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Tag: Sania Mirza

  • SG Sports led by APL Apollo acquires ‘Bengaluru Spartans’ ahead of Tennis Premier League 2023

    SG Sports led by APL Apollo acquires ‘Bengaluru Spartans’ ahead of Tennis Premier League 2023

    Mumbai: In yet another venture into the sporting world, SG Sports led by APL Apollo has acquired ‘Bengaluru Spartans’, one of the eight teams that will be participating in the much-awaited Tennis Premier League- TPL 2023. With the ownership of this team with SG Sports Ventures now, it has been renamed as ‘Bengaluru SG Mavericks’ with ace tennis player Sania Mirza as its brand ambassador. A new logo of the team has also been launched. ‘Bengaluru SG Mavericks’ is a complete team with both men and women tennis players who will participate in the high-octane sporting event in December, in different formats like Men’s Singles, Women’s Singles, Mixed Doubles, and Men’s Doubles.

    APL Apollo is a leading structural steel tube brand with over 55 per cent share in the domestic market. Its strategic arm, SG Sports, is committed to significantly impacting the sporting industry.APL Apollo Tubes Ltd chief managing director (CMD) Sanjay Gupta has a huge passion for sports. This segment is dedicated to supporting and nourishing young sporting talent in India.

    The fifth edition of the highly anticipated tournament is set to be held in December this year, with all the matches taking place at the Balewadi Stadium in Pune. The adrenaline-packed event is being organized under the auspices of the All India Tennis Association (AITA) and Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA). The popularity of TPL can be gauged from the fact that many celebrities have been associated with it. Among them are Sonu Sood, Arjun Kapoor, Malaika Arora, Rakul Preet Singh, Leander Paes, and Sonali Bendre. Sania Mirza has been with the team for the last three years and this would be her fourth year supporting Bengaluru. Leander Paes also has been associated since the beginning of this league and makes sure he is there for all the matches.

    Expressing his enthusiasm for the venture, APL Apollo Tubes Ltd CMD Sanjay Gupta. said, “This is a great opportunity for our company to associate with the spirit of sports that teaches us the most valuable lessons in life. We look forward to this association with Bengaluru Spartans which is Bengaluru SG Mavericks now and wish each player ahead of the trailblazing contest to be held in December this year. It is an also amazing start with this league sport that has been gaining more and more popularity in India. It will be great to witness that the new talent will rub shoulders with some of the most versatile tennis players in the world Overall, it is a great moment to associate the name of the brand with a sport that is popular worldwide.”

    Bengaluru SG Mavericks brand ambassador Sania Mirza said, “I am thrilled to be a part of this exciting venture and obliged to SG Sports for choosing me as their brand ambassador. As a former tennis player and woman, I feel that India has a lot of potential in terms of sports and tennis has seen more and more interest from our young generation recently. Still, there are miles to go before we shine on the world stage in this sport and Tennis Premier League provides a brilliant opportunity for young and upcoming players to prove their mettle on the court. SG Sports is doing a great job in supporting such budding players and giving them an ideal platform where they can compete with top players and learn from their skills.”

    The other participating teams in TPL 2023 include the Bengal Wizards, Mumbai Leon Army, Punjab Tigers, Pune Jaguars, Bengaluru Spartans, Delhi Binny’s Brigade, Hyderabad Strikers, and Gujarat Panthers. Pertinent to mention here that Indian tennis legend Leander Paes has recently announced his acquisition of a stake in the Bengal franchise.

    As far as the TPL format is concerned, it has eight franchises that will play a total of five matches to qualify for the semi-final. Each match between two franchises will have a total of 4 games (Men’s Singles, Women’s Singles, Mixed Doubles and Men’s Doubles). Each match will be worth 20 points, thus there will be a total of 80 points at stake in each contest. Each team will play a total of 400 points (80 points x 5 matches) at the league stage. The top 4 teams in the points table will qualify for the semi-finals.

    The Tennis Premier League (TPL), packages traditional tennis into a highly entertaining tournament to capture the imagination of fans. With an unorthodox format, it is set to be a tennis equivalent to the Indian Premier League and is returning for its fifth season this year. The league is poised to write yet another chapter in the annals of Indian tennis history, as fans eagerly await the start of TPL 2023. Sports outside of cricket are gaining more traction among Indian audiences. Tennis has a sizeable following in India, with close to 100 million viewers that watched the sport on TV last year. 

  • Eurosport to telecast Billie Jean King Cup playoffs 2021

    Eurosport to telecast Billie Jean King Cup playoffs 2021

    NEW DELHI: Eurosport and Eurosport HD India will be telecasting Billie Jean Cup (BJK) Playoffs 2021 live in the country. In the playoffs, India will lock horns with Latvia, and this is for the first time that both these teams are facing each other in the competition. 

    Viewers in India can watch the game live on 16 April and 17 April from 8.30 PM and 4.30 PM IST respectively. 

    The Billie Jean King Cup, earlier known as the Fed Cup, is a team event for women’s tennis players and this is the first time that the Indian team has made it to the playoffs, courtesy of topping the Asia/Oceania Group 1 last year. A win will guarantee them a spot in the BJK Cup qualifiers for 2022 while the loser shall compete in their respective regional Group 1 event in 2022.

    Six-time doubles grand slam champion Sania Mirza will be spearheading the team and will be accompanied by her teammates Ankita Raina, Rutuja Bhosale, Zeel Desai, and Karman Kaur Thandi. Ankita Raina will be the highest-ranked Indian on display in the tie with a singles rank of 174 and a doubles rank of 96. The team will be captained by former India player Vishal Uppal. 

    On the other hand, Latvia will be playing with a full-strength team headed by world no. 52 Jelena Ostapenko, the 2017 French Open champion along with Anastasija Sevastova, a former world no. 11 who is now ranked 47th in the world. Diana Marcinkevica, Daniela Vismane, and PatricijaSpaka complete the five-member squad of Latvia. The captain of the team will be former Latvian men’s player Adrians Zguns.

    "Tennis is one of the most popular sports in the world and has an ever-growing fan base in India for Women’s tennis. We are glad to have the opportunity to broadcast India’s BJK Cup playoffs which will add to our list of an interesting tennis line up. I am sure with stars like Sania Mirza and Ankita Raina in the mix it will be two days of hard-fought and exciting tennis action for our passionate viewers," said Eurosport India head & SVP – affiliate sales and product distribution, Asia – India sales & distribution at Discovery Inc Vijay Rajput. 

    Apart from BJK Cup, other tennis properties of Eurosport include the Australian Open, The Championships, Wimbledon, Roland-Garros, and US Open, and the ATP tour in 11 countries across Europe. 

  • #AajTakSabseTez rolls out new film ‘Zara Jhukke’

    #AajTakSabseTez rolls out new film ‘Zara Jhukke’

    NEW DELHI: As part of the ongoing viral campaign #AajTakSabseTez, news channel Aaj Tak has launched the fifth film of the series. Titled Zara Jhukke, the film features Chitra Tripathi and throws light on how increasingly many news channels have political leanings and biases. Aaj Tak on the other hand does not need to do that. It believes in straight forward reporting without any political leanings.

    Conceptualised and directed by the widely acclaimed writer-director Pradeep Sarkar, #AajTakSabseTez campaign is a satirical take on the current news environment in the country and entertainingly highlights the relaxed standards of reporting by some players in the age of fake news. The first film Sach Ka Band brought to light the exaggeration of events while presenting the news; the second film Achaar Gully highlighted the importance of credibility over sensationalism; the third film Afwaah showed the rampant practice of rumour mongering in news and the fourth film Khabaristan took a dig at resorting to convenient truths. The campaign is already talk of the town as many celebrities including Sania Mirza, Ashutosh Rana, Jwala Gutta, Mika, Harbhajan Singh, Suresh Raina and many more have been tweeting about it. 

    Aaj Tak and its brave journalists have brought a ringside view of every major happening in the country. While many news outlets may have clear leanings, Aaj Tak has always taken the middle ground, without any bias. As the depth of echo chambers increases, the need for a shared platform where both sides can be heard is essential. A place where people can agree to disagree is the need of the hour. Aaj Tak is that listening room, that middle ground for the two sides to continue a meaningful dialogue. What else is a society if not a vibrant conversation in progress?

    These films, while depicting Aaj Tak’s relentless pursuit to always side with the truth, are equally sure to put a smile on your face.

    You can watch the film here: 

  • Possible signs Sania Mirza as brand ambassador

    Possible signs Sania Mirza as brand ambassador

    NEW DELHI: Possible has roped in Indian tennis star Sania Mirza as brand ambassador to unveil its signature breakfast and snack box collection. Mirza will be seen promoting the brand's newly launched 'breakfast kit' and 'snacks kit'.

    Possible co-founder and chief operating officer Megha More said, “We are thrilled to launch the signature collection on Possible. This partnership is a conscious step towards our mission to help individuals live a disease-free life using food as medicine. We are extremely excited to have Sania Mirza come on board to launch the healthy snack kit collection and be a part of the Possible family. We are excited about the launch, and we have already received a great response on the product.”

    Mirza said, “As an athlete eating healthy is very important to me. But like everyone else, the taste and versatility of any snack are equally important for me too. That is why I have associated with Possible. We have created two signature collections for snacks and breakfast. I am sure you will love them as much as I love them.”

  • MTV Nishedh Alone Together returns, with focus on TB awareness

    MTV Nishedh Alone Together returns, with focus on TB awareness

    MUMBAI: Viacom18 and MTV Staying Alive Foundation, supported by an educational grant from Johnson & Johnson Services, are all set to bring back digital-only miniseries MTV Nishedh Alone Together.

    The outbreak of the Covid2019 pandemic has caused new challenges for those suffering from tuberculosis (TB) across India. With over 2.7 million cases annually, India is home to the highest number of TB (Tuberculosis) patients in the world, out of which at least half a million cases go undiagnosed. Not only may TB patients and survivors face unique vulnerabilities to severe Covid2019 infection as a result of their respiratory challenges, but the pandemic has made it more challenging for them to access both medical care and social support.

    To combat this, MTV Nishedh Alone Together will focus on raising awareness about TB in India among young people – who represent just under 40 per cent of all new TB cases – while stressing the importance of seeking proper diagnosis and care, especially amidst the Covid2019 pandemic. The 5-episode mini-series will stream on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook handles of MTV India and MTV Nishedh, starting every Friday, from 27 November 2020 onwards.

    A digital only spin-off of MTV Nishedh, which premiered in January this year, MTV Nishedh Alone Together will see sportsperson Sania Mirza champion this important social cause and make her digital debut on the mini-series. The tennis star will be seen playing herself on the show, and joins the cast that includes Priya Chauhan, Syed Raza Ahmed, Himika Bose and Akshay Nalawade, who will also be seen in pivotal roles in the series.

    Viacom18 Spokesperson said: “We believe that meaningful content, when delivered in an entertaining format to mass audiences, can go a long way in driving instrumental impact. Amidst the Covid2019 pandemic, health and wellbeing has taken forefront in our lives; however, we still choose to shy away from conversing about TB – the world’s leading infectious killer. A global modelling study has suggested that, with every month of the lockdown, TB is expected to claim an additional ~70,000 deaths in India during 2020-2025.  Thus, the timing couldn’t be more appropriate to engage our audience through entertainment on social media to create awareness of TB in the times of Covid2019.”

    The MTV Nishedh campaign started in 2019 as a holistic 360-degree mass-media led intervention focussed towards increasing awareness on taboo topics facing young people in India, including TB, with support from Johnson & Johnson Services Inc., as well as other issues like sexual and reproductive health, adolescent malnutrition, women’s empowerment and consent. The campaign included MTV Nishedh, a 13-part fiction TV series on MTV; a radio drama on Red FM; and a sustained social media outreach to encourage conversations around these taboos.

    A completely shot-at home series, MTV Nishedh Alone Together captures the journey of a young couple, Vicky and Megha, based in Mumbai, who brave it through the professional challenges amidst the imposed lockdown, coupled with the concerns around Vicky’s TB treatment continuation in the Covid2019 scenario. Faced with this adversity, will Megha and Vicky be able to stick together? Will Vicky receive the care and social support he needs during Covid2019? MTV Nishedh Alone Together has the answers to these questions and much more.

  • Sania Mirza to continue as Centuary Mattresses’ brand ambassador till September 2020

    Sania Mirza to continue as Centuary Mattresses’ brand ambassador till September 2020

    MUMBAI: Centuary Mattresses – one of the India’s leading mattress brands, will be continuing its association with Sania Mirza till September 2020. The tennis star’s engagement as the brand ambassador of Centuary Mattresses which started in March 2018 will now continue till September 2020. This engagement also made the company an early mover amongst the Indian mattress companies, and to have a continuous association with a celebrity brand ambassador.

    While commenting on the development, Centuary Mattresses executive director Uttam Malani said, “Our association with Sania Mirza was a step towards accelerating our growth plans for the brand. The synergies between the attributes of Centuary Mattresses and Sania Mirza’s personality have had a positive impact on our brand. Our continued association also enables us to rise our positioning and increase our focus on the premium segment.”

    Centuary Mattresses has been continuously leading the product innovation in the Comfort and Bedding industry, offering varied range of products which are manufactured using advanced technology, and conforming to the highest norms. Sania Mirza also encourages people to dream big to achieve greater success and the importance of Power of Better Sleep to chase those dreams. Post successful launch of Signature Collection – inspired by its brand ambassador Sania Mirza, Centuary Mattresses has launched yet another collection under its umbrella – Hybrid Collection; which is the latest in mattress technology.

    Sania Mirza will be seen across a fresh marketing campaign of the brand in the coming season; where she will be seen advocating to “Sleep like a Champion”.

    “For the success of champion; one must understand how important it is to sleep like a champion. I am proud to continue my association with a brand such as Centuary – which has been offering the Power of Better Sleep to all those who dream to be a champion”, said Sania Mirza, on her continued association as the brand ambassador with Centuary Mattresses.

  • Former World #1, Sania Mirza joins Star Sports as an expert for Wimbledon 2019

    Former World #1, Sania Mirza joins Star Sports as an expert for Wimbledon 2019

    MUMBAI: Six-time Grand Slam winner and former Wimbledon Double’s champion, Sania Mirza will join the Star Sports as an expert in the studios to analyse the day to day action for fans across the country.  One of the best Indian players currently playing the sport, Sania brings her wealth of knowledge having played the singles, doubles and mixed doubles formats and will join from the studios starting July 1st, 2019 on Star Sports Select 1/ HD and Star Sports Select 2/ HD and on Hotstar.

    A lethal combination of an unstoppable forehand backed by a steely will and a title winning mentality, she has been one half of some of the successful duos in both women’s doubles and mixed doubles with partners like Martina Hingis and Mahesh Bhupathi. A trailblazer for women’s tennis in India, Sania was the first Indian woman to break the Top 50, reach No.1, win WTA titles and a several Grand Slams.

    A LOT TO LOOK FORWARD TO:

    The Championships, Wimbledon begins on 1st July with the top 3 seeds in the Men’s Division being Defending champion Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal back to vie for the prestigious Men’s title. With Novak chasing his fifth Wimbledon title, Roger, the perennial favourite looking to add a ninth Wimbledon crown and Rafa going for his third and challenges coming up with from the likes of Alexander Zverev, Dominic Thiem and Marin Cilic, etc., viewers can expect to see multiple records to be set or even broken.

    Defending Champion Angelique Kerber, Naomi Osaka, Serena Williams, new World No.1 Ashleigh Barty will headline the Women’s draw and will look to add their names to the historic winners club with Serena Williams going for her 24th Grand Slam. The seeds can expect strong resistance from the likes of Simona Halep, Petra Kvitova, Sloane Stephens and favoured home favourite, Johanna Konta who will also be looking to upset the firm favourites.

    The biggest rule change that will be implemented this season is a tie-break to be played, should the score reach 12-12 in the final set, to ensure that there are no record long final set. Given the kind of mental and physical energy that it takes out of the players like the 2018 epic semi-final, the second-longest match, where Kevin Anderson overcame the strong challenge from John Isner with a 26-24 victory, a change of this magnitude has been put in place.

    All the matches will be telecast on Star Sports Select 1/HD and Star Sports Select 2/ HD and hotstar with previews starting at 4:00pm and live coverage beginning at 5:30PM IST.

  • Kesh King to launch TVC featuring Sania Mirza

    Kesh King to launch TVC featuring Sania Mirza

    MUMBAI: Kesh King, the ayurvedic hair care solution range, has announced that it will soon roll out a new television commercial featuring ace tennis player Sania Mirza. The TVC, being Sania’s first post-childbirth, will show her talking about how Kesh King helped in reducing post-pregnancy hair problems like rough and dry hair, and hairfall.

    Commenting on the association, Emami Limited director Priti A Sureka said, “Kesh King is a trusted natural haircare solution. It has always been a reliable brand for its consumers over the years. We understand that post-childbirth most women go through both physical (hormonal) and mental changes that are unique to each woman.  Hair fall is a major manifestation of that physiological upheaval causing a lot of mental distress to the new mother. Sania’s endorsement of Kesh King relieving her from her post-pregnancy hair fall is a big boost for the brand and vindicates our claim to be the ultimate solution to hair care woes. We are very happy to see Sania in her new role as a mother and wish both the mother and the child a very healthy and prosperous future.”

    Kesh Kind brand ambassador and eminent tennis player Sania Mirza said, “Motherhood has truly been a blessing for me. But I experienced hair fall combined with dry, lifeless hair after the birth of my child. I then came to know that this is a common and persistent post-pregnancy problem that exists among women and I wish to sensitise them of the best solution available in the market. Kesh King has stayed true to its claims and my hair fall has reduced remarkably. It is nothing short of a miracle!”

  • Kellogg’s India new video for BLUSH features Sania Mirza

    Kellogg’s India new video for BLUSH features Sania Mirza

    MUMBAI: There is no limit to what a child can achieve as long as there is confidence and determination, along with the love and support of parents willing to be the wind beneath their wings.
    Culture Machine’s digital channel Blush, along with Kellogg’s India collaborated with tennis trailblazer, Sania Mirza. An expectant mother herself, Sania, sends out a message on liberating children of expectations and setting them free to be individuals of their own choice.
    In an honest and heartfelt narrative, Sania dispenses advice to her soon to-be-born baby. Whether it is rejecting gender norms and stereotypes, shrugging off the pressure that the child might be faced with because of his or her famed parentage, or that of having the conviction to choose their own calling. In this video Sania echoes the notion of many other mothers like her, who believe that a child should be free to choose his/her own path.
    For the first time we see Sania not as a tennis player or a cricketer’s wife, but just another mother.

    Kellogg’s India director marketing CMO Sumit Mathur says, “Today’s generation is living in a disruptive entrepreneurial age. The barometer that defined the norms of success and achievement in the society has moved away from conventional careers to people following their own passions. Kellogg as a brand, truly celebrates this rejuvenated mind-set of people who strive towards a better day and a better quality of life. I feel our brand partners in their daily triumph of eating better by providing them with the right nourishment for their day. Therefore, when I came across this opportunity, I thought it was a great way to celebrate #NourishYourDreams where a mother reassures her future child that she will continue to nourish his/her dream despite pressure from peers and society.”
    Culture Machine vice president for brand solutions Sharique Khan adds, “It is natural to be guided by parents, because it is first from them that the child learns about themselves and their world. However, if the parent doesn’t encourage the child to find a voice of his/her own as they grow into adults, it limits the spectrum of their experiences in life. And it is this connection, between parent and child that harmoniously brought Kellogg’s vision, Sania Mirza’s personal philosophy, and the storytelling of Blush together for this video.”

  • Mirza and the art of brand endorsement

    Mirza and the art of brand endorsement

    MUMBAI: There was a time when she was the darling of the nation’s advertisers and of course ad agencies. The creative directors and TVC makers hoicked Indian tennis great Sania Mirza into as many commercials as they could and made her face for Cadbury Bornvita, TVS Scooty, Sprite, Volini, Air India, Tata Tea, Hathway Cable, Emami, Adidas among other popular brands. Sania started her professional tennis career while she was only a teenager; she was young, peppy, strong, popular and opinionated – qualities every brand looks for in their ideal brand ambassador.

    Then came her marriage to Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik coupled with a dip in her form due to inconsistent performances and injuries. And a wave of negative publicity that followed. Cadbury or Mondelez was among the first to not abstain from renewing her endorsement contract. Slowly, other brands followed, and she was even labeled as an “outsider” by the less charitable ones.

    But all that is in the past. Six years later Sania seems to be getting back in the endorsement game. She recently became the face of One Plus India and Centuary Mattresses.

    Her relationship with brands  has always been a difficult one with on and off deals. Yet, Sania isn’t disappointed about it and rather advocates, “I’m not playing tennis to become a brand ambassador for brands, but I’m playing tennis to win matches for the country. Sure, endorsements help in increasing the bank balance, but that’s not the prime focus.”

    Sania is part of a new bunch of sportsmen – cricketers, badminton players, tennis stars and boxing champions – who are in the top league of brand endorsers, according to report Sporting Nation in the Making, that examines sports sponsorships in India. Leading the pack is Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli who is miles ahead of even big Bollywood stars with deals going over 12 brands today, and an endorsement value of over Rs 200 crore. Kohli is believed to charge Rs 2 crore a day from brands, higher than what Mahendra Singh Dhoni did at his peak.

    Badminton player PV Sindhu has become a recent favourite among marketers. Sindhu’s current endorsement fee is Rs 1-1.25 crore a day, a rise from Rs 15-25 lakh her managers got her before she became the first Indian woman athlete to win an Olympic Silver in 2016. Sindhu, according to the report, has the highest endorsement value among non-cricketers in India. The badminton star endorses 11 brands with a valuation of Rs 30 crore.

    The report also highlights that cricketers in India endorse over 90 brands while all non-cricketing athletes in India combined have only 78 brand endorsements.

    Sania is not much swayed by this celebrity and sports endorsement see-saw, which sees the brand fortunes of sportsman rise and fall according to their performances. She agrees that the brand endorsement business has helped some sportsmen, though not all. She, however, says she was fortunate to get a good deal when she was at her peak. Says she: “I had the fortune to grow up with sports marketing and sports journalism when media was just picking up. Social media has become really big today, especially in the last few years.”

    She does believe that creatives in Indian advertising industry have become more imaginative about the use of sports celebs in TV commercials from 15-20 years ago. Says she in jest: “The way I was asked to pose with a tennis racket has changed drastically from then to now and it’s as simple as that. Brands today expect more realistic things and they understand that I am not an actress so I cannot act.”

    Women athletes get slimmer cheques than their male counterparts and that is something that riles her. Says Sania: “I’ve been endorsing ever since I was 16 years old and I was one of the few people who started endorsing that young. I grew up with the media boom and, hence, could demand that price. But today I have heard PV Sindhu demands a great price, but then if you say that she should demand the same amount as Virat Kohli, that’s not going to happen because Virat is the biggest sportsperson we have in the country and we still have a long way to go for equal pay.”

    A strong opinionated woman that she is, Mirza has always been a vocal supporter of equal rights for every gender. Mirza believes a lot has been said about women’s rights but true empowerment comes from within and women have to believe that they deserve equal rights and respect as men.

    She also believes that new athletes who see their star on their ascendant should not make a dash to sign up for every brand that knocks at their doors. “It is important to just be yourself and connect with the brand that you want to endorse at some level. Don’t be in it just for the money,” she advises.

    Would Jerry Maguire approve?

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