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Tag: Pro Kabaddi

  • Bikano sponsors team Dabang Delhi for PKL season 9

    Bikano sponsors team Dabang Delhi for PKL season 9

    Mumbai: Bikano has become the official sponsor of team Dabang Delhi for the upcoming season nine of the Pro Kabaddi League.

    Following this partnership, the Bikano logo will feature prominently on the right sleeves of team Dabang Delhi’s competition t-shirts this season. It will also splash across all in-stadium branding collateral and across ATL-BTL and digital branding as well.

    Speaking about this partnership, Bikanervala Foods director Manish Aggarwal said, “This has been a blessed year for brand Bikano as markets are open and people are back to spending on snacks after two years of lockdown. In order to consolidate these good times, as a leading FMCG company, we are looking to spread awareness about our brand and products via diverse, aggressive marketing campaigns. And what could be better than being associated with the Pro Kabaddi League and, more specifically, the previous season’s defending champions, Team Dabang Delhi? Kabaddi is a beloved sport in India, and the league has managed to win the hearts of millions of people across the world, so we decided to sponsor the original sport of India.”

    “The fact is that the Dabang Delhi team is in great form this year. It should therefore come as no surprise that Dabang Delhi was our first choice when we decided to extend our sponsorship to this league,” Aggarwal elaborates.

    Adding to it, Bikano head of sales Sanjeev Wadhwa said, “The popularity of the Dabang Delhi team is growing with every match and we are proud to be associated with the champions as their sponsor. We are confident that it will bring good visibility to our brand. This is because the famous Bikano logo will feature prominently on the right sleeves of Team Dabang Delhi’s competition t-shirts. It will also feature on all other in-stadium branding material, and all ATL-BTL and digital branding too.”

    He continued, “We are already running a high-frequency advertising campaign around our much-loved bestselling Bikano Bhujia across several prominent television channels, social media, and on-ground platforms. We intend to take the “#HumseBehtarBhujiaKoJaaneKaun” campaign to the next level with this sponsorship. This addition will help us further consolidate the brand awareness that we have created over the years. We are focused on connecting with our existing consumers and showcasing our Bhujia category to new consumers. We want to become the preferred choice among all our stakeholders and be part of every Indian family, be it in India or overseas.”

  • Sports, IPL and the game of advertising

    Sports, IPL and the game of advertising

    MUMBAI: Follow social conversations and you will be led to believe that it is politicians, Bollywood stars, movies, Indian fictional television shows and characters that create the most buzz online and offline. Clearly, fans are in abundance, and many go as far as to imitate their heroes and heroines on screen and TV. But that’s only on the surface.

    Dig deeper and you will discover that there’s another genre that draws as many conversations as all of them combined, and that is sports. Yes, arguments can be varied that we are not a sports-loving country; look at our decades-long abysmal performance in most competitive running sports the world over. Look at how we go overboard and celebrate when we win just a bronze medal at the Olympics by showering all kinds of national awards on the medal winner!

    And in sports, there’s one segment that occupies around 90 per cent of all social media chatter. And that is cricket. Love the game or not, you are instantly prompted to the online noise; there’s so much of it out there. Ignore it at your own peril.

    It is difficult to deny that sports properties are extremely vital for advertisers. Media spend in sports has bloomed over the years, having been boosted by major cricket tournaments. IPL undoubtedly has transformed the business forever. On the other hand, non-cricket tournaments like Pro Kabaddi League, ISL, and Premier Badminton League are also witnessing slow but steady change.

    According to a report from ESP properties, over the three years from 2015 to 2018, advertising spends on TV have more than doubled on sports properties, from Rs crore ($270 million) to Rs crore ($556 million), at a CAGR of 29 percent. Although numbers are not available for 2019, industry experts have stated ad spends on sports grew thanks to ICC Cricket World Cup and the IPL.

    The report also added that 85 per cent of all adex in sports happened on TV in 2018. Hence, the winning combination of TV and live sports is prompting media planners to prefer sports compared to GEC, movie or news. One of the prime reasons here is definitely the high reach and the immediate impact. Although sports as a segment is an expensive proposition, the high viewership attracts the brands. Special product launches and brand campaigns around sport events are also critical for them. Multiple brand associations during IPL indicate advertisers’ love for premium sports events. 

    For IPL 2020, a large array of brands such as Vivo, Altroz, fbb, Dream11, Paytm, PhonePe, Amazon Prime, CocaCola, Asian Paints, Fortune, Maruti Suzuki, CEAT, KAMLA PASAND and Royal Challenge have jumped on the ‘brand wagon’. The variety in various categories of brands also breaks the myth that only deep-pocket players afford to buy premium sporting properties. Depending on their budget, brands can place their ads either on television or digital media platforms and associate in several ways.

    According to Pitch Madison Advertising Report 2020, total Adex is expected to move up to Rs 74,650 crore, an increase of Rs 7,048 crore. The report reaffirms the ability of pole events to attract advertisers even during a “not-so-high growth” year. The report expects IPL and ICC T20 World Cup to pull in substantial monies this year, too.

    Uncertainties still remain at the ecosystem level given the changes in new tariff order, overall economic condition which is likely to pick up in H2. The report adds as pole properties like the IPL, ICC T20 Cricket World Cup and Hindi GECs’ premium shows are likely to get a fair amount of advertiser attention even in difficult times; these programmes will command higher rates than last year.

    It may intrigue us why the industry is being so bullish on sports. For most of the Indians, sports, especially cricket events, bring the entire family and peer groups together in front of TV. The battle of remote within the family stops when an exciting match comes live on TV. There may be ten GEC channels with a number of shows and a large number of movie channels offering exciting content, making the risk of audience fragmentation higher. The audience is much more cluttered for premium sports events like IPL which unifies the fragmented demographic of the country.

    “In India, around 80 to 85 percent of money spent on sports is spent on cricket while many other leagues have come in a larger scheme that adds up to the other 15 per cent. So, their relevance is less. Therefore, in India when you say sports, unfortunately even now everything equals to cricket. And that’s a very high engagement medium which has got very huge involvement of the audience making it a great platform,” Dentsu Aegis Network APAC CEO and India chairman Ashish Bhasin says.

    With turns and twists in scripts, change in characters, the audience retention may become a challenge in the case of long-running shows on GEC. But live sports concentrates attention on exciting twists happening during a match in a limited time. During a long-running cricket match, as the audience are less diverted to elsewhere, brands are provided with more integration opportunities, a luxury no other sport event can offer. The 45-second, but frequent, breaks are bonanzas for brands as viewers don’t skip channels typically.

    “In India, sports, fortunately or unfortunately, is almost equal to cricket. Something like IPL stays with the nation for 40 days. It is probably the biggest property on Indian television. Brands that do great are those who manage to integrate various touch points with consumers together. It is not only about putting ad spots on television but having a digital strategy. You cannot expect people to have activities only on pubs or restaurants or bars. So, whoever does it in a well-synchronised manner sells best,” Bhasin adds. One of the senior executives from a leading brand also comments that awareness, audience engagement and brand recall go up immediately after IPL match.

    Asked about the properties they plan to buy in 2020, a media planner from a well-known media agency names IPL. While he mentions about a few reality shows like Big Boss and KBC, he also talks about other sporting tournaments such as ICC Women's T20 World Cup and Pro Kabaddi League. According to him, there is another reason to look at the sports genre than others. He asserts that media planners prefer sports for male target group as it garners higher men’s viewership compared to other genres. In addition to that, he adds, TV will be preferred while buying a sports property. 

    Another executive from a leading advertising agency also mentions ICC T20 World Cup and ICC Women's T20 World Cup while talking about the properties they are looking at for 2020. He also adds that other niche games like badminton and Kabaddi are emerging but cricket takes up most of the advertisers’ budget till now.

    “IPL particularly is a format which gets audiences across age groups, geographies and sectors. Earlier, sports mainly used to be male-dominated fiefdom. Now, IPL, because of its entertainment factor, has converted itself as a family programme. So, it is a great way for a brand to get national recognition overnight. That is why it is a good platform if you want a quick reach,” Bhasin adds.

    The year 2020 looks more exciting for marketers looking at sports. Cricket tournaments like IPL, Asia Cup, Women's World Cup and T20 Men's World Cup are leading the chart along with Olympics and Pro Kabaddi. 

  • Pro Kabaddi comes to Dome@NSCI this November 2018 for the fourth consecutive year

    Pro Kabaddi comes to Dome@NSCI this November 2018 for the fourth consecutive year

    MUMBAI: Dome@NSCI, India’s premier entertainment and leisure destination, will host the Mumbai matches for the sixth season of the Pro Kabaddi league between 9th November 2018 and 15th November 2018. For the past four years, the league in Mumbai has become synonymous with the iconic destination and has drawn visitors from across the city. Pro Kabaddi league has managed to become one of the most awaited sport event in the cricket loving nation. An initiative by Mashal Sports and Star India, it is the only league to bring the franchise-based format to India’s indigenous sport of Kabaddi. Dome@NSCI, Mumbai is the home ground for being the home ground for U Mumba and has hosted their matches since 2016 to make it the fourth consecutive year. Tickets to the matches, as part of the league, are now live and available on PayTM and Insider.in.

    Mazhar Nadiadwala, Managing Director, Dome Entertainment says, ‘’It is always a pleasure to host the Pro Kabaddi League at Dome@NSCI. Sports is in the DNA of everyone here, and we are excited to provide a home to one of India’s most ancient games. It is exhilarating to see the resurgence the sport has seen in today’s time, and we are honoured to be a part of this journey. We hope our relationship with the Pro Kabaddi league strengthens in the coming years, and is a testament to the faith shown in us by such renowned names."

    For Pro Kabaddi 2018, the teams will compete in a caravan format, divided into two zones of six teams each. The league has seen participation from across India and the top three teams from each zone will be in the running for the playoff.

    Dome@NSCI has become the preferred destination for all kinds of sporting events – traditional and new age concepts within a span of five years, providing a plush and comfortable indoor space to host any sport.  Being one of the most premier venues in India, Dome@NSCI has hosted some of the most renowned events across industries, including sports. It has in its repertoire well known sporting events like Pro Kabaddi League, IOS Boxing (with Vijendar Singh), Brave India – MMA etc.

  • Nitin Kukreja joins iQuest

    Nitin Kukreja joins iQuest

    MUMBAI: Former Star India sports head Nitin Kukreja has joined iQuest Enterprises as its chief executive officer. Kukreja had left Star in March this year.

    IQuest is an enterprise of Nimmagadda Prasad, the former owner of the Maa TV group, who has multiple business interests ranging from infrastructure to sports. It is pertinent to note that Star India took over Maa TV of which he was chairman for around Rs 2,300 crore in 2015.

    Prasad’s Iquest reportedly has actor Nagarjuna Rao Akkineni, Allu Arvind and Ram Charan Tej Konidala listed as directors according to corporate filings. But newspaper reports have suggested that Sachin Tendulkar and Prasad’s former business associate in Maa TV actor Chiranjeevi too are involved in the company as a partner. Kurkreja will have his hands full managing the sports business for iQuest though it has investments in other sectors as it owns teams across different sports:

    • Kerala Blasters, a team in the Indian Super League.
    • Badminton team, Benguluru Blasters, in the Premier Badminton League
    • Pro Kabaddi League team, Tamil Thalaivas.

    As the sports head at Star Sports, Kukreja was instrumental in the addition of mega sports IPs such as the Indian Super League and Pro Kabaddi League to the Star portfolio.

    Kukreja, a qualified chartered account, prior to his long stint with Star India has been an investment banker and served in private equity divisions of Morgan Stanley and the Audit and Assurance division of PricewaterhouseCoopers. He has also been an advisor for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Khelo India programme.

  • Pro Kabaddi 5 hikes prize money by Rs 20 mn

    MUMBAI: The stakes for Vivo Pro Kabaddi Season 5 got even higher, with announcement of a consolidated sum of Rs 80 mn as the coveted prize money for the season, which commences on 28 July, 2017, in Hyderabad. This marks a significant and unprecedented increment from Rs 20 mn, which was the prize money scheme for Season 4 of the league in 2016.

    The first match will see Telugu Titans take-on new team, Tamil Thalaivas on 28th in Hyderabad. Fans can catch the tournament live on Star Sports network and Hotstar.

    Twelve teams will clash in 138 exhilarating matches to win the desirable title, set at Rs 30 mn. The runners-up will be awarded Rs 18 mn, while the team that finishes in the third place will win Rs 12 mn. The ‘Most Valuable Player’ prize, previously awarded to Kabaddi stars like Anup Kumar and Manjeet Chillar, is also receiving a substantial boost this season, with the awardee set to win Rs 1.5 mn.

    VIVO Pro Kabaddi Season 5 Prize Money

    Team Awards

     Amount (INR Lakh)

    Winner

    300

    Runners Up

    180

    Third Place

    120

    Fourth Place

    80

    Fifth Place

    35

    Sixth Place

    35

    Individual Awards

     Amount (INR Lakh)

    MVP

    15

    Best Raider

    10

    Best Defender

    10

    Best Young Player

    8

    Best Referee Female

    3.5

    Best Referee Male

    3.5

    Total

    800

    Looking forward to a thrilling Season 5, VIVO Pro Kabaddi league commissioner Anupam Goswami said, “Even before the commencement of its fifth season, Vivo Pro Kabaddi has already traversed significant landmarks, beginning with a ground-breaking sponsorship deal, to record bids at the player auction, and now, a remarkable elevation of the consolidated prize money. The winning sum to be awarded to season 5 champions is at par with renowned leagues, making the PKL trophy a highly coveted one. The ground is now set for a fierce and dynamic 13-weeks of high-octane Kabaddi action.”

  • Sumanto Chattopadhyay named chairman & CCO of Soho Square

    MUMBAI: Sumanto Chattopadhyay will take over as the chairman and CCO at Soho Square from 1 August 2017 with the goal of shaping its culture and reputation, and leading it through the next phase of growth in India.

    Part of Ogilvy since 1993, Chattopadhyay has helped build brands like Dove, Pond’s and Star Plus, successfully relaunched UTI Bank as Axis Bank and helped launch brands like Pro Kabaddi, Maharashtra Tourism and The Economist in India. He also contributed to the growth of the Mumbai, Kolkata and Colombo offices of Ogilvy.

    Chattopadhyay has won international and national advertising awards at Cannes, the Clios, the One Show, the London Festival, the Abbies and Kyoorius. Some of his awards include the 2017 campaign for Star Plus that swept the Kyoorius Awards, the 2016 AME award for Diu Tourism campaign and the 2015 Cannes Health Lion for the filaria eradication campaign he developed for the Government of India.

    Chattopadhyay has an MBA from McGill University, Canada, and an MS in Applied Mathematics from Clemson University, South Carolina, USA.

    Ogilvy South Asia executive chairman and creative director Piyush Pandey in a statement said, “Sumanto is one of our most talented, seasoned creative resources with rich experience across categories. More importantly, he is a fantastic creative leader and, over the years, I’ve seen some great talent emerge under his leadership. Soho Square has picked up tremendous momentum. Sumanto will help build on its success and propel it forward.”

    Over the last decade, Soho Square has grown in size and stature to be ranked among the best agencies in India. Part of WPP in India, the company has been consciously built as an independent agency that now has offices in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Kolkata, and its client list includes Tata Motors, Himalaya Herbals, Bisleri, Yes Bank, Cipla, Franklin Templeton, Piaggio, Lava and Voltas, amongst others.

  • Mashal picks four teams for Vivo Pro-Kabaddi

    MUMBAI: Vivo Pro Kabaddi has become India’s biggest sports league with the inclusion of four new teams that will participate in the league from Season 5 onwards due to be played in July – October this year. The announcement of the four new team owners was made by Mashal Sports, organiser and administrator of the league and its parent organisation Star India.

    The four new franchises announced by Mashal Sports represent some of the leading corporate institutions in India, including prominent owners of teams in the ongoing Indian Premier League as well as the I-League. The new geographies for Vivo Pro Kabaddi Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat have been primarily chosen for their high affinity towards Kabaddi with massive fan bases, significant on-ground presence of the sport, and potential commercial value to sponsors and advertisers, primarily Rs 300-crore title sponsorship by Vivo.

    The new geographies and franchises for Mashal Sports are as follows:

    City/State

    Name of the Franchise

    Name of the Owner/Promoter

    Chennai/Tamil Nadu

    Iquest Enterprises Private Limited (Consortium)

    N Prasad & Sachin Tendulkar

    Ahmedabad/Gujarat

    Adani Wilmar Limited

    Adani Group

    Lucknow/Uttar Pradesh

    GMR League Games Private Limited

    GMR Group

    Haryana

    JSW Sports Private Limited

    JSW Group

     

    With this, VIVO Pro Kabaddi is poised to surpass other Indian sports leagues in terms of geographical representation – 11 states, number of matches – 130+ matches and length of the tournament – 13 weeks. This is a reflection of Mashal Sports and Star India’s continuous endeavour to grow the sport from strength to strength every season.

    Uday Shankar, Chairman and CEO, Star India said, “I am delighted to welcome some of India’s finest corporates to our Mission Kabaddi. We believe that with the support of existing and new partners we are well on our course to realizing a socially transformative sports agenda. The interest shown by these corporates is evidence of the immense potential of Kabaddi.”

    Janardan Singh Gehlot, President, International Kabaddi Federation, said, “We laud Star India and Mashal Sports for uniquely transforming and renewing Kabaddi, and their relentless efforts to scale it even higher. The addition of 4 new teams to the ever-growing VIVO Pro Kabaddi League signifies a promising road ahead for the sport in India as well as over the world.”

    The announcement of the four new teams in the VIVO Pro Kabaddi League is a culmination of a detailed exercise carried out by AZB & Partners & PricewaterhouseCoopers India.

    This expansion adds to an already impressive line-up of 8 franchises based out of major metros in the country – Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Patna, Pune and Jaipur.

    Within a short span of 2 years, VIVO Pro Kabaddi has captured the imagination of Indian viewers and established itself as one of the highest impact television properties in key markets. VIVO Pro Kabaddi became an instant hit with Indian sports fans in its very first season in 2014 as 435 million* viewers tuned in. Names such as, Anup Kumar, Rahul Chaudhari, Ajay Thakur have become household names. Its cumulative viewership growth of 51%** over 4 seasons is the highest for any sports league in India. It has even surpassed IPL in Andhra Pradesh and also achieved primetime slot leadership in Mumbai#.

    Earlier this week, Star India announced a breakthrough deal with VIVO India, the global smartphone major — as the title sponsor of the league for five years.

  • Pro-Kabaddi and Vivo sign five-year title sponsorship deal

    MUMBAI: Pro-Kabaddi League has signed on Vivo as the title sponsor for five years. The upcoming fifth Pro-Kabaddi season will have contests with up to 12 teams and more than 130 matches spread across 13 weeks. Vivo Pro-Kabaddi Season 5 will kick off in July 2017 on Star Sports.

    Through this association, Vivo aims to strengthen its consumer connect with the audience across India as Pro-Kabaddi League is the second most followed sport after cricket. This will help in achieving a stronger brand recall and excellent visibility for the brand.

    Speaking about Vivo Pro-Kabaddi, Star India managing director Sanjay Gupta said, “Vivo happens to share a common vision with Star Sports to make Pro Kabaddi one of the finest leagues in the world. Vivo coming on board as the title sponsor is a significant milestone in the growth story of the league. Star Sports will continue its efforts to elevate the stature of the sport further.”

    Pro Kabaddi has seen a phenomenal growth over the last four seasons with packed stadia and record viewership numbers, emerging as a benchmark for sports leagues in India. Significantly, the high popularity of Pro Kabaddi has evoked continually surging sponsor interest. This fast-growing interest from across the ecosystem reflects the national appeal of the sport.

    Speaking on the occasion, Vivo India CEO Kent Cheng said, “This association is important for us as Pro Kabaddi League has reached incredible heights and now proudly stands as one of the most successful leagues in India.”

    Earlier seasons have shown that Kabaddi is a sport the popularity of which cuts across all audience. With this association, Vivo aims to target the right audience and capture the hearts of Indians.

  • Pro Kabaddi: Mashal Sports invites tenders to own & manage new team

    MUMBAI: Mashal Sports, in which Star Sports owns 74% stake, has, pursuant to the Invitation for Expression of Interest dated 29 March, has called for expressions of interest (“EOI”) to be submitted by eligible persons, fulfilling the criteria provided for in the Invitation, who wish to participate in a competitive bidding process proposed to be run for the award of the rights to own, operate and manage a proposed new franchise team which will compete in the Pro Kabaddi League owned and operated by Mashal (“PKL”) from and including the PKL seasons to be held in 2017 onwards, on such terms and conditions as agreed with Mashal.

    Pro Kabaddi is now set to expand to up to four new geographies. With the addition of the new teams, Pro Kabaddi is gearing up to surpass other Indian sports leagues in terms of geographic representation (teams from 11 states), number of matches (130+ matches), and duration of the league (13 weeks) in Season 5.

    The intended new states for Pro Kabaddi have been selected very carefully. Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat have been primarily chosen for their high affinity towards Kabaddi with massive fan bases, significant on-ground presence of the sport, and potential commercial value to sponsors and advertisers. Both Haryana and Tamil Nadu contribute large number of players to Pro Kabaddi, as well as leading public sector teams in the country. Along with Uttar Pradesh, these states have a rich cultural tradition of highly popular local Kabaddi tournaments. The intrinsic popularity of Kabaddi in India has been most recently demonstrated in Gujarat where the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup has led to a huge surge in public following of Kabaddi.

    Pro Kabaddi became an instant hit with Indian sports fans in its very first season in 2014 as 435 million* viewers tuned in. This modern league in India’s ancient sport of Kabaddi has continued to grow from strength to strength in subsequent seasons. Its cumulative viewership growth of 51 per cent over four seasons is the highest for any sports league in India. Within a short span of 2 years, Pro Kabaddi has captured the imagination of Indian viewers and established itself as one of the highest impact television properties in key markets. It has even surpassed IPL in Andhra Pradesh and also achieved primetime slot leadership in Mumbai.

    Significantly, the high popularity of Pro Kabaddi as well as 2016 Kabaddi World Cup has evoked continually surging sponsor interest. Pro Kabaddi Season 4 had a total of 64 league and franchise sponsors on board. This fast growing interest from sponsors from diverse sectors of the economy mirrors Kabaddi’s pan-India appeal – cutting across key consumer segments from metropolitan markets to heartland as well as pan-geographical regions. In a remarkably strong endorsement of Kabaddi, the latest edition of an annual report jointly prepared by the leading media investment advisory firm ESP Properties and Sportzpower, a provider of sports business news, states, “…in terms of absolute numbers added to the Sports Sponsorship pie, India’s ancient contact team sport was THE story of 2016.”

    “Even for an optimist like me, the response we have seen for Kabaddi is surprising. Having seen its affinity in the country, it would be a disservice to the sport if we do not grow it further. All stakeholders have decided to come together to expand the league and given the pace at which this is growing, it might be just the first in a series of expansions in the coming years”, said Star India chairman and CEO Uday Shankar.

    A father figure to Indian Kabaddi, International Kabaddi Federation president Janardan Singh Gehlot stated, “Pro Kabaddi is a truly unique example of how a modern league has transformed the much loved but traditional Kabaddi into a modern sport. Star Sports as well as Mashal have created a magnificent example for the growth of India as multi-sport nation.”

    An All India Kabaddi player hunt 2017 was organised by Mashal Sports in association with AKFI as part of its talent development programme across 14 cities in India. Over 4600 participants between the age groups of 18 to 22 years got a chance to showcase their Kabaddi talent. This initiative will play an important role in catalysing the on-ground Kabaddi eco-system and providing a future pipeline of players.

    Mashal Sports is inviting Expression of Interest from reputable corporate entities having a vision for investing in the overall development of the sport from the ground up and participating in the success of PKL through their active involvement as a franchise team. Mashal Sports will shortlist selected interested participants and invite them to participate in a transparent tender process. The selection of the winning bidders will be done by a panel of eminent people based on both qualitative and financial criteria. The process is expected to be completed by 5 May, 2017 providing enough time for the new franchise to prepare for Season 5 starting in July 2017.

    Details of Invitation for Expression of Interest:
    Every EOI in response to the Invitation must be submitted, in accordance with the Invitation, by no later than 11:59 pm IST on 9 April, 2017. Such EOI must be submitted by way of an email (with all relevant attachments) to pkl@mashalsports.com. Every EOI submitted pursuant to the Invitation must contain all of the following information and documents:

    Corporate Profile: A brief overview of the background and history of the bidder, its group and affiliates including promoter and current business and operations.

    PKL Proposal: A brief description of bidder’s reasons for wanting to participate in the PKL, plans for the growth and development of the sport of kabaddi, PKL and the team.

    Sports Experience: Details of any previous experience in any sports related activity, including participation in any sporting leagues, sports sponsorships, sporting bodies, academies or otherwise.

    Certificates: (a) Net worth certificate furnished by a chartered accountant certifying the Net worth of the bidder (or of the parent) as of March 31, 2016, and (b) a certificate executed by an authorized signatory of the bidder certifying compliance with the fit and proper criteria listed below.

    Consortium Information: Details of each consortium member, and a description of each member’s interest in the consortium, including effective voting / controlling interest and economic interest, and identification of the lead member and representative All of the information and documents listed in (a) to (d) above must be provided in respect of each member of the consortium.

    The EOI must contain a certificate, duly executed by the authorized signatory of the bidder (in the case of an EOI submitted by a consortium, duly executed by the authorized signatory of each member of the consortium), certifying each of the following with respect to each bidder and each member of the consortium:

    None of the bidder, its affiliates or any of its or their respective directors, partners, executives or key managerial personnel (each, an “Identified Person”) have been convicted by a court of any offence involving moral turpitude, economic offence, securities laws or fraud;

    No application for winding up, liquidation, bankruptcy or insolvency has been admitted by any court of competent jurisdiction against any Identified Person;

    None of the Identified Persons have been declared insolvent or bankrupt or is subject to striking off, disqualification or de-recognition by any professional body or authority;

    None of the Identified Persons are currently, or have previous been, banned by the governing body of any sport from involvement in the administration of or any form of participation in such sport, for any reason;

    None of the Identified Persons own any form of interest (whether by way of shares, units, securities or any other form of voting or economic interest) in any club, league, team or organization, which is or has previously been expelled from any competition organized by or under the auspices or sanction of any governing body or authority for any sport;

    None of the Identified Persons are, or have previously been involved or interested in, in any manner, the production or provision of goods or services which are illegal; and

    None of the Identified Persons are in default of any of their obligations to a financial institution or have defaulted on any of its obligations to a financial institution in the last 3 (three) financial years.

  • Star Sports Pro Kabaddi League signs Allu Arjun as brand ambassador

    Star Sports Pro Kabaddi League signs Allu Arjun as brand ambassador

    MUMBAI: Star Sports Pro Kabaddi League, which opened to packed stadiums through its first leg in Mumbai, has now set its sight on the south. In a move to captivate the southern market, it has roped in Telugu cinema’s reigning star Allu Arjun as its brand ambassador in the two Telugu states namely Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

     

    The actor, who has won multiple awards for his work, will promote the sport and the league for the millions of Kabaddi enthusiasts in the Telugu speaking states. The Gachibowli Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad will host the eight city franchise league from 4-7 August 2015. 

     

    Talking about the development, Star Sports head Nitin Kukreja said, “At Star, we are committed to reinvent the great Indian sport of Kabaddi and set it in today’s context. The task is to make the game relevant and aspirational for the millions of young and passionate fans across India. Allu Arjun is an actor par excellence and a youth icon with following that cuts across all sections of the society. We believe he is the apt ambassador of the sport in this geography and are confident that this association will further the sport of Kabaddi in the region.”

     

    This season of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi has created a place of pride for the National Anthem. Every day during the league, eminent personalities, local musicians and bands sing the anthem in a manner that captures the essence of the entire country. One of India’s biggest superstar, Amitabh Bachchan sang the National Anthem on 18 July followed by Sunidhi Chauhan on the second day in Mumbai and Saurav Ganguly on the opening day in Kolkata. Arjun will be performing the National Anthem on Day 1 when Hyderabad hosts its first ever Kabaddi game on 4 August.

     

    Speaking on the occasion, Arjun said, “Kabaddi is a true Indian sport and Star Sports Pro Kabaddi has helped the game gain its due recognition in the country. I am truly honoured and proud to be singing the National Anthem at the start of the Hyderabad leg of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi. Being a physical fitness enthusiast, I am excited to associate with the league and will help promote the great Indian sport across the region.”

     

    Star Sports Pro Kabaddi is being broadcast in five languages- Kannada, Telugu and Marathi along with English and Hindi, across eight channels of the Star network as well as on Hotstar. The league is currently on air in Telugu on Maa Movies.

     

    MAA TV chairman N Prasad said, “Season one of the Star Sports Pro Kabaddi successfully established Kabaddi in the mainstream, breaking it out of its hinterland niche and transforming it into a sport enjoyed just as much by an urban audience. We are happy to partner with Star Sports to broaden Kabaddi’s appeal even further by taking it closer to fans in Telugu States. We believe Kabaddi, being an aspirational contact sport, has a lot of potential and is set to become very popular.”

     

    The Indian game of Kabaddi is also being telecast to a huge global audience in over 100 countries, including viewers in the United States, United Kingdom, Middle East and Latin America. It also has commentary from the field of play, a never seen before phenomena in Indian sports, actively engaging their role on camera.