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Category: Sports

  • GainAccess Sports & Entertainment appointed as official sales agent for AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 hospitality in India

    GainAccess Sports & Entertainment appointed as official sales agent for AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 hospitality in India

    Mumbai: MATCH Hospitality Asia has confirmed that leading sports travel agency, GainAccess Sports & Entertainment, has been appointed as its sales agent in India for the sale of the official hospitality programme of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023. The 18th edition of the tournament will take place from 12 January to 10 February 2024.

    GainAccess is one of the leading sports travel agency in India specialising in servicing both consumer and corporate clients with travel, leisure, ticketing, hospitality programmes and accommodation services for major sporting events.

    MATCH Hospitality Asia is the exclusive global rights holder appointed by the Asian Football Confederation to produce, promote and sell, either directly or via a network of sales agents, official commercial ticket-inclusive hospitality packages for the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023. MATCH Accommodation Asia has also been appointed as an official accommodation agency and an official Ticket & Accommodation Package provider for the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023.

    GainAccess co-founder Rakesh Rajendran added: “GainAccess is honoured to act as an Official Sales Agent for the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 Official Hospitality Programme in India. Thanks to this agreement, our company will bring this territory a lot closer to the most coveted football competition in Asia”.

    GainAccess will also offer various services in conjunction with the hospitality packages, including flights, accommodation, transport and social events.

    MATCH Hospitality Asia CEO Enrique Byrom said: “MATCH Hospitality Asia strongly believes in the unique potential of the AFC Asian Cup 2023. I am delighted to announce our decision to appoint GainAccess in an exciting new chapter in our long-standing relationship”.  

    MATCH Hospitality Asia director John Parker said: “India represents an important territory within our overall strategic sales operations for the AFC Hospitality Programme and, working in partnership with GainAccess, we are extremely optimistic that many Indians will travel to Qatar to support their national team at the Asian Cup Qatar 2023.”

  • Netherlands cricket team partners with Nordek as title sponsor

    Netherlands cricket team partners with Nordek as title sponsor

    Mumbai: Ahead of the much-awaited ODI Cricket World Cup 2023, the Netherlands Cricket Team ropes in Global blockchain and Web3 Payments company Nordek as its title sponsor for the upcoming ICC World Cup Cricket 2023.

    Nordek’s sponsorship of Team Netherlands (nicknamed ‘The Flying Dutchmen’) comes after a slew of major fintech and edutech players have become title sponsors in the past few years of major Cricket teams including Team India.

    Founded by Blockchain entrepreneurs Kashyap and Kishor, the company aims to capitalize on its presence in the European blockchain market.

    The European blockchain market is anticipated to witness remarkable growth, expanding from a valuation of US$ 1.2 billion in 2021 to a substantial US$ 59.1 billion by 2028.

    Nordek’s founder & promoter, Kishor and Kashyap said, “This is a great period of boom in sports especially in India, which is the fastest growing economy. With venturing into Cricket, we aim to reach out to the Global Sports Fans and students who can explore more opportunities in blockchain. Nordek strives to be the most business and consumer-friendly blockchain ecosystem for mainstream adoption of web3 payments. And, our target audiences are the ones who understand the length, breadth and depth of agility, just like their understanding of Cricket. We believe the Cricket fans would also fall in love with the fast and most EVM-compatible Network Blockchain, i.e., Nordek.”

    To this, Monica Visser, CEO of Netherlands Cricket reiterated that “With a growing business of blockchain across the world and the revolutionizing of the fintech industry, we are happy to on-board Nordek as the title sponsor. The partnership will not only build trust in the ever-evolving fintech industry but will also open new market avenues in tandem with sporting events for learning as well as growing, together”.

    With venturing into the world of Cricket, Nordek is planning to make its brand presence felt across countries where blockchain is gaining traction, including the Middle East where blockchain and technology in fintech is taking a tenfold increase. Nordek also provides education to universities and colleges on the subject called ‘blockchain’. The company provides free of cost education to more than 100 universities and colleges.

    The global blockchain market is expected to reach $56 billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 56.9 per cent forecast and Nordek plans to be a major player in the market.

    Team Netherlands has arrived in India to have an acclimatisation camp in Bengaluru, where they will play a couple of local sides. Following that, they will face India and Australia in the pre-tournament warm-up matches at Thiruvananthapuram. The Dutchmen qualified for the World Cup earlier in July ahead of teams like two-time champions West Indies.

  • Viacom18 opts to knock-out rogue websites from infringing its media rights for BCCI events

    Viacom18 opts to knock-out rogue websites from infringing its media rights for BCCI events

    Mumbai: Viacom18 has secured a broad dynamic injunction from the Delhi High Court for the Indian cricket team’s bilateral matches.

    Recently, to strengthen its hold in the sports broadcasting industry, Viacom18 had bagged the BCCI linear and digital right in a three-way bidding war between Viacom18, Sony and Star. As a result, for the next five years i.e., from September 2023 till March 2028, all bilateral games involving the Indian cricket team that will be played in India along with domestic cricket, shall now be broadcasted/streamed by Viacom18 on its television and OTT properties. With this Viacom18 has also become the prominent sports destination as it already has the digital rights for the Indian Premier League (IPL), Women’s Premier League (WPL) and other major sporting events like the Olympics 2024, MotoGP 2023, La Liga, Diamond League etc.

    The new sports broadcasting leader, Viacom18 Media Private Ltd, had approached the Delhi High Court seeking an ad-interim dynamic injunction to protect its Media Rights in relation to the BCCI Events against various rogue and pirate websites as well as John Does/Ashok Kumars/Unknown Defendants. The Court while expressing its concerns regarding the unending menace of piracy noted that the courts have become inundated with suits pertaining to such issues and suggested the importance of a robust anti-piracy policy to curb the issues. The Court observed that a prima facie case for interim injunction was made out and further held that the grant of an injunction would be necessary to avoid irreparable loss/injury from being caused to Viacom18.

    The court further ordered that Viacom18 shall not be bound to initiate any fresh proceedings in relation to any new alphanumeric/redirect/mirror websites that are expected to mushroom during the course of the BCCI events. Access to such websites shall be blocked by the Internet Service Providers (IPSs) upon being informed about the same by Viacom18 on an affidavit. This dynamic injunction provides Viacom18 to swiftly act against pirates and rogue websites infringing and making available the BCCI matches without due permissions. With this effective dynamic injunction Order from the Delhi High Court, Viacom18 has set the field to ensure a smooth exploitation of its rights and bowl-out any infringing and pirated content.  

    Such dynamic injunction orders re-affirm and assure the owner/licensee/assignee of IP rights that the humongous capitals invested in relation to such rights shall be protected against pirates and infringers. With such orders being passed by the courts, it has also become possible to unearth the identities of those hiding behind the cloak of anonymity on the internet and book them for their illegal actions.

    Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd. general counsel Anil Lale said, “We at Viacom18 are proud to be the exclusive digital and television broadcaster for Indian cricket. Viacom18 has always been at the forefront in the fight against piracy. I am sure this is a welcome step for all the cricket fans as also for bona fide broadcasters like us who spend huge sums to get these rights..  

    While we are proud to say that we have won several battles against these pirate websites, we understand that the war against piracy is a continuing one and we are committed towards winning it.”

  • Star Sports delivers biggest Asia Cup ahead of ICC World Cup 2023

    Star Sports delivers biggest Asia Cup ahead of ICC World Cup 2023

    Mumbai: Star Sports, the official broadcaster of Asia Cup 2023, has achieved a record milestone for sports viewing in India. With an astonishing 266 million viewers tuning in to the Star Sports’ live broadcast for the tournament, excluding the final, Asia Cup 2023 has become the most-watched edition of the tournament. Total viewing time for the tournament has increased by 75 per cent compared to the previous edition with over 73.5 billion minutes watched, excluding the final.  The ‘Super 4’ encounter between the ‘Greatest Rivals’ (India & Pakistan) was the highest-rated ODI match ever, outside of world cups, garnering more than 6.4 million AMAs.

    The tournament also witnessed 75 per cent growth in live match ratings (TVR**) for non-India matches. The extraordinary response to the tournament reaffirms fans’ love for multi-nation cricket with marquee stature and strong context.

    “Disney Star’s presentation of Asia Cup 2023 was focused on elevating the stature of the event as a premier multi-nation tournament with the greatest rivalry – India v Pakistan – as its centerpiece. The unparalleled success of the tournament, despite challenges related to the unpredictable weather, reflects the impact of Star Sports’ multi-dimensional marketing campaigns, enhanced programming, ‘Best in the world’ coverage and most of all, the deep relationship India’s leading sports broadcaster has with Indian Cricket fans. It also underlines the pre-eminence of marquee multilateral sporting events on TV as the ultimate aggregator of audiences. The record viewership for India and non-India matches in Asia Cup also sets the stage for fandom to touch new highs during ICC CWC 2023 and for previous records to be challenged,” said a Star Sports spokesperson.

    Asia Cup 2023 was not just about on-field heroics; it was a complete cricketing experience that brought fans closer to the game they adore. Star Sports went the extra mile to provide viewers with exclusive behind-the-scenes access to Team India. A diverse panel of cricketing experts offered their insights and analyses, elevating the viewing experience to new heights and keeping fans engaged on rain-affected matchdays. Shows such as ‘Follow the Blues,’ ‘Game Plan,’ and ‘Cricket Countdown’ delved deep into the nuances of every game, enriching the understanding of die-hard fans and casual enthusiasts alike. These shows not only provided a comprehensive view of the tournament but also celebrated the spirit of cricket.

    Asia Cup 2023 has set the stage for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 and Star Sports is geared up to bring fans closer to the live cricketing action with Team India playing the warm matches against England and Netherlands on 30 September and 3 October respectively.

    Catch all the action from India’s warm-up matches vs England and Netherlands, on 30 September and 3 October, LIVE & exclusive on the Star Sports Network and Disney+ Hotstar.

    Footnote:

    *- BARC data for 2+U+R for live and broadcast

    **- BARC data for India U 15+ MAB

  • Ola electrifies MotoGP Bharat 2023 at Buddh International Circuit

    Ola electrifies MotoGP Bharat 2023 at Buddh International Circuit

    Mumbai: Ola Electric, India’s largest EV company, has wrapped up its electrifying show at the inaugural MotoGP Bharat 2023 at Buddh International Circuit (BIC) in Noida. Ola’s motorcycle portfolio on display has taken the stage at the Fanzone, with the company’s booth abuzz with motorsport enthusiasts from all over the world showing a keen interest in a glimpse of the future of motorcycles.

    As part of a strategic partnership with BIC in alignment with MotoGP’s commitment to sustainable operations, Ola has lent the organizers a fleet of its revolutionary S1 scooters for use during the MotoGP. In a first-of-its-kind move, the Ola scooters have replaced the ICE two-wheelers for on-ground support activities, including marshall support.

    Ola Electric CMO Anshul Khandelwal said, “The inaugural MotoGP Bharat will be remembered as a historic moment for Indian motorsport, and we are very happy to have been a part of this momentous occasion. Our collaboration with BIC couldn’t have come at a better time, and we are extremely elated about the massive love our motorcycle portfolio has received at the MotoGP Bharat. Our portfolio reflects the motorcycle philosophy in true spirit and reimagines motorcycles in every aspect. We at Ola are determined to take indigenously developed innovations/products to a global scale, placing India firmly on the global EV and motorcycle map.”

    The Ola’s motorcycle portfolio, which truly spells out the R&D capabilities of the company in engineering and design, comprises four best-in-class models, featuring the Diamondhead, Adventure, Cruiser, and Roadsters.

    Diamondhead

    The Diamondhead will be the company’s flagship motorcycle. Straight & powerful lines and bold design choices help the Diamondhead look as if it is always in motion. Simplicity, form, and function co-exist in the design. The Diamondhead’s minimalist design means that the rider is always focused on the pure riding experience. Even the main headlamp is located above the front bumper, hidden away, lending it a very stealthy, aerodynamic profile.  

    Adventure

    For the seekers of thrill and adrenaline, the Adventure is purposeful, strong, and sure-footed. Its tall, athletic, and upright stance brings an element of purity and clarity to its purpose and helps it look unique in a clutter of adventure bikes. The Adventure is all about conquering uncharted territory, being aware of the surroundings, and feeling one with the bike on the roads not taken.

    Roadster

    Stepping away from the design language of a conventional motorcycle, the deconstructed look of the Roadster strictly demonstrates how the form follows function. Roadster also gets flowing elements around the charger cowling that make it look playful, agile, authentic, and focused.

    Cruiser

    With a laidback stance and sensual lines, the Cruiser is built to enjoy the open road and the freedom it brings. It looks mature yet ominous with dollops of sophisticated bodywork. The floating upper body connects with the rear section of the bike in a powerful manner giving it a tense side profile.  

    With the bikes across all popular categories, Ola plans to further expand its portfolio under each of these categories to cater to consumer demands across all form factors and price points. While the pre-reserve window is already open, the motorcycles will hit the market by the end of 2024.

  • India’s street fighters ready for medal quest at Asian Games 2022

    India’s street fighters ready for medal quest at Asian Games 2022

    Mumbai: The highly anticipated draws for all Esports titles at the ongoing Asian Games 2022 have been officially announced with India’s leading Street Fighter V: Champion Edition athletes set to commence their campaign against Saudi Arabia and Vietnam on 26 September.

    The country’s experienced athlete, Mayank Prajapati (MiKeYROG) will go head to head against T.F. Rajikhan (Taloobreaker) of Saudi Arabia while his teammate, Ayan Biswas (AYAN01), will be up against K.H.C Nguyen (Shin) of Vietnam to kick off their respective campaigns. Both athletes will begin the tournament in the Round of 32 which will be contested in the double-elimination format

    Reflecting on the tournament commencing, Mayank Prajapati stated, “The road to the Asian Games has been challenging, but now that the tournament is upon us the feeling is surreal. We have left no stone unturned in our preparation for the title and eagerly await to take on our opponents. I would like to thank ESFI for their invaluable support in terms of providing us with the best possible equipment and coaching to help us perform at the highest level,”

    A total of 35 notable athletes from 22 countries will be battling it out for a medal in Street Fighter V: Champion Edition. All matches will be conducted in the best-of-three (BO3) format and the loser bracket final and grand final will be played in a best-of-seven (BO7) format.

    “Getting the opportunity to represent India at such a prestigious international tournament in Street Fighter for an official medal is a sign of how far Esports has come. Competing at the Asian Games 2022 is more than a personal achievement for us as the entire nation’s hopes are on our shoulders. We hope to make the country proud with our performances and win a historic medal at the tournament,” commented Ayan Biswas.

    Mayank and Ayan earned their spots for the Asian Games 2022 by reaching the finals of the National Esports Championships (NESC) organized by the Esports Federation of India (ESFI) last year. The two players are well-renowned names in the Indian Street Fighter V community having dominated the game for a long period.

    “Now that the draws have been announced, we are confident about our medal prospects in all the titles. Our Street Fighter athletes who have left a lasting impact on the Indian Street Fighter community are all set to showcase their skills against the continent’s best talent on the international stage. Having witnessed their tireless training and competitive spirit, we believe they have what it takes to excel and are confident in their abilities to make the nation proud,” said Esports Federation of India director Lokesh Suji and vice president of the Asian Esports Federation (AESF) Lokesh Suji.

    One of the country’s top sports and Esports communication agencies, Artsmith-Concepts & Visions, will continue its support to the Esports Federation of India as its official communication partner.

    Having been featured as a demonstration event in 2018, Esports will be making its full-fledged debut as an official medal sport at the Asian Games 2022. The Esports event will be held in China Hangzhou Esports Centre from September 24 to October 2, with India participating in four of the seven total titles: DOTA 2, EA Sports FC Online, League of Legends, and Street Fighter V: Champion Edition.

    India’s supremely talented EA Sports FC Online athletes will kick off the country’s Esports campaign as Charanjot Singh takes on Liu Jiacheng of China and Karman Singh faces A.A. Faqeehi of Bahrain on September 24.

    Following EA Sports FC Online, the nation’s League of Legends which has been seeded directly to quarter-finals will commence its campaign against the winner of the group comprising Japan, Palestine, and Vietnam on September 27.

    The country’s DOTA 2 team has been drawn in Group A alongside Kyrgyzstan and Philippines with their group matchups scheduled to take place on September 29. The winner of the group will then square off against Nepal on September 30.

  • Bezzecchi makes history by winning the inaugural IndianOil Grand Prix in India

    Bezzecchi makes history by winning the inaugural IndianOil Grand Prix in India

    Mumbai: Marco Bezzecchi became the first MotoGP rider to win the inaugural IndianOil Grand Prix of India riding the Mooney VR46 Racing Team to the top of the podium at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida on Sunday.

    And what a win it was. When the race began, Jorge Martin of Prima Pramac raced off into the lead at the cautious turn one. Francesco Bagnaia, the championship leader, also left Bezzecchi in third place.

    Bezzecchi, however, regained his top spot. First, he overtook Bagnaia to claim second place and then raced into the lead when an error at turn four sent Martin wide.

    Thereafter, Bezzecchi left the pack way behind to fight for the remaining two places on the podium. Bezzecchi was completely unaware of the drama that unfolded behind him. He eventually took the chequered flag eight seconds before the pack.

    Bezzecchi loved everything about India. The track and the fans. Commenting on the fans he said, “I really liked this place the day I landed. I like to celebrate with the fans, I would like to give my heart to the fans. In this part of the world, they are very loud, and I really like to hear the crowd. They enjoyed it, of course, and next year they will have even more fun. So, for me it was fantastic.”

    As much as the fans, he was impressed with the track that gave him his second win of the season. “It’s a track that I liked the first time I rode on it. Overall it has been good for me. There was some hard braking, but also some fast parts and chicanes. Physically I felt better with the head, so a change of direction was not a problem like it was in Mizano. Sector three was really fantastic to ride,” he added.

    The fight for second place was filled with drama, action, tragedy, and suspense and then ended with a nail-biting climax.

    It started first between Bagnaia and Martin. The battle between the two lasted for about 13 laps before Bagnaia, leading over Martin in the second spot, crashed out at turn four, his third of the season.  

    Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo suddenly moved to third place giving him hope for a better podium finish. The two riders were engaged in a nail-biting duel in the final lap when Martin once again rode wide at turn four, putting Quartararo into the second spot for a moment before Martin snatched back his position two corners later. Martin, looking tired and distressed ended the race on the second step of the podium.

    KTM’s Brad Binder finished fourth and Repsol Hondo’s Joan Mir fifth. Eight-time world champion Marc Marquez who was gunning behind Bagnaia and Martin in the fourth, before he ran wide, finished ninth.

    Acosta extends championship lead

    A multi-rider pile-up on Turn 1 led to the restart of the 12-lap Moto2 race after it was red-flagged. That, however, did not stop Pedro Acosta from claiming the title and extending his championship lead.

    Acosta raced off to a quick start and maintained approximately 3.5 seconds lead throughout the race for his top podium finish. Riding Marc VDS, his closest rival Tony Arbolino, took the second spot.

    There was a toe-to-toe battle for third place between American Joe Roberts on his Italtrans Racing and Pons Wegow’s Sergio Garcia. However, the Spaniard ran wide into the chicane on the penultimate corner in the final lap to hand over the third spot on the podium to the American rider.

    Masia scores a massive win

    Jaume Masia of Leopard Honda won the Moto3 title without any kind of threat from the pack behind him. Ayumu Sasaki’s Intact GP Husqvarna held on tightly to his second place for most part of the race but gave away the position to Kaito Toba of SIC58 Honda in the closing stages. Sasaki had to settle for third place.

  • Mary Kom, Bhaichung Bhutia & Dilip Vengsarkar extend best wishes to Indian team for 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022

    Mary Kom, Bhaichung Bhutia & Dilip Vengsarkar extend best wishes to Indian team for 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022

    Mumbai: The much-awaited 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 is here and the excitement surrounding it continues to grow. For India, 655 athletes have been selected to represent the country at the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022. With India sending one of their biggest contingents to the Asian Games, it is their best chance yet to take the medal tally into three figures for the first time with the support of a billion hearts.

    Eight athletes from the DreamGold program by the Dream Sports Foundation have qualified for the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022.  These include: Pranavi Urs (golf), Sreeja Akula (table tennis), Nethra Kumanan (sailing), Ishwariya Ganesh (sailing), Advait Page (swimming), KM Chanda (athletics-800m), Jyothi Surekha Vennam (compound archery) and Bharath Pereira (sport climbing).

    Dream Sports Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Dream Sports, India’s leading sports technology company with brands such as Dream11, FanCode and DreamSetGo in its portfolio on Saturday sent their best wishes to the Indian contingent for the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022, Asia’s biggest sporting extravaganza, which kicked-off on Saturday, 23 September, 2023.

    Padma Vibhushan & 2012 London Olympic Bronze medalist and advisor to DSF, M.C Mary Kom, said she is confident that the Tricolour will fly at the grand stage. In her message, she said, “I would like to extend my best wishes to the contingent for the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022. I am sure that their hard work and the efforts put in by them over the past years will bear fruit and they will scale new heights and bring back laurels for the country. All of these athletes have had a stellar season in the lead up to the Asian Games and I am looking forward to seeing these young athletes making a name for themselves in their respective event.”

    Former Indian football team captain and advisor to DSF Bhaichung Bhutia also wished the contingent as they set to take the stage. He said, “The Asian Games are the pinnacle of sporting excellence in Asia. All of the athletes have put in years of dedication, hard work and it is their continuous perseverance in their sporting journey that has taken them to the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022. I am looking forward to seeing Indian athletes make a mark on the international stage. As they prepare to etch their names in history, my best wishes are with them. Interestingly, 50% of the Indian contingent are women. We should build on this going forward”

    Meanwhile, former Indian cricketer and administrator, Dilip Vengsarkar also wished the athletes. He said, “This Asian Games will be especially special for me considering Cricket is coming back after 2014.  The entire country is eagerly looking forward to this edition of the Asian Games and will be cheering loudly for you all.”

    Dream Sports chief operating officer and co-founder Bhavit Sheth said, “This year, India is sending the biggest contingent ever to the Asian Games. Dream Sports salutes their passion, dedication and perseverance. On behalf of the entire Dream Sports family and Dream Sports Foundation, we wish them the very best. Let their achievements inspire us to becoming a true sporting nation and fuel the dreams of generations to come.”

     

     

  • Asian Games 2022: Official draws for Esports announced; India set to kick off campaign on 24 September

    Asian Games 2022: Official draws for Esports announced; India set to kick off campaign on 24 September

    Mumbai: The highly anticipated draws for all Esports titles at the ongoing Asian Games 2022 have been officially announced with India set to commence with its campaign in EA Sports FC Online at the China Hangzhou Esports Centre on 24 September. Esports Federation of India director and Asian Esports Federation (AESF) vice president Lokesh Suji had the privilege of conducting the draws for the Esports titles, alongside AESF general secretary Sebastian Lau and AESF CEO Steve Kim.

    The country’s supremely talented EA Sports FC Online athletes Charanjot Singh (Charanjot12_) secured top seed at the South Asia seeding event for the tournament while his equally talented teammate Karman Singh (tikkatown) clinched fifth seed. Due to their seeding advantage, both athletes will kick off their campaigns from the Round of 32 stage with Charanjot squaring off against Liu Jiacheng of China and Karman facing A.A. Faqeehi of Bahrain in the Round of 32.

    A total of 36 athletes from 20 countries are participating in the well-renowned EA Sports FC Online title. All matches will be played in the Double Elimination and Best-of-Three (BO3) format

    Following the commencement of EA Sports FC Online’s fixtures, two of the country’s most distinguished Street Fighter V: Champion Edition athletes, Mayank Prajapati (MiKeYROG) and Ayan Biswas (AYAN01) will embark on their pursuit for a medal in their respective title on 26 September. In the seeding event for South and East Asia, Prajapati clinched fifth seed and Biswas secured sixth seed and will hence begin their campaign from the Round of 32 stage.

    In the Round of 32, Prajapati will go head to head against T.F. Rajikhan of Saudi Arabia while his teammate, Ayan Biswas, will be up against K.H.C Nguyen of Vietnam. The Street Fighter V: Champion Edition title will witness a total of 35 notable athletes from 22 countries battling it out for a historic medal. All matches will be conducted in the best-of-three (BO3) format and the loser bracket final and grand final will be played in a best-of-seven (BO7) format.

    The nation’s star-studded League of Legends team which is captained by Akshaj Shenoy (Kai), and comprises Samarth Arvind Trivedi (CrankO), Mihir Ranjan (Lotus), Sanindhya Malik (Deadcorp), Aakash Shandilya (Infi), Aditya Selvaraj (Krow) will begin its campaign on 27 September. As a result of dominating the recently held Central and South Asia seeding event and clinching top seed, the team has gained direct entry into the quarter-finals of the 19th Asian Games.

    The squad will face the winner of Group A comprising Japan, Palestine, and Vietnam in its tournament opener. The elimination stages will be played head-to-head in the BO3, single-elimination format. The continent’s 15 leading teams will be competing in League of Legends at the prestigious tournament.

    The country’s stellar DOTA 2 team led by Darshan Bata (A35), and comprising Krish Gupta (Krish-), Abhishek Yadav (Abhi-), Ketan Goyal (Evil-Ash), and Shubham Goli (Madness) has been drawn in Group A alongside Kyrgyzstan and Philippines. Both of their group matchups are scheduled to take place in the Best-of-One (BO1) single round robin format on 29 September.

    The group winner will take on Nepal in the elimination stages on September 30. All matches in the elimination stage will be contested in the head-to-head, BO3 single elimination format. There will be 14 notable DOTA 2 teams participating in the title.

    One of the country’s top sports and Esports communication agencies, Artsmith-Concepts & Visions, will continue its support to the Esports Federation of India as its official communication partner.

    Having been featured as a demonstration event in 2018, Esports will be making its full-fledged debut as an official medal sport at the Asian Games 2022 with a total of 476 athletes from 30 different countries competing for gold medals in seven different titles.

  • Sony Sports Network unveils sporting icons and expert panelists for SPORTS EXTRAAA for the 19th Asian Games

    Sony Sports Network unveils sporting icons and expert panelists for SPORTS EXTRAAA for the 19th Asian Games

    Mumbai: The much-awaited 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 is finally here, and making this edition of the prestigious multi-discipline extravaganza more exciting is the addition of cricket which will see men and women in blue participating for the coveted gold. Sony Sports Network continues to be the premier destination for cricket and multi-sport events and is the official broadcaster for the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.

    Ensuring sports buffs don’t miss the live action from China, Sony Sports Network, will not only bring round-the-clock live and non-live coverage but they will also have an esteemed panel of guests featuring sporting icons and expert panelists which will enrich the experience for viewers with their analysis and comprehensive reportage.

    The extensive coverage for the continental sporting spectacle will be broadcast LIVE on Sony Sports Ten 1, Sony Sports Ten 2, Sony Sports Ten 3, Sony Sports Ten 4, and Sony Sports Ten 5 channels (SD & HD) with Hindi and English commentary for the broadcast sports. Additionally, Indian cricket teams’ matches will have commentary in Tamil and Telugu as well. The action will also be live streamed on its on-demand OTT platform Sony LIV.

    Aiming to enhance fan engagement and bringing unparalleled viewing experience for audiences across the nation, Sony Sports Network will continue to showcase their flagship wrap around studio show – SPORTS EXTRAAA.

    The cricket panel sharing insights and real-time analogies of Indian men and women’s cricket teams’ performance will feature former India skipper and coach Nooshin Al Khadeer, former cricketer and seasoned coach WV Raman, famed wicketkeeper Saba Karim, India internationals Rohan Gavaskar and Aakash Chopra adding flavour to the 19th Asian Games coverage. The impressive line-up of experts for cricket also includes legendary spinner Maninder Singh, Vivek Razdan, and Vidhyut Sivaramakrishnan.

    The star-studded panel also includes Olympian and former India men’s hockey captain Viren Rasquinha, along with Olympian and Asian Games Gold medalist Somdev Devvarman, veteran journalist Ayaz Memon and commentator Siddharth Pandey.

    Taking their discipline-specific match analysis up by several notches, Sony Sports Network will also have Olympic bronze medalist and Asian Games gold medalist Vijender Singh for boxing, World Champions bronze medalist and multiple Asian Games medalist Anju Bobby George for athletics, multiple grand slam champion Sania Mirza for tennis, the charismatic striker Robin Singh for football, Olympian Anjali Bhagwat and Joydeep Karmakar for shooting, Olympian Neha Aggarwal for table tennis, former international squash player Ritwik Bhattacharya, Commonwealth Games gold medalist Rahul Banerjee for archery, Arjan for Esports, Rohit Mardappa for rowing, sports commentator Radhakrishnan, coach Kripa Shankar Patel for wrestling and Commonwealth Games medalist Trupti Murgunde for badminton.

    SPORTS EXTRAAA will be hosted by Sony Sports Network anchors Suhail Chandhok, Radhakrishnan and Arpit Sharma.

    Watch the star-studded Indian contingent vying for top honours, ‘Iss Baar, Sau Paar’, at the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 on Sony Sports Network and Sony LIV starting with the live coverage of the opening ceremony live on Sony Sports Network on 23 September 2023 from 5:30 pm onwards.