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Tag: Saina Nehwal

  • PBL S3 to launch with Saina vs Sindhu match

    PBL S3 to launch with Saina vs Sindhu match

    MUMBAI: The Vodafone Premier Badminton League (PBL) season 3 is just around the corner featuring top Indian and international badminton talent in the world, including eight Olympic Medal Winners.

    The league kicks-off on 23 December 2017 and will go on till 14 January 2018. Guwahati will open the third season. The pan-Indian league will be hosted in five cities this time, with Delhi, Lucknow, Chennai, and Hyderabad being the others. Hyderabad, which is very much Indian badminton’s hub, will get the honour to host both the semi-finals as well as the final.

    The defending champions Chennai Smashers will take on Awadhe Warriors on the first day, with the clash between India’s top two shuttle queens, Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu.

    Indian badminton has a strong legacy from the past with players like Prakash Padukone and Pullela Gopichand who have put India on the global badminton map. Season one of the PBL attracted more than six crore badminton fans in India through various social media and other platforms, and this number only increased in season two.

    The costliest player this time is India’s HS Prannoy. The World No 10 was bought by the Ahmedabad Smash Masters for a whopping Rs 62 lakh.

    The women’s singles top-ranked player, Tai Tzu Ying, who has won five superseries titles this year, is a new name in the PBL and she will represent the Ahmedabad franchise. Men’s singles No 1 Viktor Axelsen, who was crowned the world champion in August, will play for Bengaluru Blasters.

    Besides showcasing the best of international and Indian talent, the tournament has also been successful in widening the base of the game.

  • PKL 5 advertisers grow three-fold, sponsorships rise 320%

    MUMBAI: Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) sponsorship revenue, in the fifth year, rose 320 per cent in 2017 and there was three times increase in the number of advertisers, Star India EVP and head – ad sales Anil Jayaraj said at the Mumbai event announcing the PKL 5. Star India owns the on-ground sponsorship and broadcast rights for Vivo PKL.

    Mashal Sports, the pioneers of Vivo Pro Kabaddi, and Star Sports, India’s leading sports broadcaster, began the countdown to the much-anticipated Season 5 of the league, with the unveiling of the new format and fixtures for the season. The league’s four new teams have been supported by JSW Sports and Adani Wilmar.

    The increase in sponsorship revenue and advertisers, Jayaraj said, was owing to spurt in viewership. “Season 4 of PKL witnessed higher ratings than IPL in three states — Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, that is 41 per cent as compared to IPL’s 21 per cent (as per Star’s internal analysis),” Star India EVP and head – marketing Shubhranshu Singh said.

    Jayaraj added:  “Around 50 per cent of our existing advertisers have advertised at least in one of the previous seasons, and 90 per cent realised that competition gained and as a result decided to advertise.” Looking at the sponsors from PKL 1, Fevicol was the first brand to be associated with PKL. In the second season PKL got some traction, and nine brands came on board.

    PKL has also roped in film and sports personalities such as Virender Sehwag, Shikhar Dhawan, Saina Nehwal, and Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan to spike PKL’s visibility.

    With only four years of play, PKL is the second most popular sports after IPL in India. Overall, around Rs 47 crore (Rs 470 million) was invested on over 260 players for the fifth season. “The sponsors investing in sports these days get 15x RoI (returns on investment),” Jayaraj said.

    There was a 12 per cent increase in consideration for sponsorships from 59 per cent after PKL 4, Jayaraj informed. Brand such as Flipkart, Bajaj, TVS, Amazon India, Castrol Active, Gionee, Coca Cola and SBI, among other are associated with PKL 5. “And, I’m expecting a total of around 24 brands to be on board for this season,” Jayaraj added.

    The challenge Star India faced in the beginning was how to revive the ancient Indian sport. “Kabaddi World Cup got a viewership of 114 million which consumed around 11 billion minutes of TV,” Singh said. PKL is no doubt on the growth path.

    The on-ground sponsorship in kabaddi grew by 13 per cent year-on-year in 2016 and that cricket’s contribution in the overall sports revenue fell. “Around 61% of 2016’s on-ground sponsorship was contributed by three deals, one of which is Vivo’s title sponsor deal with Pro Kabaddi,” said media investment management company Group M business head – entertainment, sports & live events Vinit Karnik. On-ground sponsorship in 2015 and 2016 for cricket were Rs 529.5 crore (Rs 5295 million) and Rs 562.7 crore, respectively, and that for kabaddi were Rs 48.0 crore and Rs 122.0 crore, respectively.

    Vivo Pro Kabaddi Season 5 will begin on 28 July in Hyderabad and will travel across 12 host cities, culminating in Chennai with the ultimate battle of Kabaddi supremacy taking place on 28 October. The first match will see Rahul Chaudhari-led Telugu Titans clash with Tamil Thalaivas, which boasts of marquee player, Ajay Thakur.

    The 12 teams have been divided into two zones of six teams each, where each of them will be playing 15 intra-zone and seven inter-zone matches, prior to the play-offs. The play-offs stage will comprise three qualifiers and two eliminators scheduled to take place in Mumbai and Chennai.

    Vivo Pro Kabaddi league commissioner Anupam Goswami said, “For Season 5, our goal was to create a high-impact tournament which evokes euphoric sentiment among fans for their favourite teams. Strong contenders will be seen clashing in the action-packed 3 months of the league. The longer duration of the league, in addition to 12 teams battling in 138 matches, will give fans an exciting season of kabaddi to cheer for.”

    International Kabaddi Federation CEO Deoraj Chaturvedi said, “It is our foremost priority to tirelessly work towards nurturing and developing an evocative and engaging Kabaddi culture in India. The International Kabaddi Federation worked with Mashal Sports to create a dynamic schedule for Vivo  Pro Kabaddi Season 5 which will thrill the audiences. We are proud to see that the league, which is uniquely driven by innovation, has grown into one of the biggest in Indian sports.”

    Team sponsors are also gung-ho, and are investing in training. U Mumba, for example, has started a training academy in Kerala to develop talent. “We will train 50 boys each year and will also be venturing into E-sports,” U Mumba CEO Supratik Sen said.

    Click here for detailed schedule

  • Spectator-friendly PBL III offers game’s highest prize across globe; to air on Star Sports 1, 3 & HD

    Spectator-friendly PBL III offers game’s highest prize across globe; to air on Star Sports 1, 3 & HD

    MUMBAI: The Premier Badminton League Season III is back. The league has got eight Olympians fighting for the title and the format has been made crisper and more exciting to suit the viewers.

    The PBL is set to start on 1 January, 2017, with new challenges, excitement and players. The third edition will go on for 15 days, and will have one of the world’s biggest badminton players vying for the throne.

    Star Sports 1, 3 and HD1, HD3 will be broadcasting the matches which will take the audience to another journey which has seen the game gain momentum in the country.

    The winning team will pocket Rs. 3 crore, the runners-up receiving equivalent to half that bounty — the highest in the world. The teams which finish third and fourth will bag Rs. 75 lakh each. The league will be taking place across India, in state-of-the-art stadia including Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, New Delhi and Lucknow.

    With PV Sindhu winning a silver in the Olympics and the match getting one of the highest views in recent times, the Premier Badminton League organisers are hopeful something similar happens during their games. The Olympic Gold winner has been lapped up by the Hyderabad Hunters for a whopping Rs 61.5 lakh, making her the most expensive player in the league. Danish shuttler Jan O Jorgensen is the costliest male player, going under the hammer for Delhi Acers for Rs 59 lakh.

    Among the Indian contingent, Hyderabad’s blue-eyed girl Sindhu is the most expensive female player at Rs 39 lakh, representing Chennai Smashers. The male category is led by Kidambi Srikanth, who’s playing for Awadh Warriors for Rs 51 lakh. Saina Nehwal sustained several injuries in 2016, but will still be one of the costliest Indian players, having been bought over to play for Rs 33 lakh.

    Indian badminton national coach Pullela Gopichand said that the spectacular performance of Indian players at the Olympics has added a staggering number of new viewers to the game, and the league would be more exciting and interesting than ever before. Gopichand, the chief advisor of the PBL, also said that the league was trying to bring in certain innovations in the format of the league to make it even more spectator-friendly, like 11-pointer games.

  • Spectator-friendly PBL III offers game’s highest prize across globe; to air on Star Sports 1, 3 & HD

    Spectator-friendly PBL III offers game’s highest prize across globe; to air on Star Sports 1, 3 & HD

    MUMBAI: The Premier Badminton League Season III is back. The league has got eight Olympians fighting for the title and the format has been made crisper and more exciting to suit the viewers.

    The PBL is set to start on 1 January, 2017, with new challenges, excitement and players. The third edition will go on for 15 days, and will have one of the world’s biggest badminton players vying for the throne.

    Star Sports 1, 3 and HD1, HD3 will be broadcasting the matches which will take the audience to another journey which has seen the game gain momentum in the country.

    The winning team will pocket Rs. 3 crore, the runners-up receiving equivalent to half that bounty — the highest in the world. The teams which finish third and fourth will bag Rs. 75 lakh each. The league will be taking place across India, in state-of-the-art stadia including Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, New Delhi and Lucknow.

    With PV Sindhu winning a silver in the Olympics and the match getting one of the highest views in recent times, the Premier Badminton League organisers are hopeful something similar happens during their games. The Olympic Gold winner has been lapped up by the Hyderabad Hunters for a whopping Rs 61.5 lakh, making her the most expensive player in the league. Danish shuttler Jan O Jorgensen is the costliest male player, going under the hammer for Delhi Acers for Rs 59 lakh.

    Among the Indian contingent, Hyderabad’s blue-eyed girl Sindhu is the most expensive female player at Rs 39 lakh, representing Chennai Smashers. The male category is led by Kidambi Srikanth, who’s playing for Awadh Warriors for Rs 51 lakh. Saina Nehwal sustained several injuries in 2016, but will still be one of the costliest Indian players, having been bought over to play for Rs 33 lakh.

    Indian badminton national coach Pullela Gopichand said that the spectacular performance of Indian players at the Olympics has added a staggering number of new viewers to the game, and the league would be more exciting and interesting than ever before. Gopichand, the chief advisor of the PBL, also said that the league was trying to bring in certain innovations in the format of the league to make it even more spectator-friendly, like 11-pointer games.

  • ITC’s Savlon engages Saina Nehwal as its brand ambassador

    ITC’s Savlon engages Saina Nehwal as its brand ambassador

    MUMBAI: ITC’s leading health & hygiene brand, Savlon is proud to announce Saina Nehwal, ace shuttler as its brand ambassador.

    In its new campaign with Saina, Savlon seeks to inspire parents to let go of their fears and encourage children to push their limits and maximize their potential to succeed in life.

    Savlon antiseptic has a heritage of more than 50 years in India and enjoys great equity. It is trusted by 90% doctors and offers 8 times better germ protection*. Its unique formulation is recognized by expertsfor its powerful action against a broad spectrum of germs.

    Saina’s magnificent journey to become a global Badminton champion exemplifies the core brand philosophy of Performance Power.

    Announcing the association, Sameer Satpathy, Chief Executive, Personal Care Products Business, ITC Limited, said, “Savlon is happy to engage ace shuttler Saina Nehwal as the Brand Ambassador. Her journey truly exemplifies determination, dedication and hard work. Saina personifies Savlon’s core brand thought of performance power in more ways than one.”

    He added, “Parents want their children to succeed but also want to protect them from the world. As a brand we seek to inspire parents to encourage their children to challenge limits and maximise their true potential. The brand purpose is to impact society in a positive manner and create a meaningful engagement. And also to showcase the performance of Savlon, which is the best product of its kind in the market.”

    Savlon brings alive the narrative of Saina Nehwal. A young girl who relentlessly pursued her dreams fighting against all adversities with the unstinted support of her parents. Her parents’ encouragement lent her belief in her talent to journey the course to becoming World’s no. 1.

  • ITC’s Savlon engages Saina Nehwal as its brand ambassador

    ITC’s Savlon engages Saina Nehwal as its brand ambassador

    MUMBAI: ITC’s leading health & hygiene brand, Savlon is proud to announce Saina Nehwal, ace shuttler as its brand ambassador.

    In its new campaign with Saina, Savlon seeks to inspire parents to let go of their fears and encourage children to push their limits and maximize their potential to succeed in life.

    Savlon antiseptic has a heritage of more than 50 years in India and enjoys great equity. It is trusted by 90% doctors and offers 8 times better germ protection*. Its unique formulation is recognized by expertsfor its powerful action against a broad spectrum of germs.

    Saina’s magnificent journey to become a global Badminton champion exemplifies the core brand philosophy of Performance Power.

    Announcing the association, Sameer Satpathy, Chief Executive, Personal Care Products Business, ITC Limited, said, “Savlon is happy to engage ace shuttler Saina Nehwal as the Brand Ambassador. Her journey truly exemplifies determination, dedication and hard work. Saina personifies Savlon’s core brand thought of performance power in more ways than one.”

    He added, “Parents want their children to succeed but also want to protect them from the world. As a brand we seek to inspire parents to encourage their children to challenge limits and maximise their true potential. The brand purpose is to impact society in a positive manner and create a meaningful engagement. And also to showcase the performance of Savlon, which is the best product of its kind in the market.”

    Savlon brings alive the narrative of Saina Nehwal. A young girl who relentlessly pursued her dreams fighting against all adversities with the unstinted support of her parents. Her parents’ encouragement lent her belief in her talent to journey the course to becoming World’s no. 1.

  • Hyundai honors Saina Nehwal with Creta celebrating her win in Australian Open Championship

    Hyundai honors Saina Nehwal with Creta celebrating her win in Australian Open Championship

    MUMBAI: Hyundai Motor India Ltd. (HMIL) has honored Saina Nehwal by handing-over the 1 Anniversary edition of Indian car of the year, Creta. Celebrating the grand success of the most awarded SUV of the year, the car was presented to Nehwal celebrating her win in Australian Open Championship.

    Nehwal (26) is amongst the most decorated athletes in the country having won Arjuna Award, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Padam Shri and Padam Bhushan in 2016 besides winning an Olympic Bronze at the 2012 London Olympiad for India.

    Commenting on occasion, Hyundai Motor India Ltd. magaging director and CEO Y K Koo said, “Ms. Saina is Badminton Icon of India. Her consistent performance has elevated this sport’s enthusiasm to a great level of admiration among badminton lovers globally. Creta – the perfect SUV and the Indian car of the year 2016, is an ICON in SUV segment. Creta with its superior performance and style along with strong body structure is a Perfect SUV for global customers. ”

    On the occasion, Nehwal added, “It is an honor and wonderful experience for me and I would like to thank Hyundai for honoring me with the 1st Anniversary Edition of Creta. It’s motivation for every athlete to receive the recognition for his/her hard-work and achievements. I am quite confident and will give my best efforts in upcoming tournaments to bring pride to my nation and fellow countrymen.”

    Hyundai has always connected with sports enthusiasts by its presence in global sporting activities like FIFA World Cup and UEFA championship, Golf, World Rally Championship across world markets and earlier ICC cricket championship.

    Recently Hyundai has Officially Partnered with Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the next four years across the three formats- Test, One day and T20. The rationale behind these associations is to make fans explore and ‘Experience Hyundai’.

  • Hyundai honors Saina Nehwal with Creta celebrating her win in Australian Open Championship

    Hyundai honors Saina Nehwal with Creta celebrating her win in Australian Open Championship

    MUMBAI: Hyundai Motor India Ltd. (HMIL) has honored Saina Nehwal by handing-over the 1 Anniversary edition of Indian car of the year, Creta. Celebrating the grand success of the most awarded SUV of the year, the car was presented to Nehwal celebrating her win in Australian Open Championship.

    Nehwal (26) is amongst the most decorated athletes in the country having won Arjuna Award, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Padam Shri and Padam Bhushan in 2016 besides winning an Olympic Bronze at the 2012 London Olympiad for India.

    Commenting on occasion, Hyundai Motor India Ltd. magaging director and CEO Y K Koo said, “Ms. Saina is Badminton Icon of India. Her consistent performance has elevated this sport’s enthusiasm to a great level of admiration among badminton lovers globally. Creta – the perfect SUV and the Indian car of the year 2016, is an ICON in SUV segment. Creta with its superior performance and style along with strong body structure is a Perfect SUV for global customers. ”

    On the occasion, Nehwal added, “It is an honor and wonderful experience for me and I would like to thank Hyundai for honoring me with the 1st Anniversary Edition of Creta. It’s motivation for every athlete to receive the recognition for his/her hard-work and achievements. I am quite confident and will give my best efforts in upcoming tournaments to bring pride to my nation and fellow countrymen.”

    Hyundai has always connected with sports enthusiasts by its presence in global sporting activities like FIFA World Cup and UEFA championship, Golf, World Rally Championship across world markets and earlier ICC cricket championship.

    Recently Hyundai has Officially Partnered with Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the next four years across the three formats- Test, One day and T20. The rationale behind these associations is to make fans explore and ‘Experience Hyundai’.

  • After Pro Kabaddi League Star Sports signs on as title sponsor for Premier Badminton League too

    After Pro Kabaddi League Star Sports signs on as title sponsor for Premier Badminton League too

    MUMBAI: Star Sports has signed up as the title sponsor for the Premier Badminton League which will see the world’s top shuttlers square off in India’s largest badminton tournament. Given the competition’s stature as well as India’s prominence on badminton’s global stage, the sport is central to Star Sports’ strategy to foster a multi-sport culture in the country. 

     

    The country’s star shuttler Saina Nehwal is currently world number 2, while others like PV  indhu, 12th in the standings, and K. Srikanth, ninth overall, have also made their mark on the sport. India’s largest broadcaster, Star Sports has already signed up as the League’s official broadcast partner.

     

    Star India COO Sanjay Gupta said: “The success of India’s badminton stars internationally has led to the emergence of a passionate fan base back home. As a result, like Kabaddi, badminton is now a sport that’s very close to the hearts of Indian fans. The prospect of our home heroes facing up against the best the world has to offer in our own backyard was a prospect that was too tempting to pass up. Strategically, it also made the most business sense for Star Sports given our efforts to create a vibrant sporting ecosystem in the country.”

     

    Star Sports plans to introduce several innovative broadcast initiatives to the League in its efforts to forge a deeper engagement with fans and place them right in the thick of this fast-paced sport. The broadcaster will project telemetry like players’ heart rates live on screen. It will also hand out four awards after each day of play for the best rally, the fastest smash, the player of the day and the fan of the day as selected through contests run by franchises across locations. The league will be packaged like no other badminton tournament has been before, with lights and music adding further dazzle to an already riveting and star-studded spectacle.

     

    Tweaks to the rules, like unpredictable player draws, ‘Trump Matches’ – which are worth bonus points – and the newly-introduced ‘sudden death’ rule will add a further dose of excitement to the tournament.

    The Premier Badminton League kicks off January 2nd, 2016 and will be played until January 17th. Live telecast will be on Star Sports 2, Star Sports HD2, Star Sports 3, Star Sports HD3 and hotstar.

     

     

     

     

  • Star Sports gives 20 fans an opportunity to comprise #SainaSquad

    Star Sports gives 20 fans an opportunity to comprise #SainaSquad

    MUMBAI: Star Sports has launched the #SainaSquad comprising 20 lucky winners who will travel to Dubai to support and cheer Saina Nehwal at the BWF World Super series finale from 9 – 13 December, 2015.

    Star Sports has picked 20 fans forming the #SainaSquad were picked after a series of contests across various social media platforms.

    Star India COO Sanjay Gupta said, “As a broadcaster, we have always believed in bringing fans as close to the game and their heroes, as possible. Putting together the #SainaSquad comprising 20 ardent fans who follow Saina Nehwal and badminton closely is one step in that direction. The squad will also act as a platform to help increase the following of the sport. We are sure that the squad will make them heard at the BWF Super series Finals in Dubai and give Saina the much needed and well-deserved boost.”

    Bajaj Electricals has come on-board as the presenting sponsor.

    Speaking about the association Bajaj Electricals joint managing director Anant Bajaj added, “As a build up to our new campaign under the ‘We are Family’ tagline, we felt it apt to come on board as presenting sponsor for Saina Squad, which will ensure that whichever part of the globe Saina would play in, she would not miss her family. She will always find support in the crowd cheering for her. We wish Saina, the Saina Squad and Star Sports all the very best for this very innovative initiative to boost the morale of any sportsperson playing across the world.”

    The #SainaSquad will be flying to Dubai on 8 December, 2015.