ITV

Category: Sports

  • The stage is set for WrestleMania XXX

    The stage is set for WrestleMania XXX

    MUMBAI: The biggest and grandest event from World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is here with a bang. This time around WrestleMania XXX is taking place at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Sunday in New Orleans.

     

    Estimates of 70,000 people are expected to attend the main event on Sunday, while 125,000 take in all the events surrounding the wrestling spectacle. The ‘Super Bowl of Wrestling’ will be hosted by the WWE legend Hulk Hogan and there are also rumors doing rounds of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and Stone Cold Steve Austin being a part of the mega event.

     

    The Rock appeared at last year’s ‘Mania, being defeated by John Cena in a rematch of the previous year’s show. But Austin has not appeared at the biggest pay-per-view since 2011. And we’re guessing he wouldn’t fly all the way across the country to NOT Stone Cold stun some jabroni… and that’s the bottom line.

     

    And they are not the only big names that could be at this weekend’s big ticket event. There is a high possibility of Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels and Roddy Piper also being involved at some point during the Mania. 

    But before the Sunday action begins, the wrestlers – current and former – will be seen in their best suits and gowns on Saturday night to witness the ‘Hall of Fame’ induction ceremony from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. This time around the list of inductees include Mr. T., Jake “The Snake” Roberts, the Ultimate Warrior, Razor Ramon, Lita, Paul Bearer and Carlos Colon.

    Coming to the Mania itself now, the show looks set to focus on nostalgia, with the inaugural Andre the Giant battle royal being held. And of course, The Undertaker is again returning to defend his 21-0 streak, this time against former MMA bruiser and the beast, Brock Lesnar.

    The following matches are scheduled to take place this Sunday at the 30th edition of WrestleMania:-

     

    Undertaker vs Brock Lesnar

     

    This story has changed from week to week but it’s settled on a great angle. Undertaker has struggled more and more to keep the streak alive as the years have gone by, after marathon battles with Shawn Michaels and Triple H. The story is well scripted with Brock ‘the beast’ Lesnar having slaughtered both the wrestlers earlier. Let’s see if the company really wants to end the streak of the phenom this Sunday.

     

    Randy Orton vs Batista vs the winner of the Triple H vs. Daniel Bryan in a Triple Threat for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship

     

    Batista won the Royal Rumble and Orton has been rolling around insecure about his being the face of WWE for long. The thing about this is neither of them is on solid footing right now because the really hot feud is the Bryan vs Triple H match that will culminate at this event earlier in the night. The winner will be inserted into this match and the result will certainly be something interesting.

     

    The 30-Man Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal

     

    This is the inaugural event at WrestleMania and will feature 30 wrestlers in an old fashioned over the top sope battle royal. So far, here’s who has been announced to be a part of this segment: The Miz, Goldust, Cody Rhodes, Heath Slater, Drew McIntyre, Jinder Mahal, Sheamus, Christian, Titus O’Neil, Big Show, Damien Sandow, Big E, Curtis Axel, Fandango, Dolph Ziggler, Alberto Del Rio and Mark Henry.

     

    John Cena vs Bray Wyatt

     

    This match is like those dishes on a menu card which don’t really matter and are never really ordered but just act as fillers. For WWE to really slate such a match for John Cena on the grandest stage of them all is hard to believe.

     

    Other matches include: The Shield vs Kane and New Age Outlaws in a six-man tag; The Uso Brothers vs Ryback and Curtis Axel vs The Real Americans vs Los Matadores in a four-way for the WWE Tag Team Championship and finally, A.J. Lee will defend her WWE Divas Championship in a single-fall match against Naomi, Cameron, Brie Bella, Nikki Bella, Natalya, Eva Marie, Emma, Aksana, Alicia Fox, Summer Rae, Rosa Mendes, Layla and her ‘bodyguard’ Tamina in a single-fall match for the WWE Divas Championship.

     

    Indian fans can catch the action exclusively on Ten Sports on Monday 7 April at 6:00 pm, just a day after WrestleMania XXX takes place live in New Orleans.

  • Indian Badminton League to commence from 30 September

    Indian Badminton League to commence from 30 September

    MUMBAI: The second edition of the Indian Badminton League (IBL) will be held from 30 September to 15 October, the IBL Governing Council said on Monday as reported by PTI.

     

    The governing council has decided to allow franchisees to increase the team strength from 11 in the first year to 13 players. Each franchisee can pick two more players – Indian or foreign – which will further intensify the competition.

     

    “Badminton competition at the 2014 Asian Games gets over on the 29th of September, 2014. Players can directly fly-in from Incheon for the league,” said the Badminton Association of India president and IBL Governing Council chairman, Dr Akhilesh Das Gupta.

     

    “Last year, too, players had reached Delhi directly from Guangzhou, China, after taking part in the World Badminton Championships. This period ensures us the right opportunity to have world’s best players for the IBL, which already has created a buzz the world over,” he added.

     

    Dr Das Gupta, who is also a member of the Badminton World Federation (BWF) executive council and a vice-president at the Badminton Asia Confederation, said: “BWF is very impressed with the IBL and want to know more about it. They consider India a very important country and what can get bigger than the fact that the BWF Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held here during the Thomas and Uber Cup.”

     

    The first edition of the IBL, held between 14 and 31 August, 2013, was won by PVP Ventures-owned Hyderabad Hotshots. The team captain Saina Nehwal had remained unconquered in all the seven matches on her way to the title triumph.

     

    “Following the success of the inaugural IBL, many top players are already approaching us for this year’s event. To ensure that world’s best are available for IBL 2014, the IBL Governing Council has decided to make the most of this window,” said Sporty Solutionz chief exectuive, Ashish Chadha.

     

    The league will be played in six Indian cities – Delhi, Lucknow, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad and Bengaluru.

  • The Indian ‘Paisa’ League

    The Indian ‘Paisa’ League

    What began as a fledgling franchise in 2008 is today a world-renowned property with brand value pegged at $3.03 billion in 2013 and the highest at $4.13 billion in 2010.

     

    The Indian Premier League (IPL) – the fallout of an altercation between the board of control for cricket in India (BCCI) and the now-defunct Indian Cricket League (ICL) – has transformed cricket into an enterprise.

     

    An American Appraisal India report – based on a survey of 300 key participants of the IPL ecosystem including team managements, sponsors, advertisers, advertising agencies and broadcasters – found 57 per cent of the respondents saying that their advertising budgets towards IPL had either risen or remained constant over the last five years. Whereas only 14 per cent of the respondents said they had actually cut their ad spends on IPL over the past five years. Over 52 per cent of the respondents also said that franchise-led sponsorships could be between Rs 15 crore to Rs 75 crore per season.

     

    According to the report, Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians have emerged as the most powerful brands valued at $72 million each, followed by Kolkata Knight Riders ($69 million), and Royal Challengers Bangalore ($51 million). Rajasthan Royals ($45 million) and Delhi Daredevils ($40 million) are somewhere in the middle, with Kings XI Punjab ($32 million) and Sunrisers Hyderabad ($25 million) at the bottom of the pile.

     

    While each team is trying to claw its way back with operational improvements, trust flows with stakeholders will eventually determine the health of IPL’s long-term liquidity and profitability. For the current eight teams to sustain, their short-term operational movements need to be aligned with their strategic plans for the tourney.

     

    Further, the report estimates the merchandising valuation of IPL at $40 million, as compared to $2 billion for Spain’s La Liga. Despite having a population which is 25 times larger and an economy which is at least 25 per cent larger than that of Spain, India’s IPL is only two per cent of Spain’s La Liga in terms of merchandising. The reason is piracy and the availability of counterfeit products apart from the fact that the prices of original IPL merchandise are quite high from an Indian point of view.

     

    While there is a huge potential for the merchandising market to grow, the report also predicts it will grow ten-fold by 2020 – from $40 million to $400 million.

     

    Coming to broadcasters in the IPL universe, the tourney is currently in its seventh edition and will continue its long-standing association with Multi Screen Media (MSM), the official broadcaster of IPL, after Sony coughed up nearly $1 billion for a period of 10 years in 2008. Between 2008 and 2012, DLF was the sponsoring partner ($50 million) while from 2013 to 2017; Pepsi won the title sponsorship for a bid of nearly $66.5 million, beating its closest rival in Airtel.

     

    For the seventh edition, MSM’s two channels – Sony Max and Sony Six – have already started their Pepsi IPL campaign. The network is reportedly hiking its ad rates by 15-20 per cent and expects the revenue generated to be anywhere between Rs 900 – Rs 950 crore, despite the reduction in the number of matches played from 76 to 60. The broadcaster is learnt to have floated rates in the range of Rs 4.75- Rs 5 lakh per 10-second spots, and expects to increase them as the tourney gathers momentum.

     

    As far as viewers go, IPL’s reach was pegged at over 200 million viewers in 2013, as against about 163 million viewers in 2012. The total viewership in 2013 has been 2.6 per cent, up from the 2.2 per cent in 2012. Correspondingly, MSM earned Rs 750 crore in ad revenues in 2012 and upped it to Rs 950 crore in 2013, according to FICCI KPMG 2014.

  • Sunny Days for Indian Cricket

    Sunny Days for Indian Cricket

    The Supreme Court’s (SC) latest judgement in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) versus petitioners Bihar Cricket Association case has kept the Indian cricket fan upmost in mind. BCCI president N Srinivasan has to make way for legendary cricketer Sunil “Sunny” Gavaskar who will act as the interim president for the duration of the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) seventh edition.

     

    It is obvious that the SC has taken this decision to re-instil faith in the average Indian cricket fan who was disillusioned by the murky happenings viz. spot fixing and illegal betting by key members of a few franchisees of the IPL. Over the past six seasons the blue riband tournament has seen millions of dollars being invested in it and has captured the fancy of cricket followers – actually increasing the ‘fan base’ to an astounding number.

     

    Fortunately, the SC has allowed the BCCI to continue hosting the tournament for the seventh season and has also allowed two teams – Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) – which were surrounded by controversy, to be a part of the series.  This is good news for the fans, players, franchise owners, media and the many people that are involved in the running of the tournament.

     

    With the IPL a few weeks away, SC’s rider that no employee of India Cements, the company headed by N Srinivasan and which owns CSK, will be part of the BCCI is a hitch that needs to be resolved by the august body. For starters, Sunder Raman the IPL CEO happens to be part of the company. Not just that but many people involved with India Cements are part of the BCCI in various capacities – from coaching to administration.

     

    SC’s directive that Gavaskar will now oversee the IPL Governing Council (which includes his brother–in-law and the other Indian legend, Gundappa Viswanath) in running the tournament has sent a strong message to the people associated with the tournament. Gavaskar is known for his diligence, prudence, patience and for his inclination to play with a straight bat.  Given his reputation as a disciplinarian on and off the field during his playing days, it will be difficult for anyone to twist and turn a norm under his watchful eye.

     

    From what one understands, SC’s latest directive is the first of the many changes that may be in the offing. The next hearing, scheduled in mid-April, will be decisive for the BCCI who will be hoping that the apex court will not cause more changes and disrupt the portals of the ‘most exclusive club in India.’

     

    The SC, by allowing the IPL to continue, has given a breather to the players and fans and has signalled BCCI in clear terms to shape up or face the consequences. Never before in the history of the game in India has a judicial body intervened to set the house right. BCCI, since its inception in 1928, has had conscientious administrators who kept the game above politics. Knowing Gavaskar’s penchant for fair play, Indian fans can rest be assured that underarm tactics will be met with a straight bat. Howwzat!!!

     

    (Hemant Kenkre is a Communications specialist, cricket columnist and former Bombay University cricketer and the views expressed are his own.)

  • A livid M S Dhoni offers to quit as CSK skipper

    A livid M S Dhoni offers to quit as CSK skipper

    MUMBAI: After speculation around his association with the match-fixing and betting scandal in the sixth edition of the Indian Premiere League (IPL), India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is miffed and has offered to step down as captain for the Chennai Super Kings, if reports are to be believed.

     

    According to media reports, the Indian captain spoke to N. Srinivasan, now suspended by the Supreme Court as the BCCI chief, and offered to step down as skipper and a vice-president of India Cements.

     

    Harish Salve, the counsel for Bihar cricket association chief Aditya Verma, on Thursday accused Dhoni of giving false statements to the Mudgal committee about the role of Gurunath Meiyappan in Chennai Super Kings.

     

    Dhoni has led the team in yellow for the past six editions of the IPL, captaining the team to the title twice.

     

    The Team India skipper, currently in Dhaka for the T20 World Cup, is “extremely disappointed and annoyed” that his name has been dragged into the spot-fixing controversy.

  • MSM’s Sony Six to broadcast Yonex Sunrise India Open

    MSM’s Sony Six to broadcast Yonex Sunrise India Open

    MUMBAI: Multi Screen Media’s sports channel Sony Six will exclusively broadcast the Yonex Sunrise India Open 2014. The tournament is set to take place between 2-6 April at the Siri Fort Indoor Sports Complex in New Delhi. The tournament will witness, some of the best international badminton talent, including Men’s singles world champion Lee Chong Wei and current Women’s singles world champion Ratchanok Intanon.

     

    Sony Six business head Prasana Krishnan said in a press statement: “We are thrilled to be associated with such a grand event that hosts some of India’s brightest sporting talents. Being in its fourth edition, the tournament has garnered huge popularity and following amongst fans and spectators alike. We aim to tap into the rising popularity of badminton in India as well as leverage on the India connect with audiences through the participation of India’s finest in the tournament.”

     

    Besides the current top ranking international talent, the tournament will also feature India’s Saina Nehwal, P V Sindhu, P Kashyap and K Srikanth amongst many more vying for the prestigious title. The high profile tournament will ultimately feature a hit-list of players including the entire top-10 women and seven of the top-10 men`s singles players competing for valuable ranking points ahead of the London Olympics.

     

    This year’s open will play an even more significant role for the players as well as organisers since it features as a prologue for the upcoming Thomas and Uber Cup team championship which will he hosted at the same venue later this year.

  • The bids for Indian Super League heat up!

    The bids for Indian Super League heat up!

    MUMBAI: It’s been just three weeks since the Football Sports Development, a company owned by IMG-Reliance, and broadcaster Star India, invited bids for Indian Super League (ISL) football teams from Indian companies and things are heating up already.

     

    “Between 3 March to 21 March 2014, League organisers have recorded about 30 ‘Invitation to Bid’ (ITB) document purchase. In terms of the numbers, this is by far the highest level of interest that any similar franchise-based sports property has garnered in India,” tournament organisers IMG-Reliance said in a statement. 

     

    The curiosity around the ISL football seems to be building with the organisers receiving positive response from about 30 interested parties, even as the deadline for submitting the bid documents has been extended by two days to 26 and 27 March.     

     

    The original dates for submission of bid documents were 24 and 25 March.

     

    “The league organisers had requests coming in from a large number of prospective bidders to extend the deadline for submission of the bid. Based on these requests, IMG-Reliance, together with Star India and in consultation with advisory firm Ernst & Young, has decided to grant a one-time extension for bid submission by further two-days,” said a statement released by ISL promoters.    

     

    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 league is backed by the All India Football Federation (AIFF), the commercial partner of IMG-Reliance and is expected to attract an entire new generation of sports fans into the football grounds throughout the country. With names like former Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke, former England forward Michael Owen and former Argentina striker Hernan Crespo associated with the league, it is certain to help expand the market for football in the country.     

     

    Bids have been invited for nine cities – Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Goa, Guwahati, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Pune. The top eight bids will win the right to own and operate football clubs and participate in the Indian Super League.

     

    The ITB is available for a fee of Rs 5 lakh. The bid document has been picked up by actor Shah Rukh Khan, who recently announced that he would like to extend his Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, Kolkata Knight Riders, to other sports, especially football. Former Indian cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly is also said to have picked up a bid document, and he would certainly want to bid for his city (Kolkata).

     

    Others in the fray include actor and producer John Abraham, actor Ranbir Kapoor, Ronnie Screwvala, Rhiti Sports and JSW Sports. Salman Khan too is part of a Mumbai-based group which has picked up the bid documents for owning a team in the league.

     

    It was also learnt that Rendezvous, group of builders who owned the former IPL franchise Kochi Tuskers, too have picked up the bid documents and is one of the 30 parties who have shown interest in the league.

     

    “The mandate for winning a city team in the Indian Super League had a novelty factor wherein it’s not only based on the highest financial bid, but also on the bidders’ proposal of a sound plan for developing football in the catchment area they wish to bid,” said the statement.

     

    This plan would also form a part of the agreement that each franchise would sign with the League, and would be expected to adhere to it. It also involves a robust business proposal and a committed five-year grassroot/community development plan (spending Rs 2 crore every year) starting with a million in-school kids engagement plan, age group specific training, youth team and leading to having a full-time football academy.  

       

    The delay in submitting bids was due to the “demanding documentation.”   

      

    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.

     

    The new bid submission process will start from today and will now be open till 5:00 pm of 27 March instead of the earlier-announced date of 25 March. The winning bids will now be announced in the second week of April.

    The base price for bidding for a franchise is Rs 12 crore per year for a tenure of 10 years. The football league, fashioned after the cash-rich IPL twenty-twenty tournament, will have eight teams in its inaugural year.

  • Nike Cricket brings the new ‘Men in Blue’ jersey

    Nike Cricket brings the new ‘Men in Blue’ jersey

    MUMBAI: Nike, the official apparel sponsor of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), has revealed the limited-overs uniform that Team India will wear this cricket season.

    Nike’s Team India kit draws inspiration from the passion and support fans have for the sport and the national team. The uniform is a striking contemporary blue, with a textured, premium finish.

    Designed to enhance the modern requirements of the game and its players, the jersey has a dynamic fit tailored to the athlete’s body, a result of 3D body mapping of the world’s top athletes and insights gleaned from collaboration with the Indian cricket team.  Players expressed the desire for a jersey that moves with them and is comfortable enabling a complete focus on their game. The jersey is accented with a cutting edge graphic on the shoulders.

    Nike India VP and GM Bob Coombes said in a press statement: “The country’s love for the sport and its team is what drives us to deliver our very best in technology and design to cricket India. This kit combines superior lightweight performance made from 100 per cent recycled polyester, causing minimal impact on the environment while ensuring that the design aptly reflects the winning attitude of the team.  We stay committed in our endeavour to deliver the best and continue to wish our ‘Men in Blue’ greater success in the coming tournament.”

    In an earlier interview to indiantelevison.com Star India – also the official sponsor for Team India – COO Sanjay Gupta had stated: “Cricket helps build awareness of brands and associations and we are seeking value coming from both. It is a serious value that we see as a business and hence this sponsorship.”

    Star India with the association with Team India cricket, is very clear on using the placement of its logo on the jersey to make the Star brand more salient in its viewers eyes. With the sponsorship rights from 2014 to 2017 and over 100 matches to be played, Star is clearly leveraging its association with sports and continuing to invest heavily on sports.  

    In keeping with Nike’s Better World philosophy, Team India’s kit is constructed with 100 per cent recycled polyester fabric that is lightweight, reinforced with increased stretchability and enhanced moisture-wicking capabilities. Improved ventilation zones provide additional comfort and cooling.

    The four-way stretch pants for Team India complete the kit. The pants feature a more streamlined, shrink-wrap fit for better movement on the field. A woven fabric has been introduced to help athletes move better and enhance durability.

    The Team India kits will be available at select Nike retail outlets.

  • Arch rivals IND and PAK square off today in first Super 10 stage tie

    Arch rivals IND and PAK square off today in first Super 10 stage tie

    Updated: 7:00 pm 

    MUMBAI: The ICC T-20 World Cup is underway in Bangladesh and is surely doing well to keep cricket fans across the globe hooked to their television sets.

    The tourney is heading into its next phase as the teams narrow down to the Super 10; the home team – Bangladesh – has already progressed to the Super 10 stage after topping Group A in the first round, a group that also included Afghanistan, Nepal and Hong Kong. 

    Bangladesh opened the tournament on 16 March with a nine-wicket victory over Afghanistan and beat Nepal by eight wickets before losing to Hong Kong by two wickets in its last match. With two wins from three matches, Bangladesh finished on four points with Nepal, but still progressed to the Super 10 stage owing to its superior net run rate. 

    With the win it has joined defending ICC World Twenty20 champion West Indies, former champions India and Pakistan and Australia in Group 2 of the Super 10 stage. Group 2 matches will start at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur from today with arch rivals India and Pakistan battling it out. 

    Meanwhile, the winner of Group B will be confirmed after the last first round match between Ireland and the Netherlands in Sylhet today. 

    Netherlands beat Ireland by six wickets to proceed to the Super 10 stage. The Netherlands now joins Sri Lanka, South Africa, England and New Zealand in Group 1 of the Super 10 stage. Group 1 matches will start at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong on Saturday, 22 March. 

    The Netherlands will play its opening Super 10 stage match against Sri Lanka on Monday, 24 March, while its remaining matches will be against South Africa on Thursday, 27 March, New Zealand on Saturday, 29 March and England on Monday, 31 March.

    All eyes will be glued to the screens as India and Pakistan kick off the first tie of the Super 10 stage matches.

  • IPL Governing Council releases schedule for first 20 matches

    IPL Governing Council releases schedule for first 20 matches

    MUMBAI: After days of speculation and curiosity around the schedule for Pepsi IPL 2014, the IPL Governing Council in a meeting held in Chennai today has confirmed the first phase of matches being played in the UAE.

     

    The first leg of the tournament will be contested from16 April to 30 April. A total of 20 matches will be played in three stadiums — the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi; the Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium, Sharjah; and the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai.

     

    The opening match on Wednesday, 16 April, will be played in Abu Dhabi, and contested between 2013 winners – Mumbai Indians and the 2012 IPL champions – Kolkata Knight Riders.

     

    Pursuant to the initiative taken by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, many State Governments have indicated that IPL matches can be conducted in their respective states. Based on the responses received so far, the BCCI believes that the Pepsi IPL 2014 can be conducted in India from the first week of May.

     

    The schedule for the remaining 40 matches will be announced in due course.

     

    Indiantelevision.com will keep you posted on further updates.