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Tag: Sunil Gavaskar

  • Sunny Days for Indian Cricket

    Sunny Days for Indian Cricket

    The Supreme Court’s (SC) latest judgement in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) versus petitioners Bihar Cricket Association case has kept the Indian cricket fan upmost in mind. BCCI president N Srinivasan has to make way for legendary cricketer Sunil “Sunny” Gavaskar who will act as the interim president for the duration of the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) seventh edition.

     

    It is obvious that the SC has taken this decision to re-instil faith in the average Indian cricket fan who was disillusioned by the murky happenings viz. spot fixing and illegal betting by key members of a few franchisees of the IPL. Over the past six seasons the blue riband tournament has seen millions of dollars being invested in it and has captured the fancy of cricket followers – actually increasing the ‘fan base’ to an astounding number.

     

    Fortunately, the SC has allowed the BCCI to continue hosting the tournament for the seventh season and has also allowed two teams – Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) – which were surrounded by controversy, to be a part of the series.  This is good news for the fans, players, franchise owners, media and the many people that are involved in the running of the tournament.

     

    With the IPL a few weeks away, SC’s rider that no employee of India Cements, the company headed by N Srinivasan and which owns CSK, will be part of the BCCI is a hitch that needs to be resolved by the august body. For starters, Sunder Raman the IPL CEO happens to be part of the company. Not just that but many people involved with India Cements are part of the BCCI in various capacities – from coaching to administration.

     

    SC’s directive that Gavaskar will now oversee the IPL Governing Council (which includes his brother–in-law and the other Indian legend, Gundappa Viswanath) in running the tournament has sent a strong message to the people associated with the tournament. Gavaskar is known for his diligence, prudence, patience and for his inclination to play with a straight bat.  Given his reputation as a disciplinarian on and off the field during his playing days, it will be difficult for anyone to twist and turn a norm under his watchful eye.

     

    From what one understands, SC’s latest directive is the first of the many changes that may be in the offing. The next hearing, scheduled in mid-April, will be decisive for the BCCI who will be hoping that the apex court will not cause more changes and disrupt the portals of the ‘most exclusive club in India.’

     

    The SC, by allowing the IPL to continue, has given a breather to the players and fans and has signalled BCCI in clear terms to shape up or face the consequences. Never before in the history of the game in India has a judicial body intervened to set the house right. BCCI, since its inception in 1928, has had conscientious administrators who kept the game above politics. Knowing Gavaskar’s penchant for fair play, Indian fans can rest be assured that underarm tactics will be met with a straight bat. Howwzat!!!

     

    (Hemant Kenkre is a Communications specialist, cricket columnist and former Bombay University cricketer and the views expressed are his own.)

  • India Today Group presents Salaam Sachin – The biggest Farewell to Sachin Tendulkar

    India Today Group presents Salaam Sachin – The biggest Farewell to Sachin Tendulkar

    MUMBAI: As Sachin Tendulkar readies to retire after his 200th test, an extraordinary farewell is getting planned at the India today group- “Salaam Sachin Conclave. The conclave is scheduled to take place in a city hotel in Mumbai on November 12, 2013.

    After 24 years, there are few records the Little Master hasn’t broken. In his journey, there are a few people who’ve seen him grow from the young curly haired promising batsman to the time he became the first man to score 100 international centuries. Salaam Sachin Conclave will witness enthralling, informative & entertaining sessions with noted Sports personalities ranging from people like Sunil Gavaskar, Ajit Wadekar and Anshuman Gaekwad who have seen Sachin grow through the years …. As well as his fierce rival Waqar Younis and close friends – Brian Lara and Saurav Ganguly.

    The high point of the conclave will be Brian Lara sharing his opinion on Lara vs. Sachin in a never before session. Sachin is rated as the best batsman in his generation by many contemporaries, Indian audiences have always been curious on what Lara thinks about this comparison.

    The viewers will get a glimpse of the learnings players like Suresh Raina and Gautam Gambhir drew from the legend. Sports personalities such as Sania Mirza, Sushil Kumar and Vijender Singh will also share their views on how Sachin has been an inspiration to them and how he has handled unrivalled pressure for a long 24 years. Apart from the world of sports, the conclave will also have presence of Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan who will talk about Sachin being a Hero for every Indian. Sachin’s brother Ajit Tendulkar will share an account of how he encouraged Sachin to play cricket and how Sachin dealt with his most painful moments in life.

    The conclave will include various sessions on Sachin’s life, his journey, his childhood, his achievements and his family. The first session on Sachin’s formative years will be delivered by his own sporting idol, Sunil Gavaskar, followed by a discussion between Suresh Raina, Gautam Gambhir and Irfan Pathan together talking on how Sachin Tendulkar is an inspiration for younger generation.

    A special session will also see the prominent names from corporate India talking on how Sachin has been the biggest brand in Indian Sporting history.

    The day will also have predictions from the cricketing greats in the session, “the Sachin era and the future” addressed by former Indian cricketers Ajit Wadekar, Bishan Singh Bedi, Anshuman Gaekwad and Kiran More. “Mumbai versus Bowral: The mantle of the Greatest” will be a subject of debate among cricketing greats Kapil Dev, Saurav Ganguly, Mohammad Azharuddin, and Brian Lara.
    The conclave will also feature an exhibition of rare Sachin memorabilia by the well known British memorabilia expert Hamilton Bland. 

    Expressing his thoughts on the Salaam Sachin conclave, Aroon Purie, Chairman & Editor in Chief, India Today Group said, “The life of a legend cannot be better captured but by those who’ve shared rare moments with him. India’s imagination has been dominated for over 24 years by the finest batsman the world’s ever seen. From his younger days and to the ultimate match of a brilliant career – he stood for Indian hope and pride. Salaam Sachin should be and will be a fitting salute to the all time greatest ambassador of the game.”

    Ashish Bagga, Group CEO, India Today Group, added “As the Man at the centre of India’s biggest passion signs out, it is important to express our gratitude to the legend. It has been an honour for many like us to watch him play and a few of us have also had the opportunity of interacting with him. With Salaam Sachin, we bring the world of Sachin fans closer to the Sachin they haven’t seen and the Sachin they are going to miss.”

    The high points of the session will be telecast LIVE on Aaj Tak and Headlines Today along with over a 25 hour programming churned out of the conclave over the weeks.

  • THANK YOU SACHIN!

    THANK YOU SACHIN!

    NEW DLHI: After guiding Mumbai to a four-wicket win over Haryana in the Ranji Trophy, which was his final domestic game, Sachin Tendulkar said that he is now looking forward to his 200th Test match against West Indies. This match will mark an end to the God of Cricket’s 24-year cricketing career. CNN-IBN and IBN7 will pay tribute to the legend through their special programming – Thank You Sachin.

    Under this, four special half-hours will showcase fellow cricketers or eminent personalities from the fields of arts and music paying tribute to Sachin and talking about the impact he has had on modern India. Among them will be Rahul Dravid, Aamir Khan, Amitabh Bachchan and Lata Mangeshkar.

    A special one-hour documentary on 3rd November on IBN7 and on 10th November on CNN-IBN will chronicle the journey of the legendary cricketer, from his time as a child prodigy in Mumbai to becoming the greatest batsman in the world.

    In another special segment starting 4th November till 18th November, there will be bytes from renowned personalities from various walks of life paying tribute to the master blaster.

    On IBN7, special shows and segments dedicated to the sport’s greatest retirement will include ‘God of Cricket’, which will capture the journey of Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar from his childhood to becoming the God of Cricket; and ‘Great on Greatest’, in which some of the biggest names in international cricket such as Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev and Brian Lara will share their memories and talk about the star & his game.

    Rajdeep Sardesai, Editor-in-Chief, CNN-IBN, IBN7 and IBN-Lokmat, said, “In a cricket-crazy country like ours, there are hardly a handful of individuals who can generate the kind of frenzy and adulation that Sachin Tendulkar can. After years of excellence on the cricket field, Sachin finally bids adieu to his 24-year-long career. It is with great pride that we dedicate this special series of programming to the cricket icon who has won the hearts of billions across our nation and the world.”

    Ashutosh, Managing Editor, IBN7 said, “While the entire nation is sad and emotional at the news of Sachin’s retirement, our special programming will take a walk down memory lane and celebrate the success story of the cricketer who has carried the expectations of a billion people and won their hearts over the years. The programming will also showcase rare photographs and interviews of Sachin with those who tracked his journey of becoming one of the greatest cricketer ever.”

  • Who can recommend sportspersons for National Awards, ask Lucknow-based petitioners

    Who can recommend sportspersons for National Awards, ask Lucknow-based petitioners

    NEW DELHI: Who has the authority to recommend names for sports awards – the National Sports Federation or any organisation dealing with sports?

     

    That is the question raised in a writ petition filed in Allahabad High Court, Lucknow Bench, challenging the recommendations of the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) for batsman Virat Kohli for Arjuna Awards for outstanding performance and ex Captain Sunil Gavaskar for Dhyan Chand award for life time achievement.

     

    The petitioners IPS officer Amitabh Thakur and social activist Dr Nutan Thakur say only the National Sports Federation (NSF) can make recommendations for the national sports awards.

     

    Furthermore, BCCI is not one of the 51 NSFs recognised by the Sports and Youth Affairs Ministry. BCCI is an unrecognised private body which does not want to become a NSF and yet wants to have all advantages of NSF, the petitioners say.

     

    Based on this, Amitabh and Nutan have prayed the High Court to direct the Sports Ministry not to entertain the recommendations of awards made by BCCI.

  • ESPN Star Sports to spend Rs 300 mn to market Champions League Twenty20

    ESPN Star Sports to spend Rs 300 mn to market Champions League Twenty20

    MUMBAI: ESPN Star Sports (ESS) will spend in the region of Rs 250-300 million to market the Champions League Twenty20.

    Bollywood Badshah Shah Rukh Khan will be the face of the tournament, demonstrating ESS‘ conviction to promote a property that has yet to deliver large audiences. The theme of the campaign is ‘Rajao Ke Beech Jung Abhi Bhi Baki Hai!’.

    “We are promoting the event heavily, second time in a row. The marketing budget is the same as last year,” a company official said.

    ESS had upped its marketing budget fourfold last year and used Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan as brand ambassador of Champions League Twenty20.

    ESS will showcase the tournament in 174 territories and 18 languages across the world. The languages include Norwegian and Portuguese (for the very first time), English, Bulgarian, Czech, Danish and French.

    In India, all 29 matches will be broadcast live on Star Cricket and Star Cricket HD. ESPN will carry all 23 matches of the main tournament with Hindi commentary. The cricket experts doing commentary include Harsha Bhogle, Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri, Kepler Wessels, HD Ackerman, Ian Chappell, Tom Moody, Ian Bishop and Alan Wilkins.

    As reported earlier by Indiantelevision.com, ESS expects to get advertising revenue of Rs 500 million. The list of sponsors include Toshiba, Coca-Cola, Ambuja Cements, Next Retail and Digiworl. Nokia, Toshiba and Coca-Cola are also on-ground sponsors.

    ESPN Software India MD Aloke Malik said the event got a 35 per cent viewership increase in the second edition.

    Nokia, the title sponsor of Champions League Twenty20, announced the ‘Nokia Ke Asli Champions’ campaign providing the consumers an opportunity to showcase the ‘Asli Champions’ in them. Winners will get an opportunity to be part of Bollywood actor Priyanka Chopra’s ‘Champion team’ and watch the finals live with her.

    Nokia India MD D Shivakumar said, “Cricket holds a special place in the hearts of Indians and we have been associated with it over the years through our association with the T20 World Cup, Kolkata Knight Riders and IPL. We are excited to be the title sponsors for Champions League T20 as it reinforces our commitment to the youth by connecting them to their passion. Shah Rukh Khan has been our brand ambassador for five years. We have been involved with the Kolkata Knight Riders for the past four years. Shah Rukh Khan got involved with the Nokia Champions League Twenty20 and so we felt that it was appropriate to also get involved.”

  • “With IPL you have the power of 10”

    “With IPL you have the power of 10”

    It’s the festival of lights. And for many the festival of noise courtesy exploding fireworks. In the hope of reducing the number of those belonging to the latter tribe, we, at indiantelevision.com, decided to put a display of firecracker articles for visitors this Diwali. We have had many top journalists reporting, analysing, over the many years of indiantelevision.com’s existence. The articles we are presenting are representative of some of the best writing on the business of cable and satellite television and media for which we have gained renown. Read on to get a flavour and taste of indiantelevision.com over the years from some of its finest writers. And have a happy and safe Diwali!

    Written By Thomas Abraham

     

    Posted on 28 April 2008

     

    The Indian Premier League (IPL) has got off to a solid start. The ratings have been positive and crowds have thronged the stadiums. For Sony the IPL marks their return to cricket. Set India CEO Kunal Dasgupta offers Thomas Abraham and Ashwin Pinto his views on what he expects IPL to do for the game, telecast channel Max, as well as the importance of sustaining the brand. Excerpts:

     

    As a broadcaster what do you expect?
    T20 is a made for television format. When India played a T20 match against Australia at the Wankhede stadium, ratings touched 20. I am looking for a rating of 4 or 5, which is possible, given that ICL, which has retired players, got 2.5. This is a good base for us to take off from.

     

    The format will mean that besides country against country, one will also view it as being team versus team. This is what exists in other sports like soccer, hockey, and baseball.

     

    IPL is being pushed as being the ultimate in reality television. In that case how do you get that competitive environment?
    The prize money (Rs 48 million goes to the winner) will ensure this. This is much more than you get for playing for the country and so the players will go all out. The matches will be hard fought. Here all the teams are evenly balanced and so you do not know the result. It will be unpredictable and matches will go down the wire. All teams have a good mix of batsmen, bowlers and youth.

     

    What are you hoping for in the first year as the telecast partner?
    Ideally I would want the IPL to be a successful brand that has a long term play. After June, I will continue to do promotions to keep the team brands alive. This was one of the conditions on which we bid.

     

    We will do shows around the IPL. You could see teams (franchises) practicing and discussing strategies for the next season.

     

    ‘The trick for us is not getting ratings for the first season. The challenge is to sustain the excitement after that’

     
    But wouldn’t an ideal situation be for a franchise to build a brand without the big names who might be on national duty?
    This might happen. Apart from April-May, you cannot have another period where all the stars are available. What will happen is that once the league is built the new players who are playing will become the core. You can then have matches in different parts of the world to popularise the game there using these new players.

     

    The trick for us is not getting ratings for the first season. This will happen as a matter of course because of the way the IPL has been hyped. The challenge is to sustain the excitement after that and it is here where we will have to take a leaf out of the book of the EPL. Teams have marketed themselves and have thus become iconic brands.

     

    So Mallya for instance, will use the Royal Challenger brand name to go out there and create opportunities for exhibition matches. They can do charity work in Bangalore and build a fan base. Each franchise will have its own website where clips will be available. They can create merchandise.

     

    Sony will pitch in through magazine shows. Otherwise it will just be a flash in the pan. As we come closer to the next season you will see transfers and there will be speculation.

     

    New heroes will be born. It is possible that the likes of current heroes like Glenn McGrath, Kumble, and Saurav will not play beyond two seasons. Once that happens, then the brand will live outside the big names.

     

    One of the aims is to broaden the viewer base is to get in more children, women, But for that you have to create marketing that speaks to those demographics. What is Sony planning?
    One of the major attractions will be the presence of big Bollywood stars. Akshay Kumar will perform for Delhi. SRK will perform for Kolkata You will see proper Bollywood entertainment.

     

    We have even tweaked the timings of some of the matches to accommodate our entertainment specials. One match was supposed to start at 4 pm but we have pushed it back to 5:30 pm. We will even have stand up comedy for Extraaa Innings. On air we have gone in for fresh faces. We did not want Mandira (Bedi) for this. She is more suited for ODI cricket. I want 20-year-olds in T20. We also did not want Kapil Dev, Gavaskar. We wanted anchors who represent today’s kids. With the ICC World Cup we broke the mould and brought in females. Now we are breaking the mould back

     

    What is the distribution upside from IPL?
    This is a question mark. We are supposed to have a dip but we will retain the same level. There is no minimum guarantee now. Had Ten Sports still been present it would have been difficult to determine the value of IPL. Our team is happy as they are closing deals for the year and it is one of the distribution cornerstones.

     

    At $ 59 million in Year 1 and an average of $ 61 million over five years, IPL was literally sold at floor price. Wasn’t that a great deal?
    It was. Most of the payout ($ 612 million) is from the next five years. ESPN’s bid was $150 million for the first five years. They had put in conditions that the top players should be there. We did not put in any conditions.

     

    Anyway, the way it has turned out, all the top players are taking part.

  • Radio Mirchi launches ‘Bade Log Badi Baatein’

    Radio Mirchi launches ‘Bade Log Badi Baatein’

    Mumbai: Following the interview with President Abdul Kalam on Republic day, Radio Mirchi will now air a special series of interviews on their show ‘Bade Log Badi Baatein’. The show has been created as a national property to be aired across all its network FM stations.

    Personalities such as Sri Sri Ravishankar, Amitabh Bachchan, Sunil Gavaskar, Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle amongst others will be heard on the show.

    ‘Bade Log Badi Baatein’ will feature important personalities who have achieved the best in their fields in the last 50 – 60 years. These famous faces would get up close & personal with their fans through the radio station, share-interesting anecdotes from their lives, their philosophy and outlook in general towards things and situations; and more importantly, details related to how India has changed since their childhood.

    The show will be aired on Radio Mirchi every Monday from 9 to 10 am across Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Jaipur, Indore, Ahmedabad and Pune.

    Radio Mirchi has already featured interviews with the former Chief Justice of India Y K Sabharwal and spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravishankar.

  • ESS partners with Special Olympics

    ESS partners with Special Olympics

    MUMBAI: ESPN Star Sports (ESS) has announced a partnership with the Special Olympics, the international non-profit organisation dedicated to improving the lives of people with intellectual disabilities.

    ESS says that it is well-positioned to deliver the Special Olympics message across Asia, including calling upon the services of sporting legends who have built a relationship with the network over the years.

    Among the media programmes lined up by ESS is the television production and broadcast of the 1st Special Olympics International Cricket Cup which will be held in Mumbai from 6-13 November 2006. 12 men’s and three women’s teams will take part in the inaugural competition, involving 272 athletes and over 600 volunteers, coaches and officials. The countries taking part in this inaugural event are India, Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, West Indies. Female teams from India and Pakistan will also take part in this event.

    Special Olympics International chairman Timothy P. Shriver said, “We have been expanding and developing many programmes in the Asia Pacific region recently and have always had the goal to reach out to significantly many more people with intellectual disabilities worldwide. We have just reached two million athletes participating in 150 countries. Yet there are nearly 170 million more waiting. In addition, our message has to extend to the mass public in a much more powerful and significant way. ESPN Star Sports can make that happen.”

    Among the sporting stars who have stepped forward to lend their support to ESS’ commitment to Special Olympics are legendary batsman Sunil Gavaskar, skipper Rahul Dravid, Irfan Pathan and Mohammad Kaif. Tailor-made public service announcements have been created by ESS featuring these Indian cricket legends.

    Special Olympics Asia Pacific MD Troy Greisen, says, “We are absolutely thrilled about this partnership with ESPN Star Sports as it is a great opportunity for us to spread the word and inspire people throughout Asia to get involved and support Special Olympics. ESPN Star Sports is the most powerful medium for us to achieve this as the premier sports network in Asia. Not only does ESPN Star Sports reach millions of viewers whose lives can be touched by our message and hopefully become supporters, it is also a great platform to showcase the ability of our Special Olympics athletes alongside other world class athletes.”

    ESS Asia MD Jamie Davis said, “Special Olympics is indeed a very special organisation. Its ideals are something we are very attracted to and something we want to fully support. Nothing will be more satisfying than to be able to play a small part in changing the lives of these special athletes.

    “ESPN Star Sports’ commitment will not stop at producing and broadcasting the flagship events of Special Olympics, which will start with the cricket tournament in Mumbai. ESPN and Star Sports will also run public service announcements to increase the awareness of people with intellectual disabilities and it’s staff will actively work with the Special Olympics athletes through volunteer coaching programmes”.

    ESS India MD RC Venkateish said, “Our network has a huge presence in India and we are looking forward to achieving something very important for Special Olympics in Asia. The continent has its own special athletes and through the powerful mediums of sports and television, we can help Asia play a more important role in helping people with intellectual disabilities.”

    Gavaskar said, “As a sportsman, getting involved in a cause as big as this, especially since it is about speaking for a group of athletes and promoting their cause throughout Asia, is perhaps one of main highlights of my career. If I am able to help achieve the goals that Special Olympics are looking for, then, it will perhaps even surpass what I have ever achieved in cricket.”