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Tag: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu

  • Usain Bolt trades track for turf in Puma-backed Mumbai football spectacular

    Usain Bolt trades track for turf in Puma-backed Mumbai football spectacular

    MUMBAI: Usain Bolt swapped his sprinting spikes for football boots last night, tearing across a floodlit pitch at Mukesh Mills in a raucous 5v5 exhibition match that fused Indian football with  glamour. The world’s fastest man, whose passion for the beautiful game rivals his decorated athletics career, brought his trademark swagger to Mumbai in an event curated by Puma India to celebrate the country’s footballing culture.

    The Jamaican legend took turns playing for both sides, thrilling fans with bursts of pace that proved his love for football extends far beyond trackside banter. Players from Mumbai City FC and Bengaluru FC joined celebrities in an evening that blurred the lines between sport and spectacle.

    Kareena Kapoor Khan, Puma brand ambassador, conducted the toss—won by Bengaluru FC—before remaining pitch-side to cheer both teams through the match.

    “Football has been one of my first loves after track and field, and playing in Mumbai alongside athletes, celebrities and fans was electric,” said Bolt, a Puma brand ambassador. “The passion, the noise, the atmosphere—this is the kind of high that stays with you long after the final whistle.”

    The match showcased some of India’s finest footballing talent. Sunil Chhetri delivered sharp passes whilst Gurpreet Singh Sandhu produced heroic saves. Mumbai City FC stars and Puma ambassadors Suresh Wangjam, Akash Mishra and Phurba Lachenpa displayed their skill alongside celebrity  names including Dino Morea and Aparshakti Khurana, who brought star power to the pitch.

    “Usain Bolt’s visit to India is about celebrating the joy of sport and creating experiences that fans will remember forever,” said Puma India managing director Karthik Balagopalan,. “With this unique football match, Puma brought together icons from sport and entertainment on one stage, with our partner clubs Mumbai City FC and Bengaluru FC making it even more special. As a sports-first brand, Puma India has always pushed boundaries to create unforgettable moments for fans, and this match was our way of celebrating football fandom in the country.”

    The event underscored Puma India’s strategy of blending athletic performance with popular culture, creating memories as fast and unforgettable as the legend who headlined them.

  • Konami marks Holi with efootball event featuring Gurpreet and Jonathan

    Konami marks Holi with efootball event featuring Gurpreet and Jonathan

    Mumbai: Konami Digital Entertainment, B.V. Konami is set to bring the vibrant spirit of Holi to its flagship football simulation, efootball, with a special campaign running from 1 to 26 March 2025. The initiative will highlight India’s thriving efootball community, featuring national football captain Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and renowned esports player Jonathan Gaming.

    The campaign, which bridges mainstream football and esports, will see Jonathan Gaming play a key role in community engagement, while Sandhu is expected to make a significant announcement during the event. Other top gaming personalities involved include Gamerfleet, Sharkshe, RK Reddy, Snax, and Eagle Gaming.

    At the heart of the celebration is the ‘Goal Ke Rang’ efootball tournament, where players will compete for the title of India’s efootball champion and a €1,000 prize pool. Additional in-game campaigns exclusive to India will also be unveiled.

    Expressing his enthusiasm, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu stated, “Football and gaming both require skill, strategy, and passion, qualities that unite players on and off the pitch. This campaign is an exciting way to celebrate Holi with fans and bring that competitive spirit to efootball.”

    efootball general producer, Makoto Igarashi stated, “This campaign is about uniting football and gaming enthusiasts, whether through competition, collaboration, or the shared love of the sport. India’s efootball community is thriving, and we hope this Holi celebration with Gurpreet, Jonathan, and some of India’s biggest gaming voices makes a lasting impact.”

  • WhatsApp collabs with Star Sports to highlight its privacy features’ power

    WhatsApp collabs with Star Sports to highlight its privacy features’ power

    Mumbai: Star Sports, India’s leading sports broadcaster, has unveiled an insightful social-first collaboration with WhatsApp, ‘Privacy Unplugged’- a captivating five-part short-form content series, facilitated by Starcom, that underscores the paramount significance of privacy features within today’s digital realm. This exclusive property presents poignant and personal narratives of our much-loved sporting champions, intricately woven around the central tenet of privacy.

    The line-up features eminent cricket stars including Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer, prodigious cricket talent Jemimah Rodrigues, hockey icon Rani Rampal, and accomplished footballer Gurpreet Singh Sandhu. Each athlete’s unique story serves as a powerful catalyst for widespread awareness, highlighting the advanced privacy features introduced by WhatsApp, and further emphasizing the platform’s unwavering commitment to user safety and data protection.

    Speaking about the association with WhatsApp (Meta), Star Sports head – ad sales Kingshuk Mitra said, “This marks our third collaboration with Meta, and we’re excited to be associating with WhatsApp for the ongoing ‘Privacy Unplugged’ series. We’ve brought on board a few highly regarded sports stars to emphasize the importance of privacy in today’s interconnected world. Star Sports’ extensive reach of 30 million fans across social media platforms enables WhatsApp to effectively spread the campaign’s message. This content series also lays the groundwork for potential collaborations with other brands, allowing us to craft compelling stories that deeply connect with our audience.”

    Meta strategic media planning lead APAC Natasha Kapoor said, “We’re thrilled to associate with Star Sports to highlight the importance of secure and private messaging, through the personal stories of some of India’s top athletes. It’s a great privilege that millions of Indians trust WhatsApp to deliver their personal messages everyday. This series reinforces the role that WhatsApp’s multiple privacy features play in enabling our users to stay connected with their loved ones, have meaningful conversations and even express their authentic selves, privately.”

    Chief operating officer Niti Kumar said, “Starcom discovered that India’s beloved athletes, respected by millions, hold an exceptional talent for safeguarding the most critical aspects of their lives even as they artfully define their individual understandings of ‘privacy’. This insightful discovery enabled Starcom to bring about a strategic partnership between WhatsApp and Star Sports, which aims to unravel the narratives around privacy in the lives of India’s premier athletes.”

    The Privacy Unplugged series spotlights the need for privacy in the lives of athletes. Each story underlines how WhatsApp’s built-in layers of privacy help create a safe space for our champions to express themselves freely and have their most private conversations.

    Content Showcase

    Rishabh Pant: Recovery in Private: After a life-threatening accident, Rishabh Pant’s private recovery journey becomes the focal point. WhatsApp’s End-to-End Encrypted platform empowers him and gives him a safe space to share his progress securely with family, friends, mentors, and coaches.

     

     

    Shreyas Iyer: Finding confidence in Private: Shreyas Iyer uses WhatsApp’s ‘View Once’ feature to share his favorite magic tricks, fostering private conversations that encourage young cricketers to open up about their challenges in a space they feel comfortable in.

     

     

    Jemimah Rodrigues: Being herself in Private: WhatsApp’s ‘Chat Lock’ feature help’s Jemimah Rodrigues secure her private conversations with a select group of friends, allowing her to maintain her public image while being her homebody self in private amongst her girl tribe.

     

     

    Gurpreet Singh Sandhu: Finding focus in Private: As India’s top goalkeeper, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu relies on WhatsApp’s ‘Silence Unknown Callers’ feature to cut out the white noise and eliminate spam, preserving his mental focus during rigorous training.

     

     

    Rani Rampal: Training in Private: Rani Rampal leverages WhatsApp’s ‘Online Presence’ privacy feature to stay connected, mentor and give dedicated time to the next generation of girls aspiring to play hockey for India, offering them a secure and personal space for learning.

     

     

  • FairPlay Sports announces collaboration with Indian footballers Gurpreet Singh Sandhu & Sandesh Jhingan

    FairPlay Sports announces collaboration with Indian footballers Gurpreet Singh Sandhu & Sandesh Jhingan

    Mumbai: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and Sandesh Jhingan, both Indian footballers, have signed with the Delhi-based sports marketing agency FairPlay Sports.

    The new signings will further boost FairPlay Sports’ roster, which already includes Indian football captain Sunil Chhetri, Chennaiyin FC captain Anirudh Thapa, ATKMB winger Ashique Kuruniyan and ATKMB forward Manvir Singh, among others.

    FairPlay Sports co-founder Bandana Chhetri said, “Both Gurpreet and Sandesh are key figures in Indian football. Additionally, both are massive fan favourites because of their style of play and intensity on the field. As an agency, we have always had a focus on football and footballers because it has a lot of potential for growth. We want to provide footballers with the opportunity and support they need off the field so they can maximise their potential on it.”

    Talking about the same, the national team goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu said, “I am thrilled to get on board with FairPlay Sports. I’ve known the people behind it for some time now and am excited at all the possibilities being part of the FairPlay team will bring.”

    Indian defender Sandesh Jhingan added, “I am happy to have signed with FairPlay Sports, who I feel do a fantastic job with all athlete-related aspects beyond the pitch. I’m looking forward to all the exciting opportunities that come out of this association.”