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Tag: PHL

  • Dilip Jayaram leaves ESS for Procam International

    Dilip Jayaram leaves ESS for Procam International

    MUMBAI: After a long stint of over six years with ESPN Star Sports (ESS), Dilip Jayaram has decided to move on. He will be spearheading Procam International as its senior VP and would be groomed to take over as its COO in a year.
    He used to work with Buena Vista Television India earlier which used to manage the ad sales for ESPN, followed by a stint with MTV and SAB TV.

    In 2000 he came back to ESS as the regional head of the southern region, and in 2002 he moved to Delhi as the regional head for north and east. In 2004, DJ took on the portfolio of business development and innovations for ESS and was heading the team that was responsible for the
    launch of the Premier Hockey League in 2005. He was then promoted as ad sales director in June 2006.

    Procam International organises the Standard Chartered Marathon in Mumbai (which incidentally has in four years found a place in the top 10 marathons of the world) and the Hutch Half Marathon in Delhi (which is the richest half marathon in the world). Procam is also involved with Under 17 Cricket which it manages under the aegis of over seven state associations and also runs the soccer leagues in Goa and Kerala.

    Additionally Procam has also done premium sports events in India like the Squash World Cup and Mr Universe to name a few. He says, “I have worked extensively with one vertical of sports with the best in the genre and have also gained valuable insights on the other side of sports during the Asia Cup in 2004 and the first two editions of PHL. I am now crossing over to the next aspect – that of owning and promoting sports events in the country?”

    Anil and Vivek Singh the promoters of Procam said, “His past experience with ESPN Star Sports, combined with his innate entrepreneurial initiative, gives him extensive knowledge of media and sports events covering the entire gamut from conception to execution. He has been responsible for some of the largest media deals in sport and has also been the chief protagonist of the PHL.

    Procam Mediatel, responsible for the live production of the Marathons, is also currently involved in creating
    innovative shows and concept formats for television.

  • PHL dresses up with 30 foreign players

    PHL dresses up with 30 foreign players

    MUMBAI: The Indian Hockey Federation (IHF), ESPN Star Sports (ESS)and Leisure Sports Management (LSM) have announced the names of the foreign players who will play in the third edition of the Premier Hockey League (PHL).

    These players will be allocated to the teams keeping in mind their strengths and the slot available. For the first time international players from seven countries will play in PHL with big names from nations like Australia, Netherlands and Spain. Pakistan and Netherlands top the imports with 12 and eight players respectively scheduled to play in league starting on 4 January in Chennai.

    Some of the key names include Jamie Dwyer- the goal scorer from Australia, Santi Freixa from Spain- the best FIH player and Junior Player of the World, Pakistani Hockey team captain Rehan Butt, Sander van der Weide- a multiple medal winner with the Dutch hockey team among others.

    The foreign players have been classified to play in short stints and some of them will play in the Chennai leg of the league and some will join their respective teams for the Chandigarh leg. The Pakistani players will however stay on for a longer duration.

    IHF president KPS Gill said, “We are looking at a much bigger and more competitive league this season. With only one tier featuring seven top teams and 30 foreign players confirmed, I am sure Indian Hockey will be the winner at the end of it all.”

    ESPN Software India MD R C Venkateish said, “It was essential to bring in foreign players to give the league, the players and the viewers a competitive and international standard of Hockey in the country. These players will not only raise the standard of the game but also provide an interesting dimension to the viewers. We are on verge of taking the Hockey broadcast to the next level. We realise that there is a strong need to make the game of Hockey more and more viewer friendly.”

    LSM MD SS Dasgupta said, “The players have been chosen keeping in mind their skill set and they will be allocated to the seven PHL teams in accord with the need and requirements of each team that will be discussed in consultation with the IHF, the coach and the captain of the team.”

  • INDIAN HOCKEY FEDERATION

    INDIAN HOCKEY FEDERATION

    Unlike last two years where the league had two tiers with five teams each, the third edition of the PHL will have the top seven teams from the last years’s edition battiling for the country’s top Hockey team.The team have been chosen on the basis of their perfomance in last years PHL – namely, Sher-e-Jalandhar, Chandigarh Dynamos,Maratha Warriors, Banglore Lions and Hyderabad Sultans,the top two teams from Tier ||,that is,Orissa Steelers and Chennai Veerans will be playing in the Preimier division.

    The Premier division will have the seven teams play each other twice, in 42 matches, followed by a best of 3 play-off final between the top two teams in the league like last year. The total number of matches in all will be 45 and will span a period of two months.

    This edition of PHL will also see it move to a multi venue format with Chennai to play host for the PHL for the first month, followed by Chandigarh in the second. All matches will under lights as before and be covered LIVE and and exclusive by ESPN STAR Sports.

  • INDIAN HOCKEY FEDERATION

    INDIAN HOCKEY FEDERATION

    Unlike last two years where the league had two tiers with five teams each, the third edition of the PHL will have the top seven teams from the last years’s edition battiling for the country’s top Hockey team.The team have been chosen on the basis of their perfomance in last years PHL – namely, Sher-e-Jalandhar, Chandigarh Dynamos,Maratha Warriors, Banglore Lions and Hyderabad Sultans,the top two teams from Tier ||,that is,Orissa Steelers and Chennai Veerans will be playing in the Preimier division.

    The Premier division will have the seven teams play each other twice, in 42 matches, followed by a best of 3 play-off final between the top two teams in the league like last year. The total number of matches in all will be 45 and will span a period of two months.

    This edition of PHL will also see it move to a multi venue format with Chennai to play host for the PHL for the first month, followed by Chandigarh in the second. All matches will under lights as before and be covered LIVE and and exclusive by ESPN STAR Sports.

  • INDIAN HOCKEY FEDERATION

    INDIAN HOCKEY FEDERATION

    Unlike last two years where the league had two tiers with five teams each, the third edition of the PHL will have the top seven teams from thelast years’s edition battiling for the country’s top Hockeyteam.The team have been chosen on the basis of their perfomance in last years PHL – namely, Sher-e-Jalandhar, Chandigarh Dynamos,Maratha Warriors, Banglore Lions and Hyderabad Sultans,the top two teams from Tier ||,that is,Orissa Steelers and Chennai Veerans will be playing in the Preimier division.

    The Premier division will have the seven teams play each other twice, in 42 matches, followed by a best of 3 play-off final between the top two teams in the league like last year. The total number of matches in all will be 45 and will span a period of two months.

    This edition of PHL will also see it move to a multi venue format with Chennai to play host for the PHL for the first month, followed by Chandigarh in the second. All matches will under lights as before and be covered LIVE and and exclusive by ESPN STAR Sports.

  • INDIAN HOCKEY FEDERATION

    INDIAN HOCKEY FEDERATION

    Unlike last two years where the league had two tiers with five teams each, the third edition of the PHL will have the top seven teams from the last years’s edition battiling for the country’s top Hockey team.The team have been chosen on the basis of their perfomance in last years PHL – namely, Sher-e-Jalandhar, Chandigarh Dynamos,Maratha Warriors, Banglore Lions and Hyderabad Sultans,the top two teams from Tier ||,that is,Orissa Steelers and Chennai Veerans will be playing in the Preimier division.

    The Premier division will have the seven teams play each other twice, in 42 matches, followed by a best of 3 play-off final between the top two teams in the league like last year. The total number of matches in all will be 45 and will span a period of two months.

    This edition of PHL will also see it move to a multi venue format with Chennai to play host for the PHL for the first month, followed by Chandigarh in the second. All matches will under lights as before and be covered LIVE and and exclusive by ESPN STAR Sports.

  • PHL promises a bonanza of Rs 10 million if India wins the Hockey World Cup

    PHL promises a bonanza of Rs 10 million if India wins the Hockey World Cup

    MUMBAI: Premier Hockey League (PHL), an initiative of the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF), ESPN Star Sports (ESS) and Leisure Sports Management (LSM), has announced a cash reward of Rs. 10 millione if India wins the Hockey World Cup.

    The Indian team will be richer by Rs. 5 million if they finish as runners-up and Rs. 2.5 million in case they win a bronze medal. PHL introduced the concept of a third umpire for the first time in the history of hockey.

    It will sponsor a video analyst for a period of one year to help the Indian hockey team in their international campaign. The video analyst has already joined Indian Hockey team in Germany in their quest for glory at the Hockey World Cup. The league will also take care of the medical rehabilitation cost of the injured drag flicker Sandeep Singh.

    ESS India MD RC Venkateish said, “The premier hockey league has been a great success and has given a chance to many youngsters to groom themselves in the early stage of their career by rubbing shoulders with the best players in the world. The league will only become bigger in times to come.

    “Supporting the Indian team is a critical part of our strategy. Success at international level will attract more and more youngsters to look upon hockey as a lucrative career option. Therefore, the Premier Hockey League will reward the Indian team with prize money of Rs 10 million in case they win the Hockey World Cup. In order to help the Indian team to win consistently at the international level, the Premier Hockey League will also sponsor the video analyst for the Indian team starting with the Hockey World Cup in Germany for the next one year.“

    IHF president KPS Gill said, “It is indeed a big day for Indian hockey. The Premier Hockey League has achieved all that it has promised till date and I am confident that it will continue to do so in the future as well. The progression to support international team from the domestic front is natural, after the entire league’s aim is make Hockey popular in India.
    “The team has gelled well under Bhaskaran and has shown an increasingly improved performance. The rewards announced by PHL will inspire the Indian team to give their best shot at the Hockey World Cup in Germany. The hockey world is becoming more and more competitive. There is not much gap in the top teams of the world. The introduction of the video analyst will help the Indian hockey team to strategise in a better way.”

    PHL will also take care of rehabilitation cost of Sandeep Singh including his physiotherapy abroad so that the drag flicker resumes duty for the Indian team as soon as possible.

    LSM MD SS Dasgupta said, “It’s a very good development for Indian hockey and PHL, I would like to thank ESPN Star Sports for their unrelenting effort to revive Indian hockey.”

    Meru Sports Technology, a firm that has been offering its service to various cricket bodies around including BCCI to offer video analysis services to the Indian Hockey team during the World Cup to be conducted in Germany in Sep 2006. Meru has developed a product called HockeyMate for match analysis of field games, incorporating the specific needs of Indian team hockey coaches V.Bhaskaran and Harendra Singh.

    Meru Sports Technology will be providing technique analysis as well as match analysis. Technique analysis is study of body movements and positions and is based on bio-mechanics. It is generally confined to training/coaching. Match analysis is for developing strategies by studying the game of one’s own team as well as opponents. IHF will evaluate the performance of the video analyst after the world cup.

    The Indian Hockey team’s chief coach Vasudevan Bhaskaran says, “I am pleasantly surprised by the announcement made by Premier Hockey League. There are not many examples in the world wherein a domestic league has come out to help the national team. The league has already thrown many youngsters like Raghunath, Sandeep Singh and has therefore contributed to make our team a much better unit. The announcement has been morale booster for the Indian team. With wishes from hockey supporters back home, I am sure that we will do creditably well.”

    “The video analysis is as much a training tool as it is a strategy tool. The video analyst is already working on specific requirements given by us. We are confident that the team performance will improve with the addition of the Video analyst,” added Bhaskaran.

    The Indian hockey team’s skipper Dilip Tirkey, said, “It is very heart warming. The team is touched by the gesture. We are especially glad for Sandeep Singh who missed the bus for the world cup. This is very reassuring for the players. The video analyst also will help us in preparing us against the best teams of the world. We will give it our best at the World Cup.”

  • ESPN STAR Sports announces Garv campaign for PHL

    ESPN STAR Sports announces Garv campaign for PHL

    MUMBAI: ESPN STAR Sports has taken Hockey in India to a new high with the third edition of the Premier Hockey League (PHL). The premier broadcaster is building PHL, the premier hockey tournament in the country, on regional pride to evoke popular support for the seven teams in the league. After the announcement of celebrities supporting the seven teams, PHL today announced the campaign “Garv Nahin to Kuch Nahin” which will support certain causes for each PHL team from the seven states. PHL will build support and will contribute towards renaissance of sports in the state of Maharashtra.

    Announcing the causes for each state, R C Venkateish, Managing Director of ESPN Software India Pvt Ltd said, “People are passionate about seeing their team win and this regional pride of witnessing your team perform well will motivate them to stand up and be counted. The “Garv Nahin to Kuch Nahin” campaigns look to highlight the regional pride among the seven states and invoke support through the causes that are a part of state we all live in. We plan to celebrate January 4, 2007 as “The Pride Day” across the country when PHL begins as a mark of passion and love for hockey and support and encouragement for your own state team.”

    PHL will encourage regional support through PHL team bands that will sold at ADIDAS outlets across the country. ESPN STAR Sports has also tied up with the music company Sa Re Ga Ma to build a Garv package that will be retailed at stores in the country. Fans across the nation will also be able to download a host of features like ring tones and wallpapers to support their favourite teams. Proceeds from the sale of the bands, the albums and the downloadable services will go towards the dedicated cause of the region. In Maharashtra, the proceeds will be diverted to the sports associations and federations as funds for the resurgence of the Maratha sports community which boasts of an illustrious legacy in India.

    This announcement follows the recent announcement by the brand ambassadors for each team in the league, who were roped in to uplift the team spirit and provide popular support to the teams off the field as a part of the “Garv Nahin to Kuch Nahin” campaign. Southern movie superstar Madhavan will throw his lot behind the Chennai Veerans while the eternal loverboy of Bollywood Jimmy Sheirgill roots for Sher-e-Jalandar. Likewise, VVS Laxman will back Hyderabad Sultans, Ravi Shastri will support Maratha Warriors, Debashish Mohanty will back Orissa Steelers while Prakash Padukone will champion the cause of Bangalore Lions.

    Speaking on the occasion Ravi Shastri said, “PHL will be the genesis of the revival of Indian hockey and will hopefully carry the Indian national hockey side to important victories in tournaments abroad. I am proud to be a part of PHL cause that will look to uplift the sports scenario in Mumbai.”

    Launched with an aim of reviving the glory of hockey in India, the Premier Hockey League has already established itself as one of the most important hockey tournaments in the world. More than 25 international players from 6 countries have taken part in the two editions of the league so far. Commenting on the success of PHL, RC Venkateish said, “The premier hockey league has been a great success and has given a chance to many youngsters to groom themselves in the early stage of their career by rubbing shoulders with the best players in the world. The league will only become bigger in times to come.