schedule,” he added.

     

    IPL governing council chairman Ranjib Biswal said, “We are delighted to have the season back in India at the start of May. Organising an event of this scale at multiple venues in two countries is an enormous organisational undertaking and we are very grateful to the Government of India, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the police authorities in the various states for their support.”

     

    Hosting IPL involves elaborate planning on several fronts, logistics included and it is critical that there is surety on the availability of the match venues, for a tournament of this magnitude. The BCCI has tried to work with various franchises and stakeholders to get confirmations to host matches in the cities.

    The Rajasthan Royals have indicated to the BCCI that they are pleased to play their four home matches of the India leg of the 2014 season, at Ahmedabad, to avoid any uncertainty to their home matches. KXIP and CSK will be playing some of their home matches outside Mohali and Chennai respectively, due to non-availability of their home venue, for a large portion of May 2014.

    Looks like the IPL will continue to look at as many venues as possible to play the tournament in forthcoming seasons, and that’s a good sign for smaller states and regions to come to the forefront.