Joe Root backs free-to-air television for ECB’s T20

England test Captain Jo Root 

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The England and Wales Cricket Board announced recently that they would press ahead with their plans for an eight-team competition from 2020 onwards.

And giving his opinion on the said league, England Test captain Joe Root believes the exposure of English cricket’s new city-based Twenty20 tournament on free-to-air television is vital for its success.

‘I think it would be a very good idea,’ the Yorkshireman told BBC Radio 5 live.

‘I haven’t really had much chance to read through it, but it’s great to see it has been given some thought. You look at other competitions in the world and they have been successful.

‘It would make a huge difference. The coverage we are given by Sky is exceptional. They are fantastic, and continue to be fantastic.

‘It is very important the public are given an opportunity to see cricket at a national level, on free-to-air TV. It will be interesting to see how things pan out and what decisions are made.’ read more @. InsideSport

Rooter Raises Seed Round of Funding From Intex Technologies

Rooter has raised an undisclosed amount of funds from Intex. The sports social engagement app earlier successfully raised funds from Dhruv Chitgopekar and Prantik Dasgupta along with the Bollywood star, Boman Irani, who invested in the firm as an angel investor.

Rooters plans to utilise the capital to strengthen its tech team, all the while maintaining a lean structure. It aims to also add more numbers to its Sales and Marketing team as well as to the content division. This round of funding will, in addition, help accelerate the platform’s expansion into South East Asian markets and catalyse partnerships with sports teams and leagues all around the world. Rooter’s ambition to carry out merchandising activities and possibly fan-player interactions will also get a boost besides allowing it to leverage the tech infrastructure of Intex.

Intex has had a thriving association with sports, and its director, Keshav Bansal, is the youngest franchise owner in the history of IPL. In January this year, Intex also owned the Gujarat Warriors in Super Fight League, foraying into the comparatively unknown world of MMA fighting in India.

With the approaching sports season, Rooter hopes to exceed the 50000+ downloads it currently sits on and aims to cross half a million downloads by the end of the IPL. Rooter will benefit from the technological setup of Intex, access to which can help reduce Rooter’s R&D costs. The ready database of Intex will also help Rooter to find new users.

Rooter claims that the average time spent by a user on Rooter has gone up from 2-3 minutes in September last year to 13-15 minutes currently. The number of daily active users is also growing at a brisk pace, with Rooter looking to engage more than 20,000 daily active users by the time IPL starts.More Information Please Visit my Website InsideSport

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Pujara: Market role model sans market acceptability

InsideSport.co Newsdesk-NewDelhi Wednesday 29, 2017 

You need to be a Cheteshwar Pujara in this market, a Steve Smith won’t click. Reads the headline of an Economic Times market write up, released shortly after India’s Test triumph at Dharamsala. The victory that assured multiple gains – the series win, the ICC Test Champions mace, an ICC reward of Rs 6.6 crore for finishing as the No. 1 Test team – for the Virat Kolhi-led boys was assured by none other than Cheteshwar Pujara.

The man who aptly fits in the bill to describe the success factor for market players – Cheteshwar Pujara – has little acceptance for himself in the market. Observe the market experts – it’s important to play like Pujara and not like Smith, the highest scorer of the just concluded Gavaskar-Border Trophy, to succeed and survive in the Stock Market. The notion is derived from the reliability, confidence, credibility and assurance Pujara brings to the business.

But, Is there an acceptability in the business world for the man himself, whose traits are the essence for survival in the biz world. The man to finish as the second best run aggregator in a Test season, the man who stands ahead of Virat Kohli on the ICC rankings Table as a Test batsman would know the answer is a big ‘NO’. Consistency in headlines and visibility is more important than consistent performance. The market looks for flamboyance of a Virat Kohli, consistency and credibility draw zero value.

There are laurels, but no visibility for the man with serenity of a Buddhist Monk. There is class, but no opportunity to maintain continuity. This is what fails India’s most successful Test cricketer of the day as an acceptable brand for market. World Sports Group had signed Pujara five years back. But not a single deal. Will the latest success and laurels change the scenario. No much. In fact, hardly anything more than a new management group – Mumbai-based Newstart Venuture – announcing singing with Pujara. That seems to be the only announcement on the commercial front for India’s best ever run aggregator in a Test season.

According the sources, with Pujara grabbing headlines and dominating record books, his brand manages have become active even before the a “formal contract is signed and information released about the signings”. There are also sporadic interests and queries. This interest needs continuity for survival. Something, the dependable Saurashtra lad does not control. After Dharamsala, Pujara is out of major action for over three months. A time, when new stars will rise on the horizon of Indian Premier League horizon to fade the real achiever of Indian cricket into oblivion. The market is cruel, memories are short lived.

In a season spanning 13 Tests, his figures of 1,316 runs, four hundred, including a double ton, an average of 62.66 are eye opener. No other Indian has ever touched the 1,300-mark in a single season. There is greater recognition. Amidst these highs, the strike rate of 47.27 masks all these glories for the market, where flamboyance and visibility garner more points than dependability. He though has been alleviated to Grade A in the BCCI annual contracts. But that value of rupees two crore contract should contribute to a very small pie for a successful Indian cricketer’s revenue charts. There is not even a promotional brand sticker on the bat that oozes runs with flawless consistency.

For an advertiser Pujara brings to the table crucial aspects like consistency, reliability, credibility. The synonyms with banking, infra, power, insurance – anything and everything that banks on long lasting credibility. This trait has been there for a long time. This trait was present when he was scoring big triple tons on domestic circuit. But to be in line to promote a brand, one needs to promote himself as a brand. He is different there too. The only time he wants to be in the public eye is when he is there in the middle, donning white flannels. The coloured, brand-tagged dresses of Men in Blue and IPL have been almost out of reach for the man who plays cricket as Gentlemen’s Game.

For market Gurus, Pujara needs a long way to go to convert his cricketing strength into commercial success. “In cricket there are top rung brands like Kohlis and Dhonis. Then here is second and third rung. The third rung is never ever touched. Then investor looks for ambassadors beyond cricket. It takes time and vacation at the top which leads to upgradation,” says Harish Bijoor, brand expert and founder of Harish Bijoor Consults Inc. “Some players invest in making their images very contemporary. They do it to enhance their brand value, to increase their acceptability.

“Pujara is not that kind. He is a very consistent and meditative player. It will be a distraction and destruction for him if he attempts that. It is not his DNA,” adds Mr Bijoor.

For now, announcement of a tie-up with the sports brand management firm Newstart Ventures seems to be the lone good news coming to Pujara from the market front. And then, Mr Consistent will be setting his foot on the English soil for continuity of run flow from the willow. Read more Information Please Visit My Website.InsideSport

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PKL V: 4 new teams, 800% premium on franchisee fee

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Pro Kabaddi League, Blue Eyed baby of STAR India – the principal owner of the league, is set for a revamp this season. There are more teams, more Bollywood quotient, more matches – and all coming at a premium.

InsideSport has confirmed information that the total number of teams is set to increase from the existing eight to 12. Teams from Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana are set to join the eight existing franchisees – Bengal Warriors, Bengaluru Bulls, Dabang Delhi, Jaipur Pink Panthers, Patna Pirates, Puner Paltan, Telugu Titans and U Mumba. Among the four new franchisees, two of the new team owners are big names from Bollywood.

The association with the league that’s setting new bench marks for the sport industry comes at a high premium for new franchisees. The Franchisee fee, which had a base price of Rs 1 crore in Season One, is raised by up to 800% to 900% per cent. The new franchisees for Season Five have been signed for a franchisee fee of up to Rs 10 crore. Then there is players fee, team management and operations costs.

For STAR, a welcome addition to the Jaipur team owner Abhishek Bachchan, are two big guns from Cine World. "Their presence, even association, is set to give a boost to ticket sales, marketing and sponsorship revenues, which are already reported to be pushing cricket on the growth charts. STAR, in another major strategic change, will run the league in one long season from July to October, as against two seasons in 2016. PKL will also set a new record in term of duration and games with 130 matches on the cards. 

The gains are derived from sheer commercial success of PKL. In terms of absolute numbers added to the sports sponsorship pie, kabaddi has been the story of 2016, adding more numbers than cricket – yes, cricket – to the sponsorship pie. The Group M Sporting Nation in the Making Report IV, showing sponsorship research data for 2016, says something that in a year that saw the Indian Premier League build on the momentum from 2015, when India hosted the ICC World T20 for the first time, and the inaugural Tamil Nadu Premier League proved a success, it was kabaddi that was the ground sponsorship growth driver of 2016, more than Cricket..

The ground sponsorship in Indian sports grew at a healthy 13%, from Rs 1030.5 crore in 2015 to Rs 1165.2 crore in 2016. Cricket contributed 33.2 crore over its numbers in the previous year, it was kabaddi that bulked up the coffers even more with R 74.0 crore in additional accruals. Where and how did kabaddi make its numbers from? The decision by Star India to add another season was the biggest contributing factor. On the back of a two-season PKL and India’s successful hosting of the World Cup in Ahmedabad, on ground sponsorship for the sport grew a momentous 154%, enabling kabaddi to drive past football as the number 2 game in India on the money table. Kabaddi generated Rs 122.0 crore, up from Rs 48.0 crore in 2015, reveals the Group M Reports 2016.

Though, STAR India at least of one front will defy the logic emerging from this report. While the report attributes the boost in kabaddi revenues to two seasons of the league, the managers of the league are now seeing better gains from one, consolidated, long season.

The Kabaddi World Cup generated approximately Rs 20.0 crore in sponsorship monies with Amazon, Patanjali, Syska, Volini as associate sponsors, and Thumbs Up, Skill India and Nissin as Official Partners.

Sports Business has been at a rapid growth as per PKL, the league generated business of Rs 100.00 crore split between its two seasons with 15 central sponsors on board, six of which stayed and invested across both seasons. First season sponsors brought in Rs 45.0 crore, with associate sponsors Gionee, State Bank of India, Bajaj Electricals, TVS, Flipkart committing Rs 6.0 to Rs 8.0 crore per sponsor and official partners Fair & Lovely Men, Nissin, Britannia, Pepsi, each putting up Rs 4.0 to Rs 5.0 crore.

On the other hand, in the second season, though the rates remained unchanged, a higher sponsor count meant Rs 56.0 crore was generated through associate sponsors Gionee, State Bank of India, Bajaj Electricals, Fogg, Amazon, Airtel and Official Partners, Fair & Lovely Men, Nissin, Britannia, Bisleri, Munch Nuts, Castrol. That these numbers were achieved without a Title sponsor, as Star India refused to budge on its asking price of Rs 25.0 crore per season, is even more remarkable.

PKL’s existing owner roster of high profile names like Kishore Biyani of Future Group, Hindi film A-lister Abhishek Bachchan, steel major Mukund Group’s Rajesh Shah, Uday Kotak of Kotak Mahindra, and Ronnie Screwvala’s Unilazer Sports, are clearly laughing all the way to the bank. Returning to the ground sponsorship scenario big picture.

In spite of these healthy numbers, STAR India might still take time to break even on this product. The leading sports broadcaster in India is investing heavily in the PKL to develop it as the premium of property of the group. The best airtime and marketing is spared for the league to derive best numbers. The team, headed by Anupam Goswami, designated Head, Pro Kabaddi League, STAR India, works throughout the year to add new dimension and values to the league. read more at Insidesport

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Blow to RCB ,Skipper Virat to miss opening matches

It looks like the shoulder injury sustained by Indian cricket skipper Virat Kohli is a serious one.  It is now clear according various media reports  that Virat Kohli, who is also the Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper is doubtful for the start of the tenth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), beginning April 5.

After India reclaimed the Border-Gavaskar series 2-1 against the Steve Smith-led side, Kohli revealed that he needs few more weeks to be back in action.

“It’s still a few weeks to go before I can be 100% on the field.But these things happen in your career. You have to take it in your stride and move forward,” he said in a post-match presentation.

Kohli, 28, said his shoulder was taking a while to heal because it was not a simple stress injury but an impact injury.

The 28-year-o

ld sustained the right shoulder injury while putting in a dive on the first day of the drawn third Test in Ranchi.

Previously, Kohli had missed only one game for the RCB, which was way back in the inaugural season in 2008. The Royal Challengers Bangalore will kick start their IPL campaign against defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad.

India stays ‘Best Test team’, to pocket Rs 6.6 crore

The Indian cricket team has retained the ICC Test Championship mace and has also won a cash award of $1 million for ensuring top position in the MRF Tyres ICC Test Team rankings on the annual 1 April cut-off date.

Captain Virat Kohli received the mace and cheque from ICC Cricket Hall of Famer Sunil Gavaskar at a ceremony after the fourth and final Test against Australia in Dharamsala, in which Ajinkya Rahane led the side as Kohli could not play due to a shoulder injury.

India had entered the series against Australia needing to win at least one Test to retain possession of the prestigious mace, which it had reclaimed following the Indore Test against New Zealand in October 2016.

The second and third places in the rankings will be decided after the ongoing Hamilton Test between South Africa and New Zealand. If South Africa wins or draws the Test, it will be assured of second place but a loss will see Australia finish ahead of it in second place.

The side to finish second will get $500,000 while the side finishing third will receive $200,000. The fourth-placed team, which is England, will get $100,000.

“We are absolutely delighted to have topped the ICC Test rankings. The longest format of the game really tests a team’s character and I’m proud that we have proved ourselves to be the best. Being presented with the Test championship mace last year was an exhilarating experience and the feeling is no different this time. I’d like to both congratulate and thank everyone who has been part of this success. This includes not only all the players who have been in the squad but also the team management and support staff, without whom we could not have done so well. It has not been an easy journey but all the hard work has been worth it,” said Indian captain Virat Kohli.

ICC Chief Executive David Richardson said: “On behalf of the ICC, I would like to congratulate India for achieving and maintaining number-one status amid some stiff competition, particularly from Australia and Pakistan who both held the top spot over the last year, and South Africa who have had some great Test series wins of late. The team has shown great consistency over the last 12 months, it possesses a variety of talent and is an exciting team to watch. I’m sure being recognized as the best Test nation is something that the team will really be proud of and I look forward to another year of outstanding Test cricket being played as they look to defend their position.” read more information visit my website Insidesport

PKL V: 4 new teams, 800% premium on franchisee fee

Pro Kabaddi League, Blue Eyed baby of STAR India – the principal owner of the league, is set for a revamp this season. There are more teams, more Bollywood quotient, more matches – and all coming at a premium.

InsideSport has confirmed information that the total number of teams is set to increase from the existing eight to 12. Teams from Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana are set to join the eight existing franchisees – Bengal Warriors, Bengaluru Bulls, Dabang Delhi, Jaipur Pink Panthers, Patna Pirates, Puner Paltan, Telugu Titans and U Mumba. Among the four new franchisees, two of the new team owners are big names from Bollywood.

The association with the league that’s setting new bench marks for the sport industry comes at a high premium for new franchisees. The Franchisee fee, which had a base price of Rs 1 crore in Season One, is raised by up to 800% to 900% per cent. The new franchisees for Season Five have been signed for a franchisee fee of up to Rs 10 crore. Then there is players fee, team management and operations costs.

For STAR, a welcome addition to the Jaipur team owner Abhishek Bachchan, are two big guns from Cine World. Their presence, even association, is set to give a boost to ticket sales, marketing and sponsorship revenues, which are already reported to be pushing cricket on the growth charts. STAR, in another major strategic change, will run the league in one long season from July to October, as against two seasons in 2016. PKL will also set a new record in term of duration and games with 130 matches on the cards.

InsideSport has been following up with the STAR Sports PR and Kabaddi teams with all this information. A questionnaire is shared. But, they have not come on board to either confirm or deny this piece of news.

The gains are derived from sheer commercial success of PKL. In terms of absolute numbers added to the sports sponsorship pie, kabaddi has been the story of 2016, adding more numbers than cricket – yes, cricket – to the sponsorship pie. The Group M Sporting Nation in the Making Report IV, showing sponsorship research data for 2016, says something that in a year that saw the Indian Premier League build on the momentum from 2015, when India hosted the ICC World T20 for the first time, and the inaugural Tamil Nadu Premier League proved a success, it was kabaddi that was the ground sponsorship growth driver of 2016, more than Cricket..read more information click my website Insidesport

U- 17 World Cup: Kolkata to host finals; Guwahati, Mumbai get semis

With the preparations for the U17 World Cup underway and FIFA officials in the country to check different venues, the schedule and the slogan for the big event was also unveiled. The biggest announcement, however, is that Kolkata will host the Final. According to Indian Express report, The venue will be the iconic Salt Lake Stadium in a city that has traditionally been known for its football fever.

The final of the 24-team event, the first big FIFA tournament to be held in the country, will be on October 28. The two semifinals will be hosted by Guwahati and Navi Mumbai.

The big stage event is less than 200 days away and the six chosen venues are working against the time to be ready for the event with FIFA officials expressing delight with just the Navi Mumbai venue and calling it as the ‘benchmark’ to be followed.

The tournament will start in New Delhi and Navi Mumbai with the first double headers being held on October 6. The quarterfinals will be in Goa, Guwahati, Kochi and Kolkata, while Guwahati and Navi Mumbai will play host to the semi-finals. The final, as already mentioned, will be held in Kolkata.

“The FIFA U-17 World Cup is an exciting milestone for the growth of football in India and it has now reached a very important stage. The match schedule has been created following a thorough analysis of players’ health, competition format, team movements, weather, local festivities, geography and other factors. Each venue will host at least eight matches, and we took existing infrastructure into account, as well as local enthusiasm, when allotting the matches,” said Head of FIFA Tournaments, Jaime Yarza.
The draw for FIFA U-17 World Cup will take place on July 7 in Mumbai.

Carolina is La Liga brand ambassador for India

Carolina Marin – the most renowned Spanish face with Indian sports lovers is now the brand ambassador to promote Spain’s premier division soccer league – La Liga – in the country. The Olympic champion is a regular on Indian badminton circuit and spends almost month and a half in India every year to participate in international tournaments and India’s own badminton league. The 23-year-old is in Delhi for the India Open Super Series. She has already been a part of meet and greet event to promote La Liga.

La Liga had run a contest on twitter and facebook, where fans were asked to answer two simple questions about Marin and La Liga. Which Indian Player did Carolina Marin beat in the 2016 Rio Olympic badminton finals? Which is your favourite La Liga team? An opportunity to meet the Olympic champion was the award for the winner. read more Information please vistt my website InsideSport

Sindhu to energize Panasonic battery marketing globally

India’s first ever woman Olympic silver medal winner P.V. Sindhu has been appointed brand ambassador of Panasonic Energy, a manufacturer and supplier of dry cell batteries and lighting products. The company, in a statement on Monday, said Sindhu will endorse the company’s products for a period of five years, both in India as well as South East Asia markets. It declined to divulge financial details.

“P.V. Sindhu exudes power and performance through her sport. These are precisely the traits that Panasonic Batteries are known for. Not only she resonates our vision of becoming the No.1 but also possesses the right mixture of dedication, reliance and charisma which makes her the ideal choice,” said Manish Sharma, president and chief executive, Panasonic India and South Asia, in a statement. read more information please visit my website Insidesport

Odisha title sponsor for prestigious FIH events

Government of Odisha will be the title sponsors of the Men’s World League final 2017 and Men’s hockey world Cup. Two of the most prestigious events on the international hockey federation (FIH) calendar will be hosted by the Odisha State capital, Bhubaneswar. The FIH  and Government of Odisha have officially confirmed this on Monday, March 27, 2017.

The official event titles will be the ‘Odisha Men’s Hockey World League Final Bhubaneswar 2017’ and the ‘Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018’.

The Odisha Men’s Hockey World League Final Bhubaneswar 2017 takes place between 1 and 10 December and will welcome eight of the world’s best men’s teams who, in addition to the hosts, qualify from this summer’s Hockey World League Semi-Finals.

The Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018 will take place in late November / early December in 2018 and will see 15 teams join hosts India at the event. They will qualify from the Hockey World League Semi-Finals and Continental Championships, also taking place this year.

The venue Kalinga Stadium has in the past successfully played host the 2014 Men’s Hero Hockey Champions Trophy. It is also home to the current champions of the Coal India Hockey India League – the Kalinga Lancers.

Speaking about this announcement, FIH CEO Jason McCracken said: “India is a nation with a proud hockey heritage with a history of hosting world-class sports events. Each time we return to the country, Hockey   India raises the bar, embracing goals outlined in our 10-year Hockey Revolution strategy aimed at making our events innovative and exciting for our fans. We have no doubt that the Odisha Men’s Hockey World League Final Bhubaneswar 2017 and the Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018 will be unforgettable events for everyone involved.”

FIH President Dr Narinder Dhruv Batra added: “Bhubaneswar is a city ready to welcome the world. Its passionate sports fans and our experienced hosts will create an incredible environment for our stars to shine during what are the two of the biggest events in our sport. We encourage fans from across the world to come together and share the glory with their teams, each of them aiming to become world champions in these respective competitions. In doing so, fans will also get to experience first-hand the rich culture and warm hospitality offered by this amazing part of the world.”

The State Chief Minister, Mr Naveen Patnaik  has expressed that the global events will not only enthrall hockey fans in the state but also help promote the sport among the younger generation.

Did Kohli put IPL ahead of India duties?

SCENE ONE: Quinton de Kock plays for South Africa in the Hamilton Test against Black Caps when injury is fresh and hurting, but decides to skip Indian Premier League to be fully fit for his future national assignment. De Kock is ready to face the risk as his national side eyes a 2-0 series win over the hosts.

SCENE TWO: A study in contrast. From Hamilton to Dharamsala and the plot changes completely. India in a must-win situation to pocket the series, must force a draw to save the series. The big question for the hosts  on the eve of the match. Virat Kohli? Or, Virat Kohli not? The Indian captain has batted with his sore shoulder three days back at Ranchi. Will he brave the injury yet again for the cause of Team India, the best in the world. Or, won’t he? For, the commitment to his  IPL franchisee is no less important, if not more. Not just for the player, but the Board of Control of Cricket in India as well.

This has given room for raising a controversy. Gujarat Lions coach and former Australian Brad Hodge did not take long to spark one. read more information please visit my website InsideSport

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Merc to spend ₹3500 cr in pursuit of 4th title

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The most dominant team of the past three years, Mercedes AMG, will spend just over $700 million chasing a fourth straight world title this season, which starts with Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park in Melbourne, according to a Sydney Morning Herald report.

Even though big budgets and huge spending cannot guarantee the title defense was evident at Albert Park in Melbourne on Sunday, when Sebastian Vettel pushed the Mercedes duo of Lewis Hemilton and Valtteri Bottas to the second and third position respectively.

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has revealed the staggering spend in his guest appearance at the Australian Motor Sport Hall Of Fame induction ceremony at the Melbourne Convention Centre last week.

Formula One is undoubtedly the most expensive sport in the world, with leading teams spending Rs 2500 crore rupees or more a year chasing grand prix glory. Or more. Much more. Read more information visit my website insidesport

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PSL success commercial boost for Pak sports

An event can change the destiny. If 2009 terrorist attack on the Sri Lanka cricket team in Lahore has spelt good bye for cricket from Pakistan, success of the recent Pakistan Super League final in the same city can serve as the catalyst to uplift the gloom from sporting scenario in the country.

The testimony to the fact are two sporting news emerging close on the heels of the trouble free, highly attended PSL final. First the announcement of a WWE-like multi-city, multi-star wrestling event and Brazilian legend footballer Ronaldinho’s announcement of his plans to visit Pakistan for giving football fans plenty of reason to celebrate.

After the  PSL success, Pakistan Cricket Board has has announced that it was now launching the Pakistan Cup. The tournament will start off from April 11 and the final will be played at Lahore on May 5. Liike PSL, five teams will battle it out for the national title. The teams include Balochistan, Federal, KPK, Sindh and Punjab.

The Pakistani firm Pro Wrestling Entertainment had worked for a year to persuade fighters to come to Pakistan, which has been largely deserted by international sports stars during its fight against militancy lasting more than a decade. However, one successful made it happen in a few days for which firm was working for months.

Once security concerns are addressed, sponsors, infrastructure and a strong fan base are the factor that weigh heavily in favour of Pakistan. The telco sector majors Telenor, Mobilink, Unfone and multinationals like Pepsico are starved of marketing opportunities. Habib Bank has been a traditional patron of sports in the country. Lahore, Quetta, Islamabad and Karachi are equipped with the state of the art infrastructure. These are also the safest places for the State to address security concerns. A generation of sport loving Pakistan fans is starved of quality action, ready to throng the stadias.

More than half of Pakistan’s TV-watching public tuned in for inaugural season of the PSL. Since the first ever PSL T20 competition was announced last September, the country’s cricket board has sold the five franchises for $US93 million and attracted players from 11 countries.

PSL is the best thing that has happened to Pakistan cricket in particular and for the sports in Pakistan in general over the past few years. Keep in mind that an entire generation of players and fans have emerged, who have never had the pleasure of witnessing live action on home turf. Unlike India where an event hardly finishes and the next one is ready to step in, Pakistani sports fan has been restricted to watching cricket or any other game just on television. It’s an irony that the likes of Misbah ul Haq, Umer Akmal, Wahab Riaz, Ahmed Shehzad and so many others have never played an international game in front of home fans for not fault of theirs.

With all the talk of security concerns, hosting of the PSL final in Lahore successfully has given Pakistan cricket in particular and all sports in general the much needed shot in the arm. Fans are delighted. So are the Pakistan sports authorities. Not to take away the political mileage the sitting government has achieved from this fanfare. This also lays the base to change the nation’s perception globally. To give a boost to sports not just on ground but also revive the sports industry.

It could be a bit premature to say but all signs are indicating that slowly and gradually Pakistan is managing to put trust in international bodies and convincing them that Pakistan is becoming safer for international teams. We have ICC World XI visiting in September and now the Wrestling event with top fighters ready to lock arms. All these are encouraging events and give a feeling of déjà vu amongst fans. On the commercial front, Pakistan sponsors haven’t had much to invest on in recent years, so they have to had their marketing budgets well stocked. No wonder that we saw all major brands spending lavishly during PSL, even the TV ratings TV ratings soared to new heights, giving sponsors good reason to invest and encourage more such events.

The market forces to have been deprived of good platforms to promote their brands. Everyone seems eager to jump in and increase their brand value. Now, with wrestling series coming in, sponsors are finding ventures beyond cricket to invest and reach out different targeted clients. With such a huge gap, finding healthy sponsorship won’t be a big problem for wrestling or other sports. Pakistan Hockey League too is contemplating to launch its own league. So all signs are encouraging to revive a healthy sports environment in Pakistan, something will also work as healing balm for a terror-struck nation. Read More MY website Insidesport

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