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Category: Sports

  • Jhingan joins IOS in a new defensive strategy off the pitch

    Jhingan joins IOS in a new defensive strategy off the pitch

    MUMBAI: From boots to brand play, Sandesh Jhingan is lining up a new formation. Indian football’s defensive rock, Sandesh Jhingan, is now dribbling into new territory brand management. The 31-year-old centre-back has signed with IOS Sports and Entertainment, marking a strategic off-field move aimed at amplifying his brand presence and widening his impact beyond the beautiful game.

    Jhingan, currently with FC Goa in the Indian Super League (ISL), brings over a decade of international experience to the IOS stable. Since making his debut for India in 2013, the Chandigarh-born defender has racked up more than 50 caps for the national side, captained India in marquee tournaments like the AFC Asian Cup and FIFA World Cup qualifiers, and has become a household name in Indian football.

    Known for his no-nonsense defending, aerial dominance, and vocal leadership, Jhingan has turned out for ISL heavyweights such as Kerala Blasters, Mohun Bagan Super Giant, and Chennaiyin FC. His brief but landmark stint with Croatian club HNK Šibenik in 2021 made him one of the rare Indian players to play in Europe, adding an international edge to his résumé.

    He was named the AIFF Men’s Player of the Year for 2020–21, further cementing his status as one of Asia’s top defenders.

    On signing with IOS, Jhingan said, “I’m excited to join the IOS Sports and Entertainment family and work with a team that has such an impressive track record with India’s top athletes. Their expertise feels like the perfect assist as I look to amplify my story and connect with more people at a deeper level.”

    IOS, known for managing India’s sporting icons like Vijender Singh, Mirabai Chanu, Anju Bobby George, Lovlina Borgohain, and Manpreet Singh, sees Jhingan as a valuable addition to its football playbook.

    “Sandesh represents everything we look for in an athlete exceptional talent, unwavering dedication, and the ability to inspire others,” said IOS COO Rahul Trehan. “His addition strengthens our commitment to supporting India’s sporting heroes across all disciplines.”

    The partnership aims to elevate Jhingan’s brand through holistic management from endorsement deals and media visibility to community initiatives and content-driven storytelling. With football gaining ground as a serious sport-business in India, Jhingan’s play with IOS could be just the pivot the sport needs.

    After all, he’s long been the last line of defence now, he’s ready to be the face of a new offensive.

  • Apex and Baseline strike deal to boost sports investment in India

    Apex and Baseline strike deal to boost sports investment in India

    BENGALURU: Apex, a Europe-born sports investment firm backed by world-class athletes, has inked a strategic partnership with Baseline Ventures, one of India’s most prominent sports and entertainment outfits. The tie-up aims to unlock new investment opportunities in India’s booming sports ecosystem while giving Indian capital direct access to premium deals across Europe and the US.

    Baseline Ventures, founded in 2014, has carved a formidable position in Indian sport, with businesses spanning athlete management, league creation, licensing, and brand partnerships. The firm represents some of the country’s top names including Smriti Mandhana, Abhinav Bindra, PR Sreejesh, and Nikhat Zareen, and co-founded the Prime Volleyball League.

    Apex brings deep experience in venture capital, growth, and private equity across the global sports and media sectors. Its athlete-led model has drawn in investors such as Formula 1 drivers Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz, and footballers Trent Alexander-Arnold and Marcelo Vieira. Earlier this year, Smriti Mandhana became the first Indian athlete to invest in Apex — a symbolic milestone in its growing Indian play.

    Apex partner & chief commercial officer Pedro Felix da Costa said the move was a “natural step” for the firm: “India is one of the most dynamic sports markets in the world. Partnering locally helps us navigate it with intent, while also offering Indian capital high-quality exposure to Europe and US deals.”

    Baseline Ventures Co-Founder & Director Vishal Jaison called the tie-up a win-win: “Sports is now one of the most lucrative asset classes, delivering strong value appreciation. With Apex, Indian investors get a gateway to some of the biggest global sporting entities.”

    The deal marks a significant moment in the convergence of global capital and India’s sports industry — one where returns and fandom are racing side by side.

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  • District by Zomato aces it as official ticketing partner for World Padel League Season 3

    District by Zomato aces it as official ticketing partner for World Padel League Season 3

    MUMBAI: The World Padel League (WPL) is back and it’s bigger, bolder, and now backed by a brand-new ticketing ace. ‘District by Zomato’ has been announced as the official ticketing partner for Season 3 of the WPL, scheduled from 12-16 August at Nesco Center, Mumbai. Tickets for the league stage are now live on the District app and website.

    From high-speed rallies to global talent across 6 fierce teams, the five-day spectacle promises 11 action-packed matches with two games a day to keep fans on their toes. Courtside seats start at just Rs 999, letting you dive into the drama without breaking the bank.

    Commenting on the partnership, World Padel League spokesperson said, “Our partnership with District by Zomato is a strategic move to enhance fan experience and cater to a larger attendance this season. By making the ticketing process seamless and accessible, we are ensuring that more fans can experience global padel action live, which is crucial for the growth of the sport in India. We are gearing up for an exciting season ahead and we look forward to welcoming padel-lovers courtside, soon!”

    “The impressive growth of padel among urban consumers aligns perfectly with District by Zomato’s culturally-first ethos. It is about identifying and shaping new trends. We’re excited to be the official ticketing partner of the World Padel League, ensuring every fan can easily immerse themselves in the high-energy of live, world-class padel”, said District by Zomato spokesperson.

    It’s the sport taking over social feeds and urban weekends. A sizzling blend of tennis and squash, padel is played in doubles on a glass-walled court. With its quick-fire rallies, strategic rebounds, and social-first appeal, it’s no surprise that it’s one of the fastest-growing sports globally.

    Book early. Get close. Feel the smash. This August, the World Padel League is serving up pure adrenaline and only a few seats remain.

    Book your tickets on: https://link.district.in/DSTRKT/WorldPadelLeagueSeason3

  • Kabaddi gets a capital lift as UPKL hits Rs 238 crore in valuation

    Kabaddi gets a capital lift as UPKL hits Rs 238 crore in valuation

     MUMBAI: Mat talk turns money talk and UPKL is wrestling its way to the top of India’s sports scene. The Uttar Pradesh Kabaddi League (UPKL) has thrown down the gauntlet and picked up a valuation tag of Rs 238 crore, cementing its status as one of India’s fastest-growing sports properties. Its creator and operator, SJ Uplift Kabaddi Pvt Ltd, has not only built a regional league, but a nationwide movement with global potential all in its very first season.

    Launched in 2024, the debut edition of UPKL featured eight franchise-based teams, capturing hearts in small towns and big cities alike. The data tells the story: according to BARC, over 30 million television viewers tuned in across India, while digital platforms clocked 300 million impressions.

    Sony Sports Network (on Sports Ten 1 and Ten 3), DD Sports, and Fancode collectively broadcast the matches, ensuring a multi-platform footprint that reached deep into Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.

    SJ Uplift’s Founder and Director Sambhav Jain attributes the league’s soaring valuation to “the growing popularity and resonance” of the UPKL format. He added, “This valuation reaffirms our belief in grassroots sports and the immense, untapped potential of regional talent. The overwhelming response from fans, franchises and brands proves we’re building something bigger than just a league.”

    Backed by a vision to scale kabaddi into a globally recognised sport, Jain sees UPKL not just as a commercial vehicle but as a cultural movement. With plans to build a sustainable ecosystem for athletes, fans and sponsors, SJ Uplift is already eyeing expansion, new partnerships, and greater professionalisation in the seasons ahead.

    UPKL’s debut season is not just a sporting win, it’s a statement. With a Rs 238 crore valuation, deep-rooted audience traction, and a hyperlocal-to-global narrative, it’s making regional kabaddi not just prime-time entertainment, but premium IP.

    From dusty courts to digital charts the future of Indian kabaddi is looking like a full-body slam dunk.

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  • Indian aces call the shots at WSOP 2025

    Indian aces call the shots at WSOP 2025

    MUMBAI: India’s high rollers and card sharks just raised the stakes on the global stage. At the 56th annual World Series of Poker (WSOP) – held at Horseshoe Las Vegas and Paris Las Vegas – Indian players went all in, pulling off one of their best runs yet. From final tables to gold bracelets, Team India’s performance wasn’t just impressive, it was a royal flush.

    This year’s WSOP shattered records with 100 live tournaments, drawing thousands of players from across the globe. Amidst the buzz and billion-dollar pots, Indian players made their presence known, notching up seven final tables and even a bracelet win.

    Leading the pack was seasoned pro and former WSOP champ Aditya Agarwal, who clinched India’s only bracelet of the season in the WSOP Online NLHE Championship. Not far behind, Laksh Pal Singh cashed in on eight events and reached the final table in the Poker Hall of Fame Bounty. A familiar face in the Indian poker scene, Laksh is also a game ambassador for PokerBaazi.

    Ankit Ahuja, ranked India’s Global Poker Index (GPI) Player of the Year—twice over—grabbed seven cashes, including a final table in the $3,000 Mid-Stakes Championship. Zarvan Tumboli battled it out across six events, placing 119th in the prestigious Main Event and shining in Omaha. He took reps at PokerBaazi, flying the flag for Maharashtra and the National Poker Championship.

    Former bracelet winner Aditya Sushant added four cashes to his name, including a deep run in the PokerNews Deepstack Championship. Meanwhile, Santhosh Suvarna – already a two-time WSOP bracelet winner – made three strong finishes, including a 16th-place run in the High Roller and a title win at the Wynn Classic.

    And it didn’t stop there. WSOP vets like Nipun Java, Abhinav Iyer, and Kartik Ved returned to form, joined by crowd favourites like Kunal Patni, Nishant Sharma, Shrey Maheshwary, Tarun Goyal, Bhargav Kakani, Gaurav Sood, and many more. Whether representing PokerBaazi or gunning for solo glory, the Indian contingent didn’t just ante up—they dominated.

    Even beyond the WSOP tables, Indians were busy stacking chips across Vegas. Breakout star Gunisha Sinha, the dentist-turned-poker pro from Delhi, stole the spotlight with a cracking win at the Resorts World Las Vegas 2025 Summer Series in the $360 NLHE – PLON Ladies tournament. Gunisha, now the latest PokerBaazi game ambassador, also clinched a title in The Circuit: Season 3, proving that when it comes to poker, she’s no novice.

    Closing out the series in style, Florida’s Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi took home the WSOP Main Event crown, his eighth career bracelet and a cool $10 million payday. That win also earned him a coveted seat in the Poker Hall of Fame.

    India’s performance at WSOP 2025 isn’t just a blip, it’s a bold declaration: the country is no longer an outsider in global poker. These players aren’t here to watch—they’re here to win.

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  • Sun TV makes UK cricket power play with £100.5m Superchargers buy

    Sun TV makes UK cricket power play with £100.5m Superchargers buy

    LONDON: Sun TV Network has struck a six to the boundary with a bold £100.5 million acquisition of Northern Superchargers, a prominent franchise in the UK’s The Hundred cricket league. The all-cash deal, approved by Sun TV’s board on 18 July, makes the broadcaster the sole owner of the Leeds-based team and further cements its global sporting ambitions.

    The move sees Sun TV add a third franchise to its growing sports roster, which already includes Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL and Sunrisers Eastern Cape in South Africa’s SA20. With cricket’s commercial appeal soaring across continents, the company is betting big on the format’s future in the UK.

    Northern Superchargers, incorporated in 2019 and based in London, clocked a turnover of £1.89 million in FY24 and will become a wholly owned subsidiary once the transaction is completed, expected by the end of 2025. The acquisition is routed through India’s automatic route for overseas investment, with the final remittance pegged to prevailing exchange rates.

    Sun TV said the deal aligns with its strategy of tapping global cricket leagues with strong broadcast and sponsorship potential. “The Hundred has shown strong traction with younger audiences and we see significant upside in long-term value creation,” said the broadcaster in its filing.

    This acquisition marks a rare Indian media foray into English cricket—an arena traditionally dominated by homegrown stakeholders and legacy institutions. With this move, Sun TV is not just buying into a team, but into a format and fanbase with serious commercial legs.

    The game, it seems, is well and truly on.

  • Leadership hires rise as firms chase performance over pedigree

    Leadership hires rise as firms chase performance over pedigree

    MUMBAI: From corner offices to boardroom briefings, India Inc. is hitting refresh on its leadership roster. As Indian enterprises tighten the screws on performance, governance and risk agility, CXO-level hiring has seen a 9.5 per cent spike in FY25, according to retained executive search firm Venator Search Partners. The leadership shuffle is part of a structural shift, with companies moving away from legacy-driven appointments toward outcome-oriented roles. According to Venator, over 50 per cent of its hires last year were board-level director positions, and business head mandates have risen by more than 30 per cent this fiscal year.

    “Leadership is no longer inherited. It’s being sculpted to meet sharper expectations,” said Venator Search Partners founder Deepraditya Datta.

    Post-pandemic pressures have forced boards and promoters to rethink how they evaluate leadership no longer by tenure, but by tangible impact. When results fall short, change comes swiftly.

    With regulatory scrutiny mounting, especially after the Reserve Bank of India imposed Rs 54.78 crore in penalties on 353 entities in FY25 for compliance failures, companies are seeking leaders who blend execution with governance.

    There’s rising demand for CXOs who can steer boardroom conversations, think through risk scenarios, and embed compliance into enterprise culture. Finance, audit, and risk functions are no longer just back-office guardians, they’re becoming frontline strategists.

    Inclusivity, too, is taking root at the top. Women now hold 20.6 per cent of CXO roles and 28 per cent of functional head positions, signalling a shift in how leadership pipelines are being built.

    Cybersecurity and digital resilience are also shaping boardroom priorities. As reliance on tech grows, so does the need for leaders who can manage digital risk and business continuity, especially across mid-market firms and large conglomerates alike.

    “The impulsive hire-and-fire culture is giving way to strategic realignment cycles, structured performance reviews, and impact-led assessments,” Datta added.

    In the age of transparency and accountability, Indian companies are rewriting the rulebook on what it means to lead and making sure the boardroom isn’t just where strategy starts, but where results are demanded.

  • Panja packs a punch as Season 2 locks arms with FanCode once again

    Panja packs a punch as Season 2 locks arms with FanCode once again

    MUMBAI: Get ready to grip your screens, India’s fiercest arm battles are back and bolder than ever. The Pro Panja League is flexing for a powerful comeback as Season 2 kicks off on 5 August , streaming live on Fancode. After a knockout debut that turned armwrestling into a must-watch phenomenon, the league is once again teaming up with India’s go-to digital sports platform to deliver unfiltered strength, strategy and spectacle to fans across the country.

    Returning in an IPL-style franchise format, the tournament will see elite athletes from across the nation collide in high-voltage matchups over 17 action-packed days in Gwalior known as much for its heritage as, now, for hosting this homegrown showdown.

    While the Kochi KD’s will defend their title, all eyes are also on the fresh crop of contenders eager to shake up the pecking order at the Panja table.

    “Our aim has always been to make armwrestling accessible to every Indian household,” said Pro Panja League co-founder Parvin Dabas. “Fancode’s reach in Season 1 gave us the perfect platform and we’re ready to dial it up again for Season 2.”

    Fancode co-founder Yannick Colaco added, “We’re proud to continue supporting the growth of indigenous sports. Panja isn’t just a contest of strength, it’s a celebration of pride and passion. And we’re excited to bring it to screens across India.”

    Fans can catch all the action live on the Fancode app (Android and Ios), on TV via Amazon Fire TV Stick, Android TV, Samsung TV, Jio STB, and on the Fancode website.

    Whether you’re a diehard fan or new to the grip-and-rip game, the Pro Panja League promises a second season that’s bigger, bolder, and guaranteed to leave viewers hooked.

  • Prasar Bharati inks handball broadcast deal to boost sport’s reach

    Prasar Bharati inks handball broadcast deal to boost sport’s reach

    NEW DELHI: India’s public broadcaster Prasar Bharati has signed a three-year memorandum of understanding with the Handball Association of India (HAI) to produce and beam all national and international handball events.
    The matches will be telecast on DD Sports, Waves OTT, and other Prasar Bharati platforms in a bid to expand the sport’s footprint and nurture emerging talent.

    The agreement was formally exchanged between Prasar Bharati chief executive officer Gaurav Dwivedi and HAI executive director Anandeshwar Pande. Prasar Bharati chairman Navneet Kumar Sehgal was also present at the signing.

    The move marks a major push to take the underdog sport mainstream and give Indian handball players a national stage.

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  • JioStar scores big with BFSI brands as Wimbledon 2025 serves up ‘affluence in motion’

    JioStar scores big with BFSI brands as Wimbledon 2025 serves up ‘affluence in motion’

    MUMBAI: The strawberries may be fresh, but the money is fresher. Wimbledon 2025, streaming on JioHotstar and airing on Star Sports Select 1 & 2 and Star Sports 2, has turned into a grand slam not just for tennis but for India’s financial marketing elite.

    BFSI brands have come out swinging this season, emerging as the top-performing category in advertiser participation, with a 50 per cent surge in client count over last year’s edition. From mutual funds and banking to insurance and fintech, Wimbledon has become the new turf where India’s money men are building brand muscle and not just with return-on-investment shots.

    The campaign, branded ‘Affluence in Motion’, leans into the Wimbledon mystique — tradition, prestige and quiet power, aligning beautifully with the trust and stability that BFSI brands aim to project. The data agrees:

    ●    65 per cent of JioHotstar viewers in 2024 came from NCCS A

    ●    55 per cent were from the top 8 metros,

    ●    and 53 per cent owned phones worth over Rs 25,000 — a dream demo for financial institutions hunting for affluent, digital-savvy consumers.

    While past Wimbledons were about forehands and finesse, this one is about funds and fixed deposits. Leading the charge are ICICI Mutual Funds, who headline the BFSI presence alongside a rising roster of insurers and NBFCs.

    Four brands have taken standalone contextual spots, smartly syncing their messaging with pre-match insights, commentary cut-ins, and even the Wimbledon Daily Live show beamed from London’s hallowed Centre Court. BFSI brands have found an especially elegant rhythm here — contextual ads pushing everything from retirement plans to wealth management, all draped in white and green Wimbledon glory.

    Digital remains the heavyweight champ. With 35 per cent year-on-year growth in JioHotstar consumption and a 50 per cent spike in digital advertiser count, the platform continues to offer unmatched reach among India’s wealthy urbanites. And that’s before factoring in connected TV viewership, which doubled versus 2023.

    The JioStar Network has drawn 17 new advertisers this year and retained 11 brands from Wimbledon 2024, with a 1.5x jump in revenue from these returning players. Automotive and BFSI brands are stealing the spotlight, but FMCG, alcobev, and luxury fittings are also swinging hard from Mahindra Electric, William Grant, HPCL, Jaquar, ICICI Mutual Funds to Amul, Haier, Kohler, Black and White.

    For the first time ever, Wimbledon 2025 has secured Presenting Sponsors across both TV and digital, marking a watershed moment in its commercial evolution and proving that in the high-stakes game of brand tennis, the financial sector has truly aced it.

    As the tennis legends serve fire on-court, India’s financial giants are volleying for attention off it, proving that at Wimbledon 2025, it’s not just the racquets that are making noise.