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Tag: Delhi Dynamos

  • DEN divests further 25 per cent from Delhi Dynamos

    DEN divests further 25 per cent from Delhi Dynamos

    MUMBAI: Indian cable TV major DEN Networks is increasingly getting itself out of the sports den it had gotten itself into earlier. Today, the Sameer Manchanda-promoted SN Sharma-run Goldman Sachs-backed multisystem operator (MSO) informed the BSE that it had divested another 25 per cent equity from its sports initiative DEN Sports in favour of Wall Street Investments.

    The latter represents the business interests of the UAE-based entrepreneur Dr Anil Sharma-run GMS group. GMS is a world major buyer of ships for recycling.

    The price at which the equity stake has been transferred was not disclosed to the stock exchange, but Wall Street Investments holding in DEN Sports has gone up to 80 per cent equity while DEN Network’s has fallen to 20 per cent. DEN Sports controls 100 per cent of DEN Soccer which manages the Indian Soccer League Delhi-franchise owning Delhi Dynamos F.C.

    Wall Street Investments, on its part, has received Registrar of Companies permission to change the name of the two firms to Delhi Sports and Delhi Soccer. And DEN Networks also gave the name change the go-ahead following a board meeting.

    Earlier this year, DEN Networks had lopped off 55 per cent of its stake in DEN Sports to Wall Street Investments at a price of Rs 43.32 crore.

    The cable TV firm has been under pressure from its investors to get back to business basics and monetise better the cable TV digitisation process that India has been going through over the past three years. It rehired co-founder SN Sharma from Reliance Jio as the CEO to get its house in order.

  • DEN divests further 25 per cent from Delhi Dynamos

    DEN divests further 25 per cent from Delhi Dynamos

    MUMBAI: Indian cable TV major DEN Networks is increasingly getting itself out of the sports den it had gotten itself into earlier. Today, the Sameer Manchanda-promoted SN Sharma-run Goldman Sachs-backed multisystem operator (MSO) informed the BSE that it had divested another 25 per cent equity from its sports initiative DEN Sports in favour of Wall Street Investments.

    The latter represents the business interests of the UAE-based entrepreneur Dr Anil Sharma-run GMS group. GMS is a world major buyer of ships for recycling.

    The price at which the equity stake has been transferred was not disclosed to the stock exchange, but Wall Street Investments holding in DEN Sports has gone up to 80 per cent equity while DEN Network’s has fallen to 20 per cent. DEN Sports controls 100 per cent of DEN Soccer which manages the Indian Soccer League Delhi-franchise owning Delhi Dynamos F.C.

    Wall Street Investments, on its part, has received Registrar of Companies permission to change the name of the two firms to Delhi Sports and Delhi Soccer. And DEN Networks also gave the name change the go-ahead following a board meeting.

    Earlier this year, DEN Networks had lopped off 55 per cent of its stake in DEN Sports to Wall Street Investments at a price of Rs 43.32 crore.

    The cable TV firm has been under pressure from its investors to get back to business basics and monetise better the cable TV digitisation process that India has been going through over the past three years. It rehired co-founder SN Sharma from Reliance Jio as the CEO to get its house in order.

  • Q1-2016: Den Networks revenue down 11%, posts net loss of Rs 52 crore

    Q1-2016: Den Networks revenue down 11%, posts net loss of Rs 52 crore

    BENGALURU: Den Networks Ltd (Den Networks) reported lower Total Income from operations (TIO) in the quarter ended 30 June, 2015 (Q1-2016) at Rs 265.60 crore, 11.1 per cent less than the Rs 298.81 crore in Q1-2015 and 1.7 per cent lower than the Rs 270.30 crore in Q4-2015. 

     

    The company’s loss in the current quarter at Rs 51.89 crore was lower than the Rs 61.15 crore reported in the immediate trailing quarter Q4-2015. The company had posted a profit of Rs 1.12 crore (0.4 per cent margin) in the corresponding year ago quarter – Q1-2015.

     

    Note: 100,00,000 = 100 lakh = 10 million = 1 crore

     

    However, there were a few silver linings in the in the gloomy financial picture. Den’s Broadband revenue increased sharply to Rs 5.21 crore against Rs 1.06 crore in Q1-2015. Den, through a wholly owned subsidiary has participated in India Soccer League through the Delhi Dynamos FC. The company says that the response to the ISL is unprecedented and has given a huge advantage to the Den brand. Soccer revenue flow has started in current quarter at Rs 93 lakh, reveals Den.

     

    Some of Den Networks operational highlights in the current quarter include the fact that Den says that it has seeded 20 lakh boxes in phase III markets ahead of December 2015 deadline. It claims a 21 per cent market share in India’s digital cable subscribers (25 per cent in Phases 1 and 2). Further, the company’s Cable EBITDA improved by 26 per cent from Rs 14 crore in Q4-2015 to Rs 18 crore in the current quarter.

     

    Den Networks’ Broadband reach has increased 50 per cent in terms of number of homes passed and subscribed and broad band ARPU is Rs 760. Also, the company reports a strong growth in Den-Snapdeal clocking with the venture clocking an annualised GMV of Rs 144 crore in the current quarter as compared to the Rs 117 crore in previous quarter.

     

    Den Network’s operating loss (EBIDTA) in the current quarter was lower at Rs 4.67 crore as compared to the Rs 5.97 crore in Q4-2015. The company had reported a positive EBIDTA of Rs 57.16 crore (19.1 per cent margin) in the corresponding year ago quarter.

     

    The company’s Total Expenses in Q1-2016 at Rs 320.33 crore (120.6 per cent of TIO) was 12.4 per cent higher than the Rs 284.93 crore (95.4 per cent of TIO) in Q1-2015, but was one per cent lower than the Rs 323.70 crore (119.8 per cent of TIO) in Q4-2015. 

     

    Content cost in Q1-2016 at Rs 136.06 crore (51.2 per cent of TIO) was 27.9 per cent more than the Rs 106.42 crore (35.6 per cent of TIO) in Q1-2015, but was 2.2 per cent lower than the Rs 139.13 crore (51.5 per cent of TIO) in the immediate trailing quarter.

     

    The company’s finance costs in Q1-2016 declined 7.8 per cent to Rs 18.27 crore (6.9 per cent of TIO) as compared to the Rs 19.82 crore (6.6 per cent of TIO) in Q1-2015, but was 11.6 per cent more than the Rs 16.37 crore (6.1 per cent of TIO) in the immediate trailing quarter.

     

    Employee Benefit Expense at Rs 34.15 crore (12.9 per cent of TIO) in Q1-2016 was 20 per cent more than the Rs 28.46 crore (9.5 per cent of TIO) in Q1-2015 and was 13.4 per cent more than the Rs 30.12 crore (11.1 per cent of TIO) in Q4-2015.

     

  • Den Networks reports growth in operational and subscription revenue for Q2-2015

    Den Networks reports growth in operational and subscription revenue for Q2-2015

    BENGALURU: Den Networks Ltd (Den Networks) reported   that its cable business operational revenues stood at Rs 286.22 crore, up 11 per cent y-o-y from Rs 258.06 crore in Q2-2014 and that its cable business subscription revenues for Q2-2015 were Rs 146.75 crore, up 49.2 per cent y-o-y from Rs 98.34 crore in Q2-2014.

     

    Note: 100,00,000 = 100 lakh = 10 million = 1 crore

     

    Den Networks Total Income from Operation (TIO) at Rs 291.72 crore in the current quarter fell 2.4 per cent from Rs 298.81 crore in the immediate trailing quarter and was 7.3 per cent more than the Rs 271.87 crore in Q2-2014. TIO in HY-2015 at Rs 590.53 crore was 9.2 per cent more than the Rs 540.57 crore in HY-2014.

     

    Den Networks recently launched its high speed broadband and says that the service is gaining great traction and has achieved 9,600 subscribers at an average ARPU of Rs 740 per month.

     

    The company also says that its joint venture (JV) with Snapdeal.com has been received extremely well. Within the first month, Den Networks claims that the company has clocked an annualised Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) in excess of Rs 50 crore based on the annualised latest daily run rate and is expected to scale significantly as the channel gets distributed across networks.

     

    Den Networks COO M G Azhar said, “We are pleased with the overall company’s financial performance as the company continues to invest in transforming from B2B to B2C environment. The Company has started seeing traction in its recently launched broadband services and also in the Den Snapdeal home shopping channel.”

     

    Let us look at the other numbers reported by Den Networks

     

    Total Expense (TE) in Q2-2015 at Rs 297.81 crore (102.1 per cent of TIO) was 4.5 per cent more than the Rs 284.93 crore (95.4 per cent of TIO) in Q1-2015 and 32.7 per cent more than the Rs 224.43 crore (82.6 per cent of TIO) in Q2-2014. HY-2015 TE at Rs 582.74 crore (98.7 per cent of TIO) was 28.3 per cent more than the Rs 454.12 crore in HY-2014.

     

    The company’s content cost in Q2-2015 at Rs 108.91 crore (37.3 per cent of TIO) was 2.3 per cent more than the Rs 106.42 crore (35.6 per cent of TIO) and was 20.3 per cent higher than the Rs 90.54 crore (33.3 per cent of TIO) in Q2-2014. For HY-2015, content cost at Rs 215.33 crore (36.5 per cent of TIO) was 22.7 per cent more than the Rs 175.55 crore (32.5 per cent of TIO) in HY-2014.

     

    The company’s operational, administrative and other costs (admin cost) in Q2-2015 at Rs 78.61 crore (26.9 per cent of TIO) was 11.6 per cent more than the Rs 70.47 crore (23.6 per cent of TI) in Q1-2015 and 18.5 per cent more than the Rs 66.34 crore (24.4 per cent of TIO) in Q2-2014. Admin cost for HY-2015 at Rs 149.08 crore was (25.2 per cent of TIO) was 3.1 per cent more than the Rs 144.66 crore (26.8 per cent of TIO) in HY-2014.

     

    The company reported a loss of Rs 20.45 crore in Q2-2015 versus a PAT of Rs 1.12 crore (0.37 per cent of TIO) in Q1-2015 and a PAT of Rs 11.18 crore (4.1 per cent of TIO) in Q2-2014. The company reported loss at Rs 19.33 crore in HY-2015 as compared to a PAT of Rs 21.33 crore in HY-2014.

     

    The company’s EBIDTA (without considering other income) in Q2-2015 fell 28.4 per cent to Rs 40.94 crore (14 per cent of TIO) from Rs 57.16 crore (19.1 per cent of TIO) in Q1-2015 and fell 51.5 per cent from the Rs 84.48 crore (31.1 per cent of TIO). As per Den Networks investor presentation for the current quarter, its broadband service has eroded Rs 10 crore and its soccer franchise Delhi Dynamos has eroded another Rs 5 crore from Q2-2015 EBIDTA.

     

    Other Income for the periods under consideration is as follows: Q2-2015 – Rs 22.47 crore; Q1-2015 – Rs 18.65 crore; Q2-2014 – Rs 4.71 crore; HY-2015 Rs 41.12 crore; HY-2014 – Rs 11.4 crore.

     

    Click here for the investor update

     

    Click here for the press release

  • Freecharge and Delhi Dynamos partner for the Indian Super League

    Freecharge and Delhi Dynamos partner for the Indian Super League

    MUMBAI: Freecharge, one of the pioneers in online mobile recharge has been named as the presenting partner for Delhi Dynamos which is one of the eight teams in the ongoing Hero Indian Super League (ISL). The association was activated by media agency MEC and GroupM ESP and will be leveraged on the digital platform and other channels through a series of social media contests and sweepstakes and other content.

     

    The contests will run for the complete season which ends in December.

     

    Freecharge CEO Alok Goel said, “As a young and aspirational brand, associating with football was a natural fit for us. We are happy to contribute our bit for the promotion of ‘the beautiful game’ in our country. Delhi Dynamos is an exciting team and we hope this turns out to be a mutually beneficial partnership.”

     

    MEC India head brand activation Sidhraj Shah commented, “Freecharge as a young vibrant brand has already struck a fantastic chord with the youth. Given that football is the ultimate water-cooler sport amongst youth, this association between Freecharge and Delhi Dynamos is a perfect match.”

     

    Freecharge is a concept where customers can recharge their prepaid, DTH or data cards subscriptions practically for free – because they get equal-value discount coupons from big brands such as McDonalds, Costa Coffee, PVR cinemas, Cafe Coffee Day etc.

     

    GroupM ESP specialises in evaluating, negotiating, developing, activating and measuring strategic content platforms and partnerships around movies, music, sports, live, celebs, characters and causes. Delhi Dynamos, owned by Den Networks, are the football team to hail from the nation’s capital.

  • “ISL teams to breakeven in two-four years”: Andy Knee

    “ISL teams to breakeven in two-four years”: Andy Knee

    International Management Group or simply known as IMG has been a world renowned leader in sports, fashion and media management with operations in more than 30 countries.

    In 2014, IMG was acquired by WME a global entertainment and media agency. In India, the company has formed a joint venture with Reliance Industries. The JV was formed between good buddies Mukesh Ambani and former IMG chairman Teddy Forstmann who died of brain cancer in November 2011.

    IMG Reliance has signed a 15 year partnership with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to improve and popularise football in India beginning from the grassroots to the professional level. One of its initiatives is the Hero Indian Super League- an IPL styled tournament for football that is slated to begin from 12 October 2014.

    Present at the international and domestic player draft was IMG football vice president Andy Knee.  His previous stint was at electronic giant Phillips where he was the head of sponsorship. In 2006 he was appointed as director of the Football Championship League where he was responsible to raise the profile for the 24 clubs and improving the competitions revenue.

    Though the league is highly pressurising, one will find Knee always at ease and silently observing team owners replying to hard hitting questions from journalists. On the day of the international player draft, Knee speaks exclusively to indiantelevision.com’s Herman Gomes.

    Excerpts

    The league will kick off in October this year. How is IMG-Reliance developing the league for the first time in India?

    We are doing something unique. We are taking a lot more risks than we typically do in a project. So we are investing in buying rights, in the infrastructure, marketing and putting up an expert team of football from India and abroad to help galvanize the league for the first time.  We want to make the Hero ISL an astounding success and generate value and return more importantly for our clubs and the league to be a catalyst for football to explode interest and participation here.

    In China, IMG has stake in the Chinese Football Association promoted Super League. Commercially the league there is secure and financially controlled by the government. Why have you chosen a private drive model here?

    What we do in China is very different. There we have a 10 year deal with the Association where we represent rights and sell those rights to sponsors. They have an existing league and therefore we do not have an ownership position in China.  IMG works with them to help generate more revenue from the league. We also advise them on how to improve their administration and governance of the sport. In India it is very different. It is not typical of what IMG normally indulges in. Usually we have clients or we work with or on the behalf of partners.  We have had business in India for a very long time and we have been successful in the creation of the IPL. We now looked at football and thought how is it possible that a country of this importance and size does not have advanced football infrastructure industry? So our former owner Ted Forstmann along with Mukesh Ambani discussed it together and decided to do something great in football by coming up with the ISL.

    China has certain advantages. They have got some great stadia and they are fortunate from that point of view, but China hasn’t been in the world cup in recent memory.  Japan and Korea have also risen fast and it proves it can be done. So I think if everyone is pulling in the same direction it will be a very big help.

    IMG has a presence in almost 30 countries. What are the global learnings you have put in to develop the sport in India?

    Globally, we have been representing TV, sponsorship and licensing rights. We have also worked with player business, TV production, hospitality, ticketing, commercialisation of stadia over multiple markets.  We bring that experience to India.  Frankly speaking only some of it is relevant here. For example we helped the financing and seat sale of the Wembley stadium. Is that relevant to India? Unfortunately not! Sadly we are away from our teams being in a position to invest in a significant new stadium. I hope that opportunity comes but that’s a little bit down the chain. So we take the expertise we have all gained through working many years in football and apply those bits that are relevant for India.

    Sports fans and analysts are of the opinion that the ISL will reduce the I-League tournament to an inconsequential format. What are your thoughts?

    I understand that when a new format is introduced it can be seen as a threat to the established leagues. My view is that it can’t be a threat to the I-League because the football pie in the country is very small at the moment. I do not know what is the size of the football industry here but all I know is that it is very small. We could all fight over a small slice of the football pie but actually there is just not much there to get there. We all need to make that pie 100 times bigger and there is plenty to go around. So it is about the game at the moment. It’s not about who gets what bit. Co existence can happen very easily but I hope the ISL will popularise the sport unbelievably. So people would want to watch Delhi Dynamos and then go and watch Mohun Bagan at different time of the year. They are just football fans who watch the Premiere League but they also love the fact that India has a real football league they can support and be proud of.

    How much will IMG-Reliance be investing for the infrastructure of the game in India?

    Well we are not spending too much money on the grassroots facilities. I would love us to be in a position to do so but we are not going around building pitches. We need some far better football facilities but we are not doing that. We hope that will happen organically because people are getting greater interest in football so more space is given to football. Whether its I-League or ISL teams there will be greater money coming for the sport but that money will be reinvested for the football ecosystem to grow, develop and expand.

    It is understood that each of the eight teams have to annually spend Rs 2 crore to invest in grassroots programme to develop football. How will that amount be utilised?

    This is what the teams have to do. Teams bought the rights to run their respective teams and the money they have paid is for a 10 year period and they pay it in 10 equal slices in one year. On top of that there is a requirement to invest in grassroots. This is the requirement we put on teams but at the same time actually we probably didn’t need to because all the teams understood how important this is. The teams know they have to invest in grassroots, in local football programmes in local communities. The teams have got to spend on two requirements-  grass roots and  marketing. The teams do not have to send us that money. Absolutely not! That’s for the teams to build their brand, popularity and love of the game in their local cities.

    IMG ran a three day Grassroots Developmental Programme in Kolkata where we conducted theory as well as practical sessions. We are going to roll that out farther to other cities and teams will do their bit in local cities.

    What is the age group you are planning to target through the Grassroots Developmental programme?

    Typically we look towards the age group of 11 or 12 year olds. This is not certain but we may go a little older because the U-17 World Cup is a very focal point. The teams and we would like to play our part in helping India to produce a team to be proud of in 2017.

    Will the Hero ISL have a league ambassador?

    We had talks if we wanted a league ambassador a big name who just works on the behalf of the league but we decided not to. The teams have got some great owners and some great marquee players so there is no magic celebrity we are planning to unveil. We want the league owners to stand out and the teams themselves. Yes we know we need some stardust but we have people like Ranbir Kapoor and Sachin Tendulkar to do that.

    How did the league go about deciding a fixed price for each of the players?

    Well we had a base price for each of the players that the teams agreed. There is pressure on the business models of the teams. They will lose money for the first couple of years but this is an investment. But we agreed on a price that will make the teams happy. This is the sport where if you want the best you have to spend eye watering sums of money. We found a point where we said not all of these guys are a big name but they are going to be of very good quality. So we will get great playing products and market these guys so that Indians appreciate. They might not be the Beckhams , Messis or Ronaldos but these guys are fantastic players in their own rights. But more importantly than that we need to showcase Indian talent and reassure the country and sports fans that we might be 150th in the FIFA rankings but there is talent here and reasons for real optimism about the future.

    India will be hosting the under 17 World Cup in 2017. What is the Indian government planning for the World Cup and how will it be contributing to the league?

    From what I have heard the government has some plans in terms of upgrading the stadia. I assume the stadia will be good. Well we have got some great team owners and known companies who are behind the league. We have got support of the government and so there will be greater investment in the sport from that point of view.  It’s funny how 20 to 30 years ago you could find the typical teams in an U 17 World Cup like England, East Germany, France and Spain. But now, those teams can come from anywhere. Everyone is developing football unbelievably fast and India has a big gap and it’s not like we can close it. With the third highest number of people playing football (I think only Germany and the States has more active footballer) Don’t tell me there is no talent here. Of course there is talent. We just need to put the processes and infrastructure in place in developing the talent.

    By when do you see the teams breaking even?

    We hope that will happen in two-four years and that depends on certain factors. If India properly embraces football and fans turn on their TV and come to the stadia, it will happen faster. If the reception takes a little bit longer to get warmed up it will happen a bit later. We realise this will not be a success overnight. We will love it if it explodes interest in the first year but at the same time there is the acceptance that Rome wasn’t built in a day. So every team and the league knows you have got to have some patience here. 

    How do you see Star’s association helping the league and will there be localisation of the sport in terms of commentary?

    This is a sport that must succeed on TV.  We have got the most powerful Indian TV network that is going to publicise the ISL across all its channels in different languages.  We have got a partner that really believes in it and has invested significant money. There will be some localization, I am sure, but I do not know how many languages. Star is desperate to take the game to people across India. They have got their skin in the game and their bosses in the states are looking at it closely and there is pressure on us too and we have a partner that is very committed for this league to succeed.

    On a parting note what message would you like to give to football fans in India?

    Tune in, come and have a look and enjoy it. I think this is going to be something that India has never seen from a quality and show point of view and I hope people embrace it, whether they watch 20 minutes of one game or whether every single game of the ISL.

  • Delhi Dynamos goes to grassroots to nurture budding talent

    Delhi Dynamos goes to grassroots to nurture budding talent

    MUMBAI: In line with its philosophy of creating a difference in the sphere of sports, especially soccer, Delhi Dynamos Football Club announced the launch of a novel initiative to take football to the grassroots by tying up with schools of national capital region of Delhi.

     

    Under this programme, Delhi Dynamos will organize training camps and inter-school tournaments and create opportunities for the young generation. The campaign will kick start with the first ever Junior Dynamos Inter-School Championship, a seven-a-side football tournament, to be played in four zones of Delhi/NCR across three different age categories (U12, U14 and U17).
     

    The first leg of the junior championship will be played from 19–22 August at Jaypee Sports Complex, Greater Noida and Ajanta Public School, Gurgaon. It will feature the top schools from East Delhi, Noida, Greater Noida and Gurgaon. A week later, action will shift to DDA Sports Complex, Vasant Kunj and Ganga International School as the young prodigies from schools of central, south, north and west Delhi will showcase their football skills.

     

    The Zonal Champions of the Junior Dynamos Inter-School Championship would then get the opportunity to play at the Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium training ground as they face each other in a knockout format to seize the ultimate crown – The Junior Dynamos School Champion.

     

    Commenting on the Junior Dynamos program, Den Networks head new initiatives and Director Den Soccer Piyush Goyal said: “Aligning with schools is the best way to identify and promote talent and football is no exception. We are kick starting this elaborate campaign across NCR and four other cities in the very first edition of ISL .We have seen the passion for football growing by leaps and bounds. There is raw talent and energy in the youngsters and we are here to channelize this energy. I am confident that  with  guidance from top notch coaches, and our commitment, these players will surely make a mark at various levels including international tournaments.”

     

    While these players will attack and defend on the field, the Junior Dynamos Scouts will constantly analyse their performance to select the best 100 players (U14 and U17) to be trained under the Junior Dynamos Coaches for the next two-months on full scholarship. These young players will then play in the Junior Dynamos Elite League at JLN Stadium training ground during ISL match days.

     

    Based on the performance, Scouts would then select the top 30 players (U14) who would form the Delhi Dynamos Youth Team. The chosen stars will undergo a six month long training program under the Junior Dynamos Coaches on full scholarship. These players will represent Delhi Dynamos in Youth Leagues across India. Scouting exercise will also continue for the U17 FIFA World Cup 2017 – India Dream Team.

     

    With a mission to identify talented players and train them using international methods, the Club will also organise the Junior Dynamos Inter-School City Championship at Chandigarh, Dehradun, Jaipur and Kanpur in North India. These inter-school championships will be played in the months of September, October and November 2014.

  • Delhi Dynamos signs up Wim Raymaekers

    Delhi Dynamos signs up Wim Raymaekers

    MUMBAI: Delhi Dynamos FC, the national capital’s football team for the Hero Indian Super League, announced inclusion of 29 year old central defender Wim Raymaekers in the squad today. With the induction of the left footed Belgian, Delhi Dynamos has further beefed up its squad for the inaugural edition of the tournament.

     

    Commenting on his induction in the Delhi club, Raymaekers said, “I am very excited and motivated to join Delhi Dynamos and I will do my very best to have an amazing experience in India.”

     

    On Raymaekers joining the unit, Delhi Dynamos FC coach Harm van Veldhoven said, “Wim is a cool customer and is pretty adept at handling pressure when defending. While Delhi Dynamos hopes to play attacking football, having a compact defence is equally important and Wim’s entry will definitely bolster us in that area.”

     

    Raymaekers carries with him an experience of over 200 games at the top level in Belgium and Holland. The defender began his career in the youth ranks of top Belgian club, Genk where he honed his skills. Raymaekers left Genk in 2005 to join Dutch second division side Den Bosch, where he played for two seasons, before moving back to Belgium and signing with second division team Lommel United.  He shifted to RS Waasland from the same division in 2009.

     

    OH Leuven signed Raymaekers from Waasland in 2010. A key player in the Leuven side that achieved promotion to the Belgian Pro League in 2010-11, Raymaekers quickly became a fan favourite at the club. Raymaekers is known for his resolute defending, passing skills and prowess in the air.

     

    Delhi Dynamos FC already has two experienced international strikers in Mads Junker and Morten Skoubo. The club is in the process of getting more quality players on board to build a formidable team ahead of the tournament, which kick-starts in October this year. With an experienced coach in Harm, and alliance with Dutch powerhouse Feyenoord Rotterdam, Delhi Dynamos is working towards its mission of building football into a leading sport across Delhi and Northern India.

  • ISL player draft sees buys worth Rs 24 core

    ISL player draft sees buys worth Rs 24 core

    MUMBAI: The high octane two day Hero MotoCorp Indian Super League (ISL) player draft saw Rs 24 crore being spent by teams for purchasing the players of their choice.

     

    IMG Worldwide global business development football Jefferson Slack said, “We saw a vision three and a half years ago to help build football in India. The premise of which was based on the fact that Indians already are football fans. Partnerships with foreign clubs have brought in money and opportunities which we hope will help in the long run.”

     

    Star network, which is the official broadcast partner for ISL is hopeful of a meaningful journey. Star India sports business head Nitin Kukreja said, “We are hoping to create a new ecosystem, a new league and help grow a second sport in India. We will use never seen before production values for this League.”

     

    Day two of player draft saw the teams finally bidding for the best domestic talents for the last time. Delhi Dynamos picked Adil Khan, Manish Bhargav, Govind Singh, Jagroop Singh, Steven Dias, Anwar Ali and Manandeep Singh.

     

    Atlectico de Kolkata selected Sanju Pradhan, Kinshuk Debnath, Lester Fernandes, Subhasish Roy Chowdhury, Baljit Sahni, Climax Lawrence and Nallappan Monhanraj.

     

    Team Bengaluru chose Abhishek Das, Jayesh Rane, Abhijit Mondal, Anthony Barbosa, Dane Pereira, N P Pradeep and  Jaison Vales from the pool.

     

    Kerala Blasters went ahead and picked Avinabo Bag, Sandip Nandy, C.S Sabeeth,  Luis Baretto, Milagres Gonsalves, Ramandeep Ringh and Renedy Singh.

     

    Team Mumbai meanwhile decided to go with Rohit Mishra, Ishan Debnath, Nadong Bhutia, Asif Katiyal Peter Costa and Llalrin Fela.

     

    Team Pune chose Deepak Devrani, Tapan Maity, Arindam Bhattarcharya, Anupam Sarkar, Pratik Shinde, Lalit Thapa and Mehrah Wadoo.

     

    Team Goa will comprise Mandar Rao Desai, Romeo Fernandes, Peter Carvalho, Holicharan Narzary, Pronay Halder, Prabir Das and Rowilson Rodrigues from its I- league tie up with local clubs.

     

    North East United football club too announced its team composition with Pritam Kumar Singh, Milan Singh, Robin Gurung, Allen Deory, Redeem Tlang, Seimeinlen Doungal and David Nghaite.

     

    With the two day draft policy for domestic players getting over, the focus will shift to the teams now announcing some big international names for their respective squads.