MUMBAI: A new shuttle star is on the rise and IOS Sports and Entertainment is ready to back her all the way to the podium. The agency has signed 16-year-old badminton sensation Tanvi Sharma as an exclusive athlete, adding the Hoshiarpur-based prodigy to its elite roster that already includes names like Mirabai Chanu, Manika Batra, and Lovlina Borgohain.
Fresh off her Super 300 US Open finals appearance, Tanvi brings more than just promise to the table. She’s already got a stack of medals: Silver at the Badminton Asia Youth Championships 2023, Gold at the 2024 Asia Team Championships, and an impressive Silver at the Senior Nationals last year where she held her own against India’s top adult talent.
“Her work ethic and achievements at just 16 speak volumes,” said IOS Sports and Entertainment COO Rahul Trehan. “We see tremendous potential in her and are committed to supporting her rise in global badminton.”
As part of the deal, Tanvi will receive comprehensive management and development support as she sharpens her game for bigger stages national and international.
With a training base in Hoshiarpur, Punjab, and a dream to make it to the world’s biggest badminton arenas, Tanvi’s journey is only just beginning. But with IOS backing her, it’s clear she’s not just playing to participate, she’s in it to win.
And if her medal count is anything to go by, it won’t be long before Tanvi Sharma becomes a household name in Indian sport.
Mumbai: IndianOil Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) has teamed up with the official outdoor partner Mera Hoardings for the innovative ‘Time To Turn The Tables Around’ outdoor campaign as it gears up for the upcoming fifth season, to be held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai from 22 August to 7 September.
As part of the campaign, striking inverted hoardings, featuring table tennis stars Achanta Sharath Kamal, Manika Batra, Harmeet Desai, Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Manav Thakkar, are spread across Chennai from today, captivating both locals and visitors. These eye-catching displays showcase the Indian table tennis icons upside-down against the city skyline, delivering a compelling message: It’s time to ‘turn the tables’ and shift the perception of India from being a cricket-centric nation to one that celebrates a vibrant and diverse sporting ecosystem.
“Our players are making their mark at the Paris Olympics, garnering much-deserved spotlight for the sport with Manika Batra and Sreeja raising their game. To complement their efforts, our OOH campaign aims to package the sport innovatively at the right time to reach a larger audience,” said UTT promoters Vita Dani and Niraj Bajaj.
This inventive ‘inverted’ OOH campaign not only amplifies the game’s visibility but also highlights UTT’s transformative impact over the past five years. As table tennis has grown from a niche sport to a significant discipline within India’s sporting landscape, the league has been one of its most passionate advocates and prominent contributors.
Extending their commitment to promoting Indian table tennis, UTT recently caught the attention of the global audience with the help of Mera Hoardings when the league’s promotion was featured on the iconic Times Square billboard in New York.
The IndianOil UTT 2024 is the biggest edition of the league as, for the first time since its inception in 2017, eight teams will fight for the crown, with Ahmedabad SG Pipers and Jaipur Patriots joining PBG Bengaluru Smashers, Chennai Lions, Dabang Delhi TTC, Goa Challengers, U Mumba TT, and Puneri Paltan Table Tennis. The league is promoted by Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani under the aegis of the Table Tennis Federation of India.
The league’s last season garnered an astounding 55.2 million views and achieved a reach of 62.1 million across digital platforms. The engagement was equally remarkable, with 1.2 million fan interactions throughout the event. The total media sponsorship value soared to 55.8 crore (6.7 million), underscoring the sport’s growing prominence. Viewership was robust with 195 million minutes watched in just 18 days. The live broadcasts attracted six million viewers, while an additional nine million tuned in through non-live content, reflecting the widespread and enduring interest in table tennis.
This dynamic and innovative month-long campaign will coincide with the much-anticipated fifth edition of the league which is set to witness high-voltage action with the participation of star Indian paddlers, including Manika Batra, Sharath Kamal, Sreeja Akula, and Sathiyan, alongside some of the world’s top players such as world number 13 Bernadette Szocs and Nigerian legend Quadri Aruna.
Mumbai: Committed to helping athletes achieve their goals, adidas launches the next chapter of its global campaign ‘You Got This’. The campaign comes together in a series of nine 15-second films that showcase the resilience of athletes and how each of them navigates the weight of expectations ahead of the Paris Olympics 2024. The campaign focuses on helping athletes activate the ‘backyard mindset’ that shifts their focus from negative pressure and invokes a sense of joy for their individual sport.
Set against the song ‘Under Pressure’ by Queen & David Bowie, the ‘You Got This’ film delves into the minds of adidas Olympics qualified athletes Nikhat Zareen, Lovlina Borgohain, Saikhom Mirabai Charu, Manika Batra, Tajinderpal Singh Toor and Jyothi Yarraji, and Para Olympics qualified Sumit Antil, Palak Kohli and Nishad Kumar, showcasing their individual journeys in disarming negative pressure. Over the years, adidas has stood strong with each of these athletes and reinforced its support with the ‘You Got This’ campaign, as they step closer to their dreams.
As they compete on the global stage, adidas aims to reinstill a sense of confidence and motivation among the athletes through its empowering message ‘You Got This’.
Speaking on the new brand campaign, adidas India GM Neelendra Singh said, “At adidas, we understand the immense pressure the athletes feel just before stepping onto the global stage. We take pride that our athletes will represent India at one of the most watched events globally and are dedicated to investing in their growth at every stage. Everything we do is rooted in sports and through the empowering message ‘You Got This’, we encourage athletes to ease pressure and just focus on the sport and the joy they derive from it.”
The athlete films will be launched across a diverse range of media platforms to reach consumers across the globe and amplified through retail store activations.
Mumbai: With the Paris 2024 Olympic Games around the corner, JSW Group has reignited its long-running and hugely successful campaign – Rukna Nahi Hai – with the launch of a brand-new film that delves into the mindset of the athletes who will represent India on the biggest sporting stage in less than two weeks from now.
Launched by India’s golden boy and reigning Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra, the campaign includes a longer version for digital platforms and a shorter TV commercial to be broadcast on popular channels before and during the games.
JSW who have pioneered the Olympic movement in India over the last decade, have always run compelling campaigns around the games, and the build-up to Paris has been no different. The film, while highlighting the preparation of the athletes, also explores the emotional aftermath of failing to win at the games. It portrays the public perception of an athlete’s performance—celebration and fame if they win, or embarrassment and criticism if they lose. And in the process, emphasizes that athletes should remain unfazed by either outcome, quickly returning to practice and preparing for their next challenge.
Simple, yet thought-provoking, the film underscores the athletes’ unwavering determination and refusal to stop, come what may.
Conceptualised by Ogilvy and directed by Shashanka Chaturvedi from Good Morning Films, it features a mix of well-known and emerging athletes from various Olympic disciplines, including Neeraj Chopra, Nishant Dev, Preeti Pawar, Manu Bhaker, Manika Batra, and Muhammed Anas, among others. Celebrity film star Ajay Devgn has lent his voice to the film.
The campaign also celebrates JSW’s association with the Indian Olympic Association for the Paris Olympics 2024.
Sharing his views on the campaign, and the film, JSW Sports founder Parth Jindal said, “Rukna Nahi Hai as a JSW Group campaign, has now entered its third Olympic Games, and it has grown from being a slogan to now being an emotion, a belief that Team India and all of us will take to Paris. The film captures the essence of the athletes’ relentless pursuit, perfectly. For us, they are already champions. I am certain this film will inspire the contingent in Paris, and every single Indian who will be backing the athletes throughout the journey of the Games.”
Speaking on the launch of the TVC, Ogilvy chief creative officer Sukesh Nayak said, “The concept of #RuknaNahiHai is compelling and inspiring. We are proud to be a part of this journey with JSW and our athletes from day one. This campaign brings alive the true essence of rukna nahi hai, by portraying the mindset of our athletes. For whom victory and setbacks are chapters and not the end of story. It honors their relentless pursuit which makes our country shines bright.”
In addition to the film, the campaign will be amplified through a comprehensive 360-degree media plan, leveraging TV, Digital, OTT, Digital innovations, OOH, on-ground activations, and print.
JSW Inspire, launched by JSW Group in 2022, is an athleisure brand that sponsored Team India at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and 2023 Asian Games. The brand aims to provide top-quality, Indian-made activewear for both professional and aspiring athletes, matching global standards. The official team India kit for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 is designed by Aaquib Wani, who also designed the Indian cricket team jerseys.
Mumbai: Sportswear giant adidas has brought table tennis player Manika Batra on board as a part of its initiative to celebrate and boost women in the world of sports. The duo aims to drive credibility and inclusivity in sports, further fanning the aspirations of upcoming women sportspersons across the country, stated the brand.
Manika joins adidas’ rich roster of women athletes, consisting of stellar names like Mirabai Chanu, Lovlina Borgohain, Hima Das, Nikhat Zareen, to name a few.
This partnership focuses on empowering women to realise their dreams as the brand continues to be an ally for women breaking barriers and creating a reverberating impact in the world of sports. The brand partners with Manika Batra, an Arjuna Awardee in 2018 and Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna winner in 2020, and many more.
On this new association with adidas, Manika Batra said, “Partnering with adidas is an opportunity every sportsperson looks forward to. I am very excited and grateful for this to have come my way especially at a time when the brand is celebrating women through their ‘Impossible Is Nothing’ campaign. I hope with my sport and my association with adidas, I can empower and encourage women to see possibilities irrespective of the challenges so that the nation can witness many more ‘golden girls’.
Speaking about the collaboration, brand adidas India senior director Sunil Gupta said, “We are thrilled to have Manika Batra as the newest member of the adidas family. She is an inspiration to many young women who aspire to push limits and achieve seemingly unachievable goals. We will continue to drive the attitude, “Impossible Is Nothing” through our athletes while celebrating women in the world of sports”
MUMBAI: As the world’s most-awaited quadrennial sporting event commences on 23 July, Japanese multinational sports equipment brand, ASICS launched its ‘Celebration of Sport’ campaign.
Featuring youth icons and ASICS brand athletes who are representing India at the Tokyo Olympics – Manika Batra, Bajrang Punia, Ravindra Jadeja, Sakshi Malik, Karman Kaur Thandi, Rohan Bopanna, T. Gopi and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, apart from actor Tiger Shroff, the campaign attempts to build on the brand’s belief of achieving ‘Sound Mind In A Sound Body’.
Designed to defy convention and inspire today’s youth to choose well-being above anything else, Celebration of Sport is a series of three short films and highlights athletes celebrating the power of sports in the brand’s newly launched collection. Timed with the Tokyo Games and the upcoming sports season, the brand also wishes to highlight its commitment to nurturing the world’s youth through sports in order to contribute to society.
ASICS India and South Asia managing director Rajat Khurana said, “ASICS has been a proud partner in the success journey of several athletes. Each athlete has specific requirements and we work towards it to ensure that our association helps them reach newer heights and fame. While sports and games vary, the core spirit for us remains the same. Our brand films have been developed to create a positive impact of movement not just on the body, but also on the mind. It also highlights the overall well-being of winning at all costs spirit. We are happy to see many athletes from the ASICS family bringing glory to the nation on different stages around the world.”
Titled under the campaign, the sports brand also unveils its Autumn Winter’ 21 collection that encompasses more than five different sports, celebrating the power of all sports to uplift the mind.
Mumbai: As the official sponsor of the Indian Olympic Team, INOX Group on Tuesday unveiled the ‘Aayega India’ campaign to support and cheer Team India ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics slated to begin 23 July.
The campaign featuring boxers MC Mary Kom & Vikas Krishan Yadav along with Table Tennis player Manika Batra honors the unflinching and unwavering pride prevalent in the hearts of billions of Indian sports fans who firmly believe that ‘India will arrive’ at the 2020 Olympics. The campaign also pays rich tributes to the athletes’ resilience & the determined spirit to succeed against all odds.
“When it is about Olympics, there is a tremendous sense of pride, which gets awakened in the hearts and minds of every Indian,” INOX Group director Siddharth Jain said. “With our campaign Aayega India, we aim to take this emotion to an all-new level. It is an honor for Brand INOX to have athletes like Mary Kom, Manika Batra, and Vikas Krishan Yadav, featuring in its campaign, and we are grateful to them. With the anthem, we aim to let Team India know that the entire country takes pride in all their endeavors and stands with them as they set themselves up for this momentous event. We are proudly looking forward to the Indian contingent scaling new heights at Tokyo 2020.”
The ‘Aayega India’ anthem, conceptualised and developed by EBC Originals, is produced in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu languages and rolled out on the social media handles of INOX Group’s ventures, INOX Leisure Ltd, INOX Air Products, and INOXCVA.
