Category: Sports

Mumbai: The much-awaited Zim Cyber City Zim Afro T10 is all set to kick off, with five franchises expected to battle it out for top honours. The inaugural edition of the tournament will commence on 21 July, with a grand final on the 29. All the matches will be played at the picturesque Harare Sports Club. The tournament is being organised jointly by Zimbabwe Cricket and T Ten Global Sports.

The first-ever franchise cricket tournament in Zimbabwe will be brought to Indian fans live on JioCinema and Sports18 – Khel. The five teams, Harare Hurricanes, Durban Qalandars, Cape Town Samp Army, Bulawayo Braves and the Johannesburg Buffaloes, have also already assembled their squads during a grand Player Draft ceremony. Among the biggest names participating in the Zim Cyber City Zim Afro T10 are Eoin Morgan, Yusuf Pathan, Mohamed Hafeez, Irfan Pathan, and Robin Uthappa. 

“As franchise cricket makes its first foray in Zimbabwe, we are delighted to be associated with the Zim Cyber City Zim Afro T10 as their exclusive media partners in India. We hope this is the start of many success stories for Zimbabwean cricket,” said a Viacom18 spokesperson. 

“We are extremely glad that the Zim Cyber City Zim Afro T10 will be streamed live on JioCinema and aired on Sports18 – Khel. They set very high standards in terms of how they bring the sport to the fans, and in Harare, we are sure they will raise the bar again and tell the fans some very inspiring stories. The Zim Cyber City Zim Afro T10 is a historic tournament in the journey of Zimbabwean and T10 cricket, and we are excited to partner with Viacom18 for the same,” said T Ten Global Sports founder and chairman Nawab Shaji Ul Mulk.

Mumbai: The Global T20 Canada tournament is all set to start on 20 July, 2023, featuring some top international stars including Harbhajan Singh, Chris Gayle, Shahid Afridi, Chris Lynn, Shakib-Al-Hasan amongst others. The league is coming back after a three-year hiatus due to Covid and will be hosted at the Brampton Sports Park. 

The matches will be played at 1:00 AM and 8:30 PM IST, with final and Qualifier 2 scheduled to be held at 9:30 PM IST. 

With an updated lineup, the six participating teams include Brampton Wolves, Vancouver Knights, Montreal Tigers, Surrey Jaguars, Toronto Nationals and Mississauga Panthers. 

Each team will comprise of a total of 16 (sixteen) players from full and associate nations, including two (2) world renowned marquee players, three (3) Canadian National team players, three (3) emerging Canadian Cricketers, who will play 25 matches over 18 days. 

Global T20 League league ambassdor Brian Lara said: “I am excited about the GT20 Canada schedule. All six teams look fantastic. This year we got a great line-up with Harbhajan Singh, Mohammad Rizwan, all-rounder Shakib-Al-Hasan, boom boom Shahid Afridi and the universe boss Chris Gayle. I look forward to seeing you there and enjoying some mesmerising cricket.” 

Harbhajan Singh, who will be turning up for Brampton Wolves said, “Excited to be part of GT20 for Brampton Wolves, look forward to seeing a lot of support for the Brampton Wolves when we play.” 

Some other marquee players in action will include Tim Southee, Alex Hales, Rassie Van Der Dussen, Andre Russell, Litton Das, Colina Munro, Sikandra Raza, Mohammad Rizwan and Shoaib Malik. 

Cricket fans can watch all the action on FanCode’s mobile app (Android, iOS, TV), TV app available on Android TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Jio STB, Samsung TV, Airtel XStream, OTT Play and www.fancode.com.

Mumbai: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) has acquired the exclusive media rights to broadcast the Durand Cup in India between 2023 and 2024. As part of the deal, over the next two years, the broadcaster will televise the legendary football tournament, currently in its 132nd glorious Edition, on its sports channels in India as well as across the subcontinent: Afghanistan, Maldives, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal. 

The 132nd edition of the Durand Cup will kickstart on 3 August 2023 and will witness a total of 43 high-octane matches between 24 teams, up from 20 last year. The finals are scheduled for 3 September 2023. Audiences can watch the tournament LIVE on Sony Sports Ten 2 channels and the matches will also be available for livestreaming, exclusively on SPN’s premium OTT platform, SonyLIV. 

First played in 1888, the Durand Cup is Asia’s oldest football tournament and the third oldest in the World. Started by Sir Henry Mortimer Durand, the then Foreign Secretary to the Government of India, the Durand Cup is the only tournament in India that pits all Indian Super League (Indian top division) teams against top I-League (second division) and other division teams, as well as teams from the Armed Forces, against each other. 

The iconic tournament is conducted by the Durand Football Tournament Society (DFTS), whose President is the Chief of Defence Staff, with the Service Chiefs of the Army, Airforce, and Navy, being its Vice-Presidents. Organized by the Indian Army, on behalf of the three Services, the tournament is currently being conducted by Eastern Command. It is also unique in the sense that it rewards the winners with three glittering trophies, the Durand Cup (a rolling trophy and the original prize), the Shimla Trophy (also a rolling trophy and given by the residents of Shimla in 1904) and the President’s Cup (for permanent retention and presented by Dr. Rajendra Prasad, India’s first President, in 1956). 

The 24 teams of the 132nd Edition have been divided into six groups of four teams each. Three of these groups will play their matches in Kolkata, while Guwahati and Kokrajhar in Assam, will host two and one group respectively. Guwahati and Kokrajhar will also host one quarter-final each, while the rest of the knockout games will be played in Kolkata. This year’s tournament will also see the participation of foreign teams after a gap of 27 years, with the Army teams of Nepal and Bangladesh also confirming their participation. 

Football fans are set for a treat, particularly given the many popular derbies lined up on the roster. Prominent among them will be the Kolkata derby, one of the biggest footballing derbies in the world, between Mohun Bagan Super Giant and Emami East Bengal. Others include the Kerala derby between ISL side Kerala Blasters and 2019 champions Gokulam Kerala and the two southern derbies between Hyderabad FC and Chennaiyin FC and champions Bengaluru FC and Gokulam Kerala. The North-East derby will also feature a clash between North-East United 

Mumbai: Pro Panja League on Monday announced an exclusive live-streaming partnership with India’s premier sports destination FanCode for the upcoming inaugural season which will take place between 28 July 2023 and 13 August 2023 at the IGI Stadium in New Delhi. All 33 fixtures will be streamed on the FanCode app (Android, iOS) TV app available on Android TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Jio STB, Samsung TV, Airtel XStream, OTT Play and www.fancode.com.

As part of the partnership, FanCode will also be exclusively live-streaming content on all its platforms from the Pro Panja League undercard every day featuring six bouts between the four teams competing on the day between 5 PM – 7 PM.  

Apart from being live-streamed on FanCode, the highly-anticipated first season of Asia’s biggest arm wrestling promotion, Pro Panja League, will be broadcast live on TV Sony Ten 3 SD and Sony Ten 3 HD from 7 PM onwards. The inaugural season will feature six teams – Kiraak Hyderabad, Mumbai Muscle, Rohtak Rowdies, Ludhiana Lions, Baroda Badshahs, and Kochi KD’s – that will vie for the prestigious trophy. 

180 top arm wrestlers from the country spread across six men’s, three women’s and one specially-abled category, have been divided across the six franchises, and will take part in the league. 

Launched in March 2019, FanCode is India’s premier sports destination committed to giving fans a highly personalised experience across content and merchandise for a wide variety of sports. It has partnered with domestic, and international sports leagues and associations across multiple sports. The platform has streamed Cricket, Hockey, Golf, Basketball, Kabaddi, Volleyball, Horse Racing, Baseball, and Rugby, amongst other sports since its inception.

Pro Panja League co-founder Parvin Dabas said, “Ever since we have launched the Pro Panja league, we have always looked forward to the best platforms to showcase our arm wrestlers who are truly special. Fancode has garnered a cult following among sports fans in India, especially making a name for themselves with seamless live streaming of regional sports. Fancode will allow us to spread the reach of Panja, the Bharat ka Khel, across all regions of the country, including tier-two and tier-three cities”.

Yannick Colaco co-founder FanCode added, “At FanCode, we have always believed in promoting India’s regional sports and having Panja on the platform is truly special. We are excited for the fans to see professional arm-wrestling for the first time”.

Pro Panja League Season 1 will take place between 28 July 2023 and 13 August 2023 and will be broadcast LIVE on Sony Ten 3 SD and Sony Ten 3 HD channels and live-streamed on Fancode. 

Mumbai: The Switch, a leading provider of production services and live video delivery, provided international connectivity and transmission for the 2023 Wimbledon Championships, which took place from July 2023. Supporting IMG Studios in the UK and the main international rightsholders, including ESPN, Tennis Channel and Stats Perform, The Switch’s expertise in first-mile connectivity and robust network reach bought live feeds of the world’s premier grass court tournament to millions of fans worldwide at low latency and in unparalleled quality.

Supporting the British Grand Slam tournament, The Switch installed a dedicated private dark fiber ring into the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) in Wimbledon to deliver tournament feeds to IMG Studios at Stockley Park, West London, where all the production for coverage of the competition is handled. This dedicated network delivers 100-200Gb capacity, ensuring every live feed from every court at Wimbledon is delivered to fans seamlessly. The flexible fiber network ensured redundancy and allowed capacity to be spun up and down as needed.

The Switch Sr VP of operations George Lopez noted: “Wimbledon is one of the most prestigious live events in tennis, and it was critical fans could enjoy every second of the action uninterrupted. This project brought together The Switch’s long-standing heritage supporting major Grand Slams with our knowledge and expertise in delivering high-value sports content, which meant the main broadcast partners and rightsholders could rely on us to deliver bigger and better coverage. We’re proud to play a central role in bringing this much-loved tournament to more fans than ever worldwide.”

The project combined The Switch’s top-tier IP infrastructure and its deep experience delivering live coverage of the world’s foremost sports events to ensure uninterrupted transmission – including the largest stadium Point of Presence (POP) the company has built to date. The Switch carried all feeds from all 18 courts at Wimbledon, plus behind-the-scenes content and beauty shots.

Mumbai: The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 trophy tour recently concluded its successful visits to New Zealand and Australia, following its previous stops in India. The prestigious trophy, which holds immense significance in the world of cricket, has been capturing the hearts of fans worldwide.

The trophy arrived in Auckland, where it paid homage to the iconic Eden Park stadium. This historical venue witnessed the exhilarating semi-final clash between New Zealand and South Africa in the 2015 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. Grant Elliott, the hero of that match, graciously welcomed the trophy and occupied a specially designated green seat, marking the spot of his memorable six that secured victory for the Black Caps in the penultimate delivery.

Fans in Auckland were delighted to catch a glimpse of the coveted trophy as it toured popular locations, including Viaduct and Mission Bay, amidst the scenic beauty of the city. The tour culminated in a grand finale in downtown Auckland, leaving cricket enthusiasts in awe.

Melbourne, the cricketing heartland of Australia, was the next destination on the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup trophy tour. The prestigious MCG stadium hosted a tribute to the legendary Shane Warne, where the trophy stood beneath the newly renamed Shane Warne Stand. Fans gathered around the statue of the late spin legend, reminiscing his outstanding player-of-the-match performance in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 1999 semi-final between Australia and South Africa. The city’s vibrant spirit was on display as the trophy made its way to renowned locations such as the famous Hosier Lane.

The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup trophy tour continues to captivate cricket fans globally, spreading excitement for the upcoming tournament. The next stop on this extraordinary journey will be in Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea.

Mumbai: FanCode, India’s premier sports destination, will exclusively livestream the upcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 in India. FanCode has acquired the rights from 1Stadia and will live stream all the matches across India on its digital platform. The World Cup will be hosted by Australia and New Zealand from 20 July 2023 and will take place across nine vibrant cities, showcasing the pinnacle of women’s football. The final will take place on August 20.

Football fans can watch all the action on FanCode’s mobile app (Android, iOS, TV), TV app available on Android TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Jio STB, Samsung TV, Airtel XStream, OTT Play and www.fancode.com

FanCode will provide fans with an unparalleled viewing experience, as all 64 matches of the Women’s World Cup 2023 will be live-streamed on the platform. Football enthusiasts in India can now enjoy the thrilling action, as well as exclusive match highlights and clips throughout the competition.

FanCode co-founder & CEO Yannick Colaco said, “We are excited to bring one of the biggest global sporting events to Indian fans. Stars like Alexia Putellas, Megan Rapinoe, Marta, and Sam Kerr have become household names in India for young girls and boys. The tournament is a celebration of women’s football, and we are committed to providing fans with a great experience”.

1Stadia CEO and co-founder Sangeet Shirodkar said, “Partnering with FanCode to bring the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 to fans in India is a significant step for 1Stadia. FanCode’s extensive reach and strength in the IPTV domain make them an ideal partner to deliver the tournament to a wide range of viewers. Women’s sports, especially in the digital streaming space, have gained maximum traction and appeal, and we are excited to leverage this momentum to showcase the extraordinary talent and competitiveness of the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Together with FanCode, we are confident in our ability to captivate and engage audiences across India, driving viewership to new heights.”

FanCode’s partnership with 1Stadia and FIFA underscores its dedication to promoting and expanding the reach of women’s sports. By offering an inclusive platform that showcases the

FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, FanCode continues to be at the forefront of revolutionising sports consumption in India.

As part of the partnership, FanCode will also exclusively livestream FIFA Beach World Cup, FIFA U17 World Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup scheduled for later in the year.

FanCode is offering tour passes at affordable prices for fans apart from monthly and yearly subscriptions.

Mumbai: The countdown to MotoGP Bharat was initiated in Hyderabad on Sunday with the multi “City Tour” initiative that was launched with great enthusiasm and response amidst 400 riders who participated in a controlled ride starting from Dhruva College of Fashion Technology, HiTech city, riding in a loop and back to increase the awareness around MotoGP among the community of race enthusiasts of the city.

This event, much like other MotoGP Bharat events propagated the philosophy of “Roads are for riding” and “Tracks are for racing” and encouraged young and aspirational riders to become aware of this global IP and forge a strong sense of camaraderie with the biking fraternity of Hyderabad city and across the state.

“Hyderabad has given confidence and wings to MotoGP Bharat’s City Tour initiative. It turned out to be a resounding success, with participants embracing the thrill of riding through the city streets. This event marked the beginning of an exciting chapter, and we look forward to bringing the MotoGP Bharat experience to more cities across the country,” commented the Indian promoters of MotoGP – FairStreet Sport MD and head of city tours Sushant Shrivastava.

The turnout of female riders at the event was equally encouraging. This notable participation also reflected on the growing prominence of women as part of the biking community and how MotoGP has been successfully appealing with both the genders globally.

With the Hyderabad chapter coming to a successful conclusion, the race will now proceed to Ahmedabad on 23 July, which is the next venue for the City Tour.

Besides the ride, the event showcased a slice of the MotoGP atmosphere including mega DJ shows, bike stunts, food stalls, selfie booths, 360 VR and gaming booth at the event.

Host state, Uttar Pradesh will welcome the bike enthusiasts of Hyderabad and other cities as the caravan will proceed across the country before culminating in Delhi on the race weekend in September, from where participants will ride to the iconic Buddh International Circuit for the race that takes place from 22-24 September 2023.

In addition, head of marketing, Rohit Sharma and AVP, brand alliances, Shaan Ahuja also played a pivotal roles in conducting the event.

Mumbai: Pro Panja League (PPL) on Friday announced its renewed partnership with Willow TV, the leading broadcaster of cricket and combat sports in the United States. This partnership aims to bring the exhilarating professional arm wrestling from India to the US, where the game is quite popular and at the same time, strengthen the fan base globally.

Last year, Willow TV telecast the Ranking Tournament across the USA and Canada, which was held in Gwalior in July 2022. This year, the matches will be telecast live from (9:30 EST) onwards. Fans can look forward to witnessing the strength, endurance, and intense competition that makes the Pro Panja League one of the most exciting and rapidly growing sports leagues in the world.

“We are elated to join hands with Willow TV once again and continue our mission of promoting arm wrestling as a competitive sport. Willow TV has a fantastic track record of delivering high-quality sports content to fans, and we believe this partnership will play an important role in expanding the reach of Pro Panja League in the United States,” said  Pro Panja League, co-founder Parvin Dabas.

Willow TV Chief Operating Officer Todd Myers said, “Willow TV has been entertaining sports fans for two decades in North America. We are thrilled to add the Pro Panja League to our list of world-class events. The PPL is going to be non-stop action which will keep Willow subscribers on the edge of their seats”.

Willow TV is the only 24×7 live cricket channel in the USA, with several hundred days of live cricket covered annually, and is also home to the Indian Premier League in the region. Willow has exclusive agreements to be the official broadcaster of The International Cricket Council (ICC), Indian Premier League (IPL), England Cricket Board, Cricket Australia, Cricket South Africa, West Indies Cricket Board, Sri Lanka Cricket, Bangladesh Cricket Board, Pakistan Cricket Board, Zimbabwe Cricket, Pakistan Super League and others.

Pro Panja League season one will take place between 28 July 2023 and 13 August 2023 and will be broadcast LIVE on Sony Ten 3 SD and Sony Ten 3 HD channels.

Mumbai: OTB Strategy, a leading marketing agency renowned for its expertise in marketing and advertising, promotion, and community building is delighted to announce its collaboration with FairStreet Sports (FSS), a prominent race promotion company based in Noida, for a series of exhilarating multi-city activations for MotoGP Bharat in India. This partnership aims to enhance the reach of MotoGP, engage motorbike enthusiasts, and create an unforgettable experience for fans across the country.

OTB Strategy, renowned for its expertise in Marketing and Advertising, promotion, and community building, will play a pivotal role in executing a comprehensive marketing campaign. The agency’s vast experience and strategic approach will help create widespread awareness, excitement, and engagement for MotoGP Bharat events in India.

The multi-city activations will take place in nine major Indian cities, namely Ahmedabad, Kochi, Bangalore, Pune, Mumbai, Goa, Jaipur, Chandigarh, and Delhi NCR. Each city will witness an array of thrilling activities, including mall activations, community-building initiatives, and engaging promotions, all geared towards fostering a deep connection between MotoGP and motorbike enthusiasts in India.

Through this partnership, OTB Strategy and FSS aim to unlock the immense potential of the Indian market for MotoGP Bharat, recognizing the growing passion for motorsports and the enthusiasm of the Indian audience. The collaborative efforts will ensure that MotoGP Bharat reaches a broader audience, attracts new fans, and establishes a strong fan base in India.

OTB Strategy CEO Abhishek Sharma shared his thoughts on the partnership, saying, “We are thankful to be associated with FairStreet Sports for this groundbreaking initiative, and even during the launch we did the Bikers ride and have been happy to work with FairStreet since a year now. City Tour Activation shall bring in a lot of excitement, where there will be a bikers road show, stunt shows, rock concerts, influencers and of course an opportunity to win/get tickets for the MotoGP Bharat on 22, 23 and 24  September’2023.”

“We look at a larger and longer association with MotoGP Bharat. Our team is eager to leverage the marketing prowess to promote MotoGP Bharat and build a vibrant community of motorbike enthusiasts across India. Together, we aim to redefine the MotoGP experience and bring it closer to the hearts of Indian fans.”, added Sharma.

OTB Strategy Sports director Ajitabh Rajan quoted, “This is for the first time MotoGP is coming to India and is a matter of great pride for all of us and especially for the sports fraternity. We, as OTB Strategy are committed to delivering an exhilarating experience to all sports lovers and the biker’s community. We thank FairStreet Sports for their trust in us. The way we have been working since the beginning and the Launch ride, we shall continue to do our best.”

OTB Strategy and FairStreet Sports (FSS) are poised to revolutionize the MotoGP Bharat experience in India through their combined efforts. With a strategic focus on marketing and advertising, promotion, mall activations, and community building, the partnership aims to establish MotoGP Bharat as a premier motorsport in the Indian market.

FairStreet Sports chief operating officer Pushkar Nath Srivastava expressed his excitement about the collaboration, stating, “We are thrilled to join forces with OTB Strategy for these multi-city activations. Their expertise and strategic approach align perfectly with our vision of expanding the reach of MotoGP Bharat in India. We believe this partnership will create unforgettable experiences for fans and ignite a new era of motorsports enthusiasm in the country”.