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Tag: Maruti

  • KBC’s season 17 draws in marquee sponsors, Sony LIV ramps up play-along push

    KBC’s season 17 draws in marquee sponsors, Sony LIV ramps up play-along push

    MUMBAI: Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) is back for its 17th season, and the big brands are queueing up once again. Sony Entertainment Television and Sony LIV have rolled out the latest edition of India’s most iconic quiz show, hosted as ever by Amitabh Bachchan, with a line-up of sponsors as weighty as the prize money.

    Maruti has signed on as lead automobile partner, sweetening the stakes by giving away new cars to every Crorepati on the hot seat and to the overall Play Along winner. Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) has returned to underline its mass-market connect, while UltraTech Cement and Pidilite’s Dr Fixit have doubled down on their aspirational pitches to smaller cities and family households.

    All told, 15 brands from categories spanning automobiles, cement, home-building products, condiments, clothing, payment gateways and mouth fresheners have joined forces with the show this season. Their faith underscores KBC’s ability to deliver reach, recall and resonance across India.

    Sony LIV is once again pushing its “second-screen” play, with the return of KBC Play Along and the hugely popular Har Din Lakhpati feature. The format, which lets viewers answer questions live via the app, has turned KBC from a television property into a nationwide interactive event since debuting in 2018.

    Sony LIV, head of ad sales revenue Ranjana Mangla said KBC “has stood as a bedrock of consistency for advertisers—delivering unmatched reach, deep engagement, and a cultural resonance that few formats can claim.”

    HPCL’s CH srinivas hailed the programme’s “spirit of knowledge and the power of questions,” while UltraTech’s Ajay Dang called the Sony Liv tie-up “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to cement aspirational journeys in tier 2 and 3 towns. Swati Jha of Pidilite added that both KBC and Dr Fixit “have been trusted companions in people’s lives” for more than two decades.

    With Sony LIV reporting over 100m app downloads and pushing an expanding roster of sports rights, films and originals, KBC remains its most bankable franchise—blending nostalgia, mass appeal and advertiser trust in equal measure.

  • Disney Star onboards 19 sponsors for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024

    Disney Star onboards 19 sponsors for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024

    Mumbai: As excitement builds for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, Disney Star unveils its stellar line-up of 19 brands across various categories. This impressive ensemble features prominent names such as Dream 11, Maruti, AMFI, Parle Products, BPCL, Haier, ICICI Bank, Jockey, KP Group (Kamala Pasand), Campa, Samsung India, Housing.com, Jaquar Group, Castrol, Kent RO, TVS Eurogrip, Macho Hint, McNroe, Vimal, with a few more sponsors in the pipeline. This diverse array of sponsors underscores the tournament’s widespread appeal and substantial importance.

    Disney Star head of network – ad sales Ajit Varghese commented, “We are excited to welcome our esteemed sponsors for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 across Star Sports and Disney+ Hotstar. The continued support from renowned brands underscores the immense appeal and significance of this tournament. This diverse group of sponsors demonstrates the enduring popularity of cricket and the strategic importance of sports consumption and innovative content delivery. As we gear-up for this grand event, we eagerly anticipate an exhilarating celebration of cricket that will unite passionate fans and players from around the world.”

    The matches will be telecast exclusively on the Star Sports network and will be available for streaming free of charge to mobile users on Disney+ Hotstar. The tournament begins on 2 June, featuring record 20 teams divided into four groups, competing in 55 matches. The participating teams are Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, England, India, Ireland, Namibia, Nepal, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Oman, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Scotland, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies, Uganda, and the USA.

    Cricket enjoys a revered status in India, making the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup a significant event that brings together passionate fans and players in a grand celebration of the sport.

  • Star Maa’s Bigg Boss Telugu Season 7 launches with a bang; onboards 19 sponsors

    Star Maa’s Bigg Boss Telugu Season 7 launches with a bang; onboards 19 sponsors

    Mumbai: Bigg Boss Telugu, the most popular reality show in the twin states of AP & Telangana has kicked off its seventh edition with much enthusiasm. It has onboarded a whopping 19 sponsors spanning various categories such as FMCG, Construction/Real Estate, Jewellery, Durables, and Automotive, among others. Brands onboard include Dabur, Maruti, Jos Alukkas, Radha TMT, Indulekha, Freedom Edible Oil, Coke, Whisper, Centuary Fiber, Cera, Britannia, Kajaria Cements, Haier, Butterfly, Docilekart, Shastry Balm, Orill & Mondelez.

    “Bigg Boss Telugu over the last 6 years on Star Maa has consistently been the most-watched Reality TV show in Telugu. The magic of Bigg Boss Telugu lies in its ability to bring families together and create unforgettable moments,” said Amrutha Nair, Head – Ad Sales and Strategy, Entertainment Network Channels, Disney Star. “We are thrilled by the response from brands for the seventh season of the show, it is a sign of a great festive season. Bigg Boss Telugu offers an exceptional platform for brands to leave a lasting impact, thanks to its extensive reach, and dedicated audience. It provides brands with an uncluttered media platform and numerous opportunities for sustained visibility, which can be rare during the bustling festive season. We look forward to presenting another engaging and entertaining season of the show to our Telugu viewers,” she added.

    With the launch of the seventh edition of Star Maa’s Bigg Boss Telugu on 3 September 2023, it’s evident that the show has secured a special place in the hearts of Telugu audiences. The show’s ability to maintain relevance among diverse age groups and its unwavering commitment to enhancing entertainment for its loyal viewer base have been key factors contributing to its enduring success season after season.

    The show’s campaign received immense traction this year too. With a central theme of everything being “upside down’ or “उल्टापुल्टा, the hashtag #BiggBossTelugu7 has achieved a remarkable reach of 1.5 billion, accompanied by over 8 million engagements.

    In the prior season, an astonishing 8.4 crore (84 million) individuals were reached, with over 40 billion viewing minutes generated. These remarkable numbers underscore the show’s enormous popularity and influence. In this season, Bigg Boss Telugu has shifted to the coveted prime-time slot of 9:30 PM, enhancing its accessibility to a broader audience. This time adjustment is also a strategic step aimed at guaranteeing that the captivating drama and entertainment of the show reaches an even larger number of households.

    As Bigg Boss Telugu gears up for another sensational season, with 100+ days of non-stop entertainment, it’s clear that its ability to innovate, engage, and captivate audiences across generations remains unwavering, while brands continue to capitalise on its unique association opportunities. 

  • F&B start-up Cross Border Kitchens raises angel round

    F&B start-up Cross Border Kitchens raises angel round

    Cross Border Kitchens (CBK) – a multi-brand, multi-kitchen, multi-format internet-driven F&B company has raised an angel round led by Shreedhar Gupta. Shreedhar has invested in CBK in his personal capacity and also joins in as a board member.   

    Shreedhar Gupta has been involved in the Indian automotive sector for over two decades, running & successfully scaling up businesses in the Tier 1 industry manufacturing components for leading OEM's including Maruti, Volkswagen, Honda, Tata, etc. In the recent past Shreedhar has further diversified into freight forwarding, logistics & end-of-life vehicle recycling and has additionally been involved with various start-ups in a personal capacity. His recent initial stage investments include Burger Singh, BluSmart cabs and most recently CBK amongst others. His expertise lies in scaling up of businesses, process identification and improvements while mentoring the management team.  

    Launched in early 2019, CBK is committed to providing consistent high-quality food across multiple cuisine types, at every possible price point, and via every possible format. The team is guided by achieving excellence in all large and small processes that go into achieving the core objective. Operational excellence, marketing expertise, and technology backbone support each of these key processes helping the company bring to market 7 operational brands (with an additional 4 launching in the next 30 days) in 4 different cuisine type at a wide range of price points.

    Currently, CBK service in anywhere between 10-12 thousand orders every month and is on the path to register INR 4 crore in revenue by end of the financial year with 3 live kitchens operational in Delhi NCR.  

    On the fundraise Ishita Yashvi, Mayank Singh, Ahsan Qureshi and Mohit Mehta, Co-founders, Cross Border Kitchens said, “We are an Inventive Culinary Community that utilizes technology, culinary art, marketing, and operational excellence to deliver a memorable gourmet experience. Shreedhar comes with a string of successful investments in start-ups. His business acumen will help us scale at an accelerated rate and in achieving our mission to deliver a wholesome food experience at every doorstep at the click of a button.”  

    On investing in the company Shreedhar Gupta said, “I am very excited to be part of a team with such energy, excitement and integrity. I play very safe with my investments and I’m confident that investing in CBK is one of the safe yet best investments I’ve made so far. Not only am I positive of multi fold returns but also grateful that this investment in CBK will help me get involved with good food, something I’m very passionate about.”

    In the next 18 months, CBK plans to have a multi-city presence. They project to be present in 7 major cities in India with different formats. They expect to have 570 live PoS and plan to deploy CAPEX of INR 18 crore. The company hopes to create 2000 to 2500 employment opportunities. 

  • Maruti, is the most searched automotive brand reveals SEMrush study

    Maruti, is the most searched automotive brand reveals SEMrush study

    MUMBAI: A recent SEMrush study revealed that during the current downturn, stalwart automotive brands Maruti, Hyundai, and Honda are the 3 most searched for automotive brands. India’s leading automotive brand Maruti was searched an average of 492,626 times each month between January to August 2018 and an average of 452,250 times during the same period in 2019. Hyundai, the second leading automobile brand in India, was searched an average of 309,375 times each month between January to August 2018 and an average of 295,625 times during the same period in 2019. Honda was searched 295,625 times between January to August 2018 and 280,375 times during the same period in 2019.

    The SEMrush study reflects that the current slowdown is impacting how many times online searches for automobiles are made. That demand for automobiles is falling is understood, the SEMrush study shows that fewer online searches for automobiles are concomitant with a fall in demand for automobiles. Clearly, when searching for a new automobile Indians use the internet to make a buying decision.

    Searches were made for other automobile brands as well. The fourth-highest numbers of online searches were made for Tata Motors followed by Mahindra, Volkswagon, Ford, and Renault. Each of these brands was searched for fewer times between January to August 2019 than during the same period in 2018, except Tata Motors, which was searched more often in 2019 than in 2018. 

    Several reasons have been given for the slump in the automotive sector of which one is that people are increasingly using ride-hailing services. The SEMrush study shows that view is not quite correct as during the period January to August 2019, there was a huge drop in the number of times people searched for cabs online compared to the same period in 2018. The number of searches made for the 4 leading ride-hailing companies Ola, Uber, Meru, and Mega fell dramatically from 683,825 to 465,350 in the 2 mentioned periods.

    Yet ride-hailing companies aren't going anywhere according to the SEMrush study. While people may be searching less often for ride-hailing companies, traffic to the site of ride-hailing company Uber increased in January to August 2019 compared to the same period in 2018. The number of visitors to Uber’s site in January to August 2018 was a little less than 4.5 million while during the same period in 2019 it increased to a little over 5.6 million.

    The SEMrush study suggests that a majority of those who know of ride-hailing companies and can use their services already do so as the number of people searching for them online is falling.

    Speaking about the results of the study Mr. Fernando Angulo, Head of Communications, SEMrush commented, “Our study has verified that there is indeed a slowdown in the automotive sector. That there is a slowdown isn’t news, yet that it shapes what consumers search for online is something few in India know. Our study verifies that online searches and demand for goods in the economy are strongly correlated; it also verifies that Indians are growing accustomed to learning about products online before buying them.

    He further added: The flow of online traffic also highlights consumer behaviour. Traffic to Uber’s website is increasing while the number of those searching for it online is falling. This highlights that there is significant awareness among consumers about Uber's services. Most consumers directly visit the company’s website to use its services and don’t need to perform a search for it”.

  • Dentsu Impact elevates Ramaswamy, to make ‘Maruti’ a vibrant brand

    Dentsu Impact elevates Ramaswamy, to make ‘Maruti’ a vibrant brand

    MUMBAI: Dentsu Impact recently restructured its creative department and promoted Anupama Ramaswamy as the national creative director. Ramaswamy has been with Dentsu Impact for over a year now, after joining as the executive creative director.

    The recent restructuring happened owing to the consolidation of creative, digital and media duties for all Maruti Suzuki brands (except Nexa brands) with Dentsu Aegis Network. Post this development, the network created an integrated creative team which will deliver solutions for the brand. Ramaswamy would be leading this team both, on offline as well as digital creative front.

    Some of the agencies that Ramaswamy has worked with, besides Dentsu Impact, include Cheil, JWT, Lowe Lintas, Rediffusion, Havas and FCB. She has worked across a gamut of brands such as Samsung, Nokia, Airtel, Woodland, Whirlpool, LG, Maruti, Lays and Boost.

    There are a number of awards in her kitty; both international and local, like Cannes Gold, Clio Gold, AdFest Golds, Spikes, Effies, New York Festival and a number of Abby’s. She was a part of the One Show Jury in 2012 and is a regular face on the Goafest jury panel over the last few years.

    Ramaswamy said, “Maruti Suzuki is undergoing a transformation and not many in the industry can boast of being a part of such a change. My mandate is to make the ‘most popular automobile’ brand equally young and vibrant.”

    Dentsu Impact chief creative officer Soumitra Karnik said, “Anupama (Ramaswamy) has played a stellar role in the creative performance of Dentsu Impact. Keeping pace with where Maruti Suzuki aims to be in the coming times is both exciting as well as challenging. It requires complex understanding of the automobile industry and the world in which it is going to operate in.”

  • Hatchbacks most favoured by customers; Maruti & Hyundai lead auto category: CarDekho

    Hatchbacks most favoured by customers; Maruti & Hyundai lead auto category: CarDekho

    MUMBAI: The Indian consumer is now more discerning than ever before. Even when bombarded with options galore, consumers today know exactly what they want. And this can well be seen in the findings of a recent report released by Indian online automobile marketplace CarDekho.

     

    The report on online search patterns of the Indian consumers compared to actual in-market sales of cars during the festive season showed that when it comes to cars, hatchbacks were the most preferred customer choice, figuring in consideration sets for nearly 47 per cent consumer with their actual demand clocking in 48 per cent of the overall figure. The sedan category also saw consideration (26 per cent) and demand (25 per cent) nearly at par with one another.

     

    On the other hand, Maruti and Hyundai occupied the top slots in the hatchback as well as the sedan segment, with Honda also marking prominent presence in the latter category.

     

    The report, which is based on CarDekho’s platform traffic as well as Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) data, focused on various car categories such as hatchback, MUV, Sedan, SUV and Compact SUV/MUV to present a comprehensive statistical picture of the user consideration versus actual demand.

     

    Compact SUV/MUV section saw a high consideration per centage (17 per cent) due to the buzz effect surrounding the new category launch. However, the actual demand for the segment was only 10 per cent, which could be attributed to the relative unfamiliarity of the Indian public with the category. MUVs, on the other hand, resulted in a much higher actual demand (12 per cent) than consideration, which stood at a mere two per cent.

     

    GirnarSoft CMO LK Gupta said, “The October-November festive season is a time when Indian consumers wield their financial clout to buy things that they have shortlisted over the year. As such, this report provides a valuable insight into the shopping trends during this busy period. These insights will help car manufacturers to better understand the dynamics of consideration sets that buyers go into the market with, and how they change through the purchase process. The report also helps us as an auto portal to improve upon our existing services and shape our product offerings to be more in sync with the consumer preferences.”

     

    CarDekho’s report also highlighted the importance of price and value-for-money proposition for the Indian consumers. Amongst hatchbacks, Hyundai’s Elite i20 saw nearly 17 per cent user consideration; however, the actual conversion stood only at nine per cent. In comparison, its Grand i10 model, priced nearly Rs 2 lakh lower, managed to record 11 per cent demand despite a measly four per cent consideration. The Alto also recorded 18 per cent actual demand as compared to eight per cent consideration owing to its lower price and Maruti’s brand value. Similarly for the Sedan category, Dzire’s actual demand (37 per cent) far eclipsed its consideration (16 per cent), while the case was reversed for Honda City, which saw 20 per cent consideration, but only 11 per cent actual demand.

     

    However, while price was an important factor that drove transactions, performance and features were also given due consideration. In the Compact SUV/MUV category, both the consideration (14 per cent) and actual conversion (12 per cent) for Maruti’s S-Cross was much lower comparatively to Hyundai’s Creta (32 per cent consideration and 28 per cent actual) despite a lower price. This was attributed to more attractive features offered by Creta as compared to S-Cross.

  • Colors ropes in Maruti Suzuki S-Cross as 24: Season 2 presenting sponsor

    Colors ropes in Maruti Suzuki S-Cross as 24: Season 2 presenting sponsor

    MUMBAI:  Colors is all set to kick off the second season of Anil Kapoor and Ramesh Deo Productions 24 after a two-year hiatus. Keeping the action going, the channel has roped in Maruti Suzuki’s S- Cross as the presenting sponsor for 24: Season 2.  It replaces Tata Motors, which was the title sponsor in 2013.  Estimates are that Maruti has agreed to ante up close to Rs 23 crore for the title sponsorship. The channel’s sales team is also in conversation with agencies and brands to come on as powered by and associate sponsors.

     

    Like in its first season, the Indian adaptation of the US series 24 is being co-produced by Anil Kapoor Film Co and Ramesh Deo Productions and directed by Abhinay Deo & Rensil D’Silva. Filming is slated to commence from 1 November, most of it in India, with parts of the show being shot overseas.

     

    Colors CEO Raj Nayak is quite happy about the Maruti Suzuki S-Cross association. Says he: “Maruti has been with us for many years now. We have associated with them in our other shows including India’s Got Talent, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa and IIFA Awards. Also we wanted to have an association with an automobile firm which has a variety of vehicles because the show format demands that and Maruti Suzuki fits that bill. Additionally, we have a clause with Kapoor as he endorsing S-Cross for all practical purposes on Indian television for months now.”

     

    Maruti Suzuki executive director R S Kalsi too is pretty satisfied with partnering with Colors. Says he: “It’s all about the trust and faith we have with the channel.  Colors have always delivered more than what they promise.  S-Cross is a premium offering from Maruti Suzuki.  The target audience that 24 caters to and its genre allows us to draw synergies between the brands of S-Cross, 24 and Colors. 24: Season 2 is the perfect platform for us to integrate and showcase the premium crossover S-Cross to consumers while strengthening our expanded brand reach.”

     

    Colors launched the first poster of the show on 20 October in Mumbai and it features  an intense Anil Kapoor sporting a rugged look raising the intrigue levels about Jai Singh Rathod’s challenges in season 2. While season one saw Anti Terrorist Unit (ATU) chief had Rathod saving a Prime Ministerial candidate from being assassinated, in Season 2, audience will see him taking the bigger responsibility of saving the nation.

     

    The first season of 24 aired Friday-Saturday at 10 pm.  Nayak told Indiantelevision.com that the “time slot is something which we haven’t decided yet.  24 is a very expensive show so we have to put it in the prime time slot. As we are the number one channel therefore slotting is a huge problem but our team is working on it. Based on the research of last year’s time band we will come back with the slot that grabs more eye balls.”

     

    Like in season one, a  video game based on the show is being planned to be introduced before the first telecast. 

     

     Nayak is cock-a-hoop with delight that 24, a show he invested in a couple of years ago, is making waves globally. Says he: “At Mipcom in Cannes this year for the first time we saw people from international industry talking about 24. All international format owners wanted to meet us and it has never happened before and it only happened because of 24.  People are aware that in India we are one of the biggest buyers of the international format and we spend money on our non – fictions shows. It’s only after 24 there is feeling of different respect that we have received.” 

  • Navin Shetty’s Nube Studios gets new Baselight facility

    Navin Shetty’s Nube Studios gets new Baselight facility

    NEW DELHI: Nube Studio, set up to provide uncompromised grading services for the Indian market, has opened with a Baselight Two grading workstation as its centrepiece.

     

    The colour-driven facility is providing services for commercials, music videos, television and film throughout the region. As a facility aimed at the top end of production, an important requirement is the potential to work natively with raw files from any camera on the same timeline.

     

    The Baselight system is renowned for its ability to accommodate all professional formats and also fully supports grading metadata of any complexity, including primaries, secondaries, keys, shapes, tracks, LUTs and Truelight Colour Spaces. This allows the colourist to explore all the details from the camera, and achieve the look the cinematographer intended.

     

    Open only since June 2015, Nube already boasts an impressive 100+ TVCs, with a client register including BMW, Philips, Godrej Air, Cadbury, Flip Kart, Maruti, Amazon, Dabur, Yardley, Myntra, Pepperfry, OLX, Sunsilk, Intex, KIT KAT, Kohler, Honda, Nescafe, Britannia, Nerolac, TATA, Airtel, Grofers, STAR TV, EPSON, Mahindra, Olay, Jaguar, Lava, Lifebuoy, Renault, Mentos and Solly Sport.

     

    “Baselight delivers on every feature without restricting the creative process. I am able to concentrate on grading and never compromise on quality or inspiration,” said senior colourist and Nube Studio co-founder Navin Shetty.

     

    “Even at HDR 4K, Baselight delivers real-time playback as soon as the content is in the system,” added Shetty. “Clients are not kept waiting, and with the help of the superior grading tools they can see the final result immediately. For clients, the faster system equals staying within budget.”

     

    FilmLight CEO Wolfgang Lempp said, “We are proud to be associated with India’s leading colourist, Navin Shetty. He is very particular about the quality and output of his films. What he and his business head, Ranjan Karkera, have recognised is that directors and producers want to come to a post house and see great pictures just the way they imagined them. At FilmLight we developed our core systems to provide real-time performance even when there is a multi-level grade on top of the raw image. Baselight takes away the technical constraints of transcoding, proxies and unpredictable performance and leaves the colourist to achieve the best look in the shortest time.”

     

    FilmLight will be demonstrating the capabilities of its real-time, render-free grading approach using FilmLight’s BLG interchange format at Broadcast India on the stand of their partners, RED and Avid at Broadcast India 2015 to be held at Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai, 15 to 17 October. 

  • Star Sports rides high on sponsorships for BWF Badminton World Championships

    Star Sports rides high on sponsorships for BWF Badminton World Championships

    MUMBAI: Star Sports has signed up high-profile brands as partners for the broadcast of the BWF Badminton World Championships, where India’s ace shuttlers are vying with other top players from around the globe for the title of World Champion.

    Bajaj Electricals is the presenting sponsor for the broadcast of the tournament, while Maruti and Ask Me are associate sponsors. Kellogg’s has signed on as the ‘solid start’ partner alongside weight-management company and nutritional products maker Herbalife, which is the nutrition partner for the broadcast of the tournament. Dr. Reddy’s Nise Gel has been signed as the pain-relief partner. The tournament, which kicked off on 10 August  in Jakarta will run until 16 August. All matches are being broadcast live on Star Sports.

    Bajaj Electricals joint managing director Anant Bajaj said, “The BWF World Championships is Badminton’s most prestigious tournament. It provides a brilliant platform for the continuously improving and promising Indian badminton squad to show their skills. Bajaj Electricals is proud to partner with Star Sports in this association and wish success and glory to Team India.”

    World no. 2 Saina Nehwal headlines a contingent of ‘Super Indians’ competing in the Championships, with the best of Indian talent like K. Srikanth, HS Prannoy and P.V. Sindhu,  who are among the top 20 badminton players in the world, also taking part.

    This tournament, as also the next twelve months, will be crucial for our badminton heroes as they gear up for the Rio Olympics next year.

    Herbalife International India vice president and country head Ajay Khanna added, “Herbalife is glad to be associated with Star Sports India for the telecast of the Badminton World Championship to Fuel Champions. Our endeavour is to strengthen awareness on the importance of nutrition in sports, which epitomize the healthy active lifestyle that we promote.We are glad to represent that through our competing athlete Saina Nehwal.”

    A Star Sports spokesperson said, “Badminton in India enjoys high participation rates, world-class training academies, and several star players, making the country a force to reckon with in the world of badminton. Star is proud to present the BWF World Championships which highlights our commitment to fostering a multi-sport culture in India. The support from brands like Bajaj Electricals, Kellogg’s, Nisegel, Herbalife, Maruti and AskMe only proves that our efforts to grow a multi-sport culture in India are paying off.”

    First held in 1985, the BWF World Championships were played every two years until 2005.  In 2006 the tournament became an annual fixture and is played every year except in the years when the Olympic Games are held. 

    BWF World Championships is the sport’s most prestigious tournament, along with the Olympics and confers the title of World Champion on the victor.