Category: Sports

Mumbai: Making its mark on the international stage for yet another time, S8UL, India’s leading Esports organisation has added yet another feather to its illustrious cap by becoming the first-ever Esports organisation to be honoured for its unparalleled impact on the worldwide mobile gaming landscape with the highly coveted ‘MOBIES GLOBAL IMPACT IN MOBILE GAMING’ 2023 award in Los Angeles, late Friday night. 

S8UL, a brainchild of Indian Esports industry veterans and distinguished gamers Naman Mathur (Mortal), Animesh Agarwal (8Bit Thug), and Lokesh Jain (Goldy), celebrated the victory along with the entire Esports community of India. This achievement not only brings glory to S8UL but also elevates the recognition and respect for Indian Esports globally. This award is also a testament to India’s dominance as a mobile-first gaming country with 90 per cent of players preferring to play video games on mobile only. 

S8UL co-founders the three couldn’t contain their joy, expressed: “This moment is truly surreal, and words cannot express the depth of our gratitude to every person who played a part in our journey. Our success is a testament to the outstanding progress we have achieved, igniting a newfound enthusiasm within us to aim higher. This award is for, of, and by the Indian gaming community and we will always be thankful for the love we have received from the country” 

They added “Our consistent triumphs year-on-year fuels our ambition and hunger to push our boundaries to scale more heights. Through our efforts, we aim to redefine the gaming landscape in the country and propel it to the forefront of mobile gaming to put India on the global gaming map”.

Alongside S8UL, their co-founder and the face of Indian gaming and Esports, Naman ‘Mortal’ Sandeep Mathur was also nominated for Mobile Content Creator of the Year. Team Soul’s prominent BGMI athlete Harsh ‘Goblin’ Paudwal was nominated for Mobile Esports Player of the Year but the awards for the above categories were bagged by Judo Sloth & Frederic “Bennyqt” Gonzales respectively. 

Backed by recent accolades, the leading Esports organisation S8UL, in collaboration with The Esports Club will also be inaugurating the first-ever gaming fest, a two-day extravaganza sponsored by Lenovo and Intel, dedicated to passionate fans from across the country. This exciting event, the S8UL Gaming Fest, will take place in Bengaluru from July 29-30. The passes for the S8UL Gaming Festival are already live on Eventbrite:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/s8ul-gaming-festival-tickets-676580910717?aff=Media

Previously, S8UL had become the country’s first Esports organization to win globally at the coveted ‘Esports Awards 2022’ for the ‘Content Group of the Year category in December 2022. They won it against global sensations from the industry, including 100 Thieves, FaZe Clan, OTK, G4TV, Tribo Gaules, etc, and made the country proud on the Global Gaming Stage. During the same awards, Mortal secured the second spot in the ‘Esports Personality of the Year Award.

The winners of the Global Impact on Mobile Gaming award is none other than @S8ulesports accepting the award is @Mortal04907880 & @8bit_thug pic.twitter.com/X5EAeuoEoQ

— MOBIES (@mobiesawards) July 15, 2023

Mumbai: With The Championships, Wimbledon now underway in London, millions will be viewing the action around the world and, like any other major sporting event, illegal actors will be attempting to profit through piracy. This year, however, organisers of the legendary tennis event have strengthened their ability to quickly remove illegal broadcasts through a global agreement with LaLiga Tech.

Content Protection services will carry out continuous monitoring and elimination of pirated content related to matches broadcast from the two weeks of The Championships. This monitoring will be carried out across all search engines, social media sites, online marketplaces, IPTV services or apps from any location.

With a worldwide audience that reaches more than 80 million, Wimbledon is one of the standout events of the global sporting calendar and protecting its hundreds of matches from illegal consumption is a key challenge to safeguarding the prestige of the event and the value of broadcasting rights.

Content Protection tackles online piracy by scanning all channels where illegal content is being distributed or promoted, removing it and collecting evidence to streamline legal procedures. Its expert teams of analysts based in laboratories around the world work in collaboration with the world’s largest distribution platforms and social networks to ensure content is removed as quickly as it emerges.

Content Protection director Guillermo Rodríguez said, “The Championships are an unmissable part of the sporting year and as such, attract worldwide attempts from criminals who try to illegally share the content for profit. We provide the technical and human resources to stop this and ensure more content is detected and removed in real time, which is vital for an industry where so much value comes from the live experience.”

All England Club head of broadcast, production & media rights Paul Davies added, “The illegal piracy of sports content is the scourge of our industry, and its protection for both licensors and rights-holding broadcasters is essential if we are to maintain a healthy and vibrant ecosystem. In LaLiga Tech, we have found an advanced global solution to monitor and swiftly take down illegal broadcasts of The Championships and early indications are that they are doing so with tremendous success.”

Mumbai: As a lead up to the to the first ever MotoGP race in India, MotoGP Bharat on Thursday announced “Road to MotoGP” – a multiple city event which would cover leading cities across the country and reach out to biking enthusiasts, biker groups and many more to celebrate the spirit of motorcycling to create awareness about MotoGP. This unique event will also scout for talent and create positive association with young aspiring riders to take up the sport professionally.

FairStreet Sports, the Indian promoters of MotoGP chief operating officer Pushkar Nath Srivastava, expressed his excitement about the nationwide event, stating, “We are thrilled to organise these city tours and spread the popularity of MotoGP™ to various cities across India. This tour is a celebration of our country’s vibrant biking culture and a testament to our commitment to promoting motorsports across the country. We look forward to welcoming biking enthusiasts from all walks of life and create an unforgettable experience for everyone involved.”

The ‘Hyderabad Chapter’ scheduled for July 16 is expected to attract 500 over bikers to participate in a controlled ride starting from Dhruva College of Fashion Technology HiTech city, riding in a loop of approximately 30 KM, and returning to the start point. This event, much like other MotoGP Bharat events, aims to propagate its philosophy of “Roads are for riding” and “Tracks are for racing” and encourage young and aspirational riders to become aware of this global IP and forge a strong sense of camaraderie with the biking fraternity.

The Hyderabad event would be followed by a series of events to be hosted across 24 cities, including Bangalore, Jaipur, Mumbai, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Chandigarh, Kashmir, and Guwahati, spreading the MotoGP™ fervour across the country and eventually culminate with a grand finale ride at the Buddh International Circuit on September 22-24, 2023, the race weekend.

Mumbai: Major League Cricket has announced a line-up of illustrious announcers from across the globe, bringing a rich range of international cricket experience to give color to broadcasts showcasing the historic season.

The commentary team includes the legendary Sunil Gavaskar (India), one of the greatest batters of all-time, former South Africa captain Graeme Smith, former New Zealand international Danny Morrison, and former Zimbabwe international Mpumelelo Mbangwa. Experienced announcers Natalie Germanos (South Africa) and Alan Wilkins (Wales) along with rising star Nikhil Uttamchandani (Barbados) complete the line-up.

MLC’s inaugural season will be broadcast live in the United States on Willow TV and across numerous major cricketing nations, including Australia (FOX Cricket), the Caribbean (SportsMax), India (Viacom18), New Zealand (Sky NZ), Pakistan (A Sports), South Africa (SuperSport) and the United Kingdom (BT Sport).

The broadcast partnerships will bring the transformative T20 franchise competition, featuring many of the world’s top players competing in the United States for the first time, to cricket fans around the world. The broadcasts will feature world-class production, with a 30-camera set-up for the matches at Grand Prairie Stadium in North Texas and Church Street Park in North Carolina.

Superstar players set to take part in MLC include Afghanistan T20 captain Rashid Khan, Pakistan’s Shadab Khan and Haris Rauf, South African internationals Faf du Plessis and David Miller, West Indians Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard and Andre Russell, Australians Marcus Stoinis and Aaron Finch, England’s Jason Roy and New Zealand’s Trent Boult.

The broadcast for Major League Cricket’s sold-out inaugural match, between the Texas Super Kings and Los Angeles Knight Riders, will be shown live this Thursday, 13 July starting at 7:30 p.m. Central Time. Six teams will compete in MLC’s inaugural season from July 13-30: the Los Angeles Knight Riders, MI New York, San Francisco Unicorns, Seattle Orcas, Texas Super Kings and Washington Freedom. The full schedule can be viewed at majorleaguecricket.com.

The first-ever edition of the landmark competition will air exclusively in India on Viacom18’s sports network. The multi-platform coverage will include live streaming on JioCinema and broadcast television coverage on Sports18.

Mumbai: Star Sports, India’s sports broadcaster, has acquired exclusive television rights for the upcoming ACC Men’s Emerging Asia Cup 2023. This landmark agreement not only marks the first time the tournament will be televised in its entirety but also highlights Star Sports’ commitment to promote emerging talent and grow the game of cricket. The ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2023 will be the fifth edition of the tournament and is scheduled to be held from 13 July to 23 July 2023 in Sri Lanka. Fans across India can watch all the action LIVE on the Star Sports Network.

The tournament will feature ‘A’ teams of the five full members of the Asian Cricket Council: India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan as well as the top three teams from the 2023 ACC Men’s Premier Cup: Nepal, UAE, and Oman. Through its extensive coverage of the tournament, Star Sports will offer fans front-row seats to witness the emergence of future Indian cricketing superstars like Yash Dhull (C), Abhishek Sharma (VC), Sai Sudarshan, and Riyan Parag among others. India A will begin their tournament on 14 July against UAE A before playing Nepal A on 17 July. The greatest rivalry will commence as India A take on Pakistan A in their final group-stage match on 19 July 2023.

“We are extremely excited to deliver the ACC Men’s Emerging Asia Cup 2023 to countless cricket enthusiasts. At Star Sports, we are dedicated to broadcasting the best cricket action, showcasing women’s cricket, and creating a platform for emerging talent to shine. Our collaborations with key stakeholders like ICC, ACC, and BCCI, to broadcast women’s cricket and upcoming young talent, underscores our steadfast dedication to expanding the sport and inspiring the next generation of cricketers,” said a Star Sports Spokesperson

As a pioneer in sports broadcasting, Star Sports will provide cricket enthusiasts across India unprecedented access to witness the emerging talent in action during the ACC Men’s Emerging Asia Cup 2023.

Mumbai: Major League Cricket (MLC) has announced that its historic inaugural season will be broadcast live across numerous major cricketing nations, including Australia (FOX Cricket), the Caribbean (SportsMax), New Zealand (Sky NZ), Pakistan (A Sports), South Africa (SuperSport) and the United Kingdom (BT Sport). MLC has already announced coverage from Willow TV in the United States and exclusive coverage in India on Viacom18’s sports network.

The broadcast partnerships will bring the transformative T20 franchise competition, featuring many of the world’s top players competing in the United States for the first time, to cricket fans around the world. The broadcasts will feature a world class production, with a 30-camera set-up for the matches at Grand Prairie Stadium in North Texas and Church Street Park in North Carolina.

The broadcast for Major League Cricket’s sold-out inaugural match, between the Texas Super Kings and Los Angeles Knight Riders, will be shown live this Thursday, 13 July starting at 7:30 p.m. Central Time. Six teams will compete in MLC’s inaugural season from 13-30 July: the Los Angeles Knight Riders, MI New York, San Francisco Unicorns, Seattle Orcas, Texas Super Kings and Washington Freedom. The full schedule can be viewed at majorleaguecricket.com.

The new cricket-specific venue in the Dallas-area, Grand Prairie Stadium, will play host to 12 matches in the groundbreaking American professional cricket championship, with seven matches also taking part at Church Street Park in Morrisville, North Carolina.

Superstar players set to take part in MLC include Afghanistan T20 captain Rashid Khan, Pakistan’s Shadab Khan and Haris Rauf, South African internationals Faf du Plessis and David Miller, West Indians Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard and Andre Russell, Australians Marcus Stoinis and Aaron Finch, England’s Jason Roy and New Zealand’s Trent Boult.

Mumbai: Sony Sports Network, known for its sports campaigns, has once again set the stage ablaze with their latest campaign, ‘Iss Baar Sau Paar,’ for the highly anticipated 2022 Asian Games. With an extraordinary lineup of luminaries, including esteemed personalities like chief of Defence Staff, general Anil Chauhan, Sudha Murty, Amitabh Bachchan and Kapil Sharma, the campaign aims to ignite the nation’s fervour for this multisport extravaganza. In a ground-breaking move, Sony Sports Network has unveiled a captivating film that captures the essence of Indian sports journalism, engaging the very individuals responsible for tracing and documenting the remarkable journeys of our sporting heroes. These sports journalists, who have tirelessly worked to popularize sports and elevate our athletes, are now the beacons of support for the Indian contingent. The broadcaster also welcomes more journalists from across the country to join in and share their message of support for Team India. The film boasts an all-star lineup of sports journalists hailing from esteemed publications such as Dainik Jagran, Dainik Bhaskar, Rajasthan Patrika, The Telegraph, Deccan Chronicle, and regional newspapers including Dinakaran, Lokmat, Eenadu, Gujarat Samachar, Sandesh, and Asomya Pratidin. Additionally, it features charismatic RJs from popular radio channels like Radio City and Radio One, along with representatives from leading news channels Aaj Tak and NDTV 24X7. Notably, a Sportskeeda scribe also graces the screen, adding to the tapestry of media support. As the official broadcaster of the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022, Sony Sports Network has taken on the mission of uplifting our athletes and igniting their spirits at this prestigious event. Building on India’s impressive performance at the 2018 Asian Games, where they clinched 69 medals, the nation is now poised to conquer new heights by setting their sights on an ambitious milestone — a triple-digit medal tally of 100. With ‘Iss Baar Sau Paar,’ Sony Sports Network aims to rally the entire nation, uniting millions of hearts, and minds, to stand beside our athletes as they strive for excellence and glory. This campaign is a resounding call to break barriers, inspire champions, and witness the remarkable journey of India’s sporting triumphs at the 2022 Asian Games.

Mumbai: The Asia Cup games between India and Pakistan will be held in Sri Lanka as the Rohit Sharma-led team won’t travel to Pakistan according to  IPL chairman Arun Dhumal.

Dhumal, who is in Durban for the ICC Chief Executives Meet (CEC) also said that BCCI secretary Jay Shah and PCB representative head Zaka Ashraf met ahead of the ICC Board meeting scheduled on Thursday to finalise the schedule.

He rubbished reports emerging from Pakistan media that India will travel to neighbouring country as their sports minister Ehsan Mazari had been claiming in some quarters.

India in all likelihood will play Pakistan in Sri Lanka’s Dambulla just like the 2010 edition.

Mumbai: Ritika Singh, the acclaimed Indian actress known for her exceptional role in the film “Saala Khadoos,” and recipient of the prestigious National Award and three Filmfare awards, is all set to represent India at the highly anticipated KSI, Karate World Championship in South Africa.

Ritika Singh, an accomplished martial artist herself, has not only made a mark in the Indian film industry but has also been a proud representative of India in various combat sports such as Karate, Kickboxing, and MMA (Mixed Martial Arts). Her dedication, passion, and exceptional skills have earned her recognition and accolades both nationally and internationally.

As she departs for South Africa today, Ritika Singh embraces a new challenge as she competes against world-class athletes at the Karate World Championship. She said, “I am honoured to represent India at the Karate World Championship in South Africa. It’s a privilege to showcase the talent and potential of Indian athletes on such a global platform. I have trained rigorously for this competition, and I am ready to give my best and make my country proud”.

Ritika Singh’s portrayal of a determined female boxer in “Saala Khadoos” was hailed as exceptional, further establishing her as a versatile and talented actress in the Indian film industry.

Ritika Singh will now compete against world-class athletes at the Karate World Championship. This event serves as a testament to her relentless pursuit of excellence and her desire to push the boundaries of her abilities.

Mumbai: Viacom18, the exclusive media rights partner for Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT), unveiled its commercial for season 4 of the high-octane table tennis league. The launch commercial, titled, ‘Every Table is a Playground’, aims to spark a buzz among viewers for the upcoming season and whets the appetite of fans to catch the best players in the world playing alongside some of India’s most exciting Table Tennis talent.

The commercial is a quirky take that personifies tables and explains how their single-purpose use is a disservice to their existence. The film describes the painful genesis of the tables used for different causes and attempts to convince the viewer that the tables were always destined for a greater purpose. It then switches mood and showcases how every table is destined to be a playground, showing a glimpse of the fast-paced action from UTT.

The 2023 season of Ultimate Table Tennis kicks off with defending champions Chennai Lions taking on Puneri Paltan Table Tennis on 13 July. The league will feature a total of 18 ties, including the semi-finals and final, and will feature six teams, namely Chennai Lions, Puneri Paltan Table Tennis, Bengaluru Smashers, Dabang Delhi TTC, Goa Challengers, and U Mumba TT. Matches will feature every day at 7:30 PM on JioCinema and Sports18.