Wednesday 31 October 2018
Massive difference in commercial value of India’s two top scoring willows
Virat Kohli scores runs at will. Consistently consistent in churning out centuries innings after innings, series after series. While others score runs, Virat’s willow is busy oozing records. Rohit Sharma for his batting prowess and unmatchable talent forms most formidable opening pair with his skipper in contemporary limited overs international cricket.
The names to separate captain Kohli and his deputy in order of consistently scoring ability are elusive. If Kohli is the No. 1 craftsman with the willow, Sharma comes the immediate next. Take the ongoing India-West Indies limited overs series as a case study. Kohli’s four innings have produced 420 runs at 140 per innings with strike rate of 113 and three centuries. Sharma in the second position has 326, averaging 108 with a 120 strike rate and, two centuries. If Kohli has six ODI centuries in 2018 so far, Sharma has struck five.
While Sharma comes closest to Kohli in conversions on the crease, the duo is separated by a huge margin in commercial conversion of their bats’ might – the commercial value of brand endorsement stickers on their bats.
Kohli for his ₹100 crore eight-year deal gets an average ₹ 12.5 crore per annum. Sharma, who only today (Wednesday) has renewed the his deal with CEAT for an undisclosed amout will is expected to earn ₹ 15 crore at ₹ 5 crore per annum over the next three years. MS Dhoni and Shikhar Dhawan are the other two big names.
Here are the top bat endorsement deals for current Indian cricket stars:
- Virat Kohli
The Indian skipper Virat Kohli has a ₹ 100 crore, eight-year deal with MRF. The Indian multinational tyre brand and team India captain renewed their agreement last year in 2017. The deal amounts to ₹ 12.5 crore per annum – a more than 50% jump over what the batting maestro would get from his previous deal.
- MS Dhoni
The senior most member of the Blue Brigade and the former India skipper Dhoni had renewed his deal with Australia-based cricket brand Spartan in 2016 for ₹ 13 crores for a three-year period. The veteran had got ₹ 25 crore from the same brand for the previous three-year cycle between 2013 and 2105. The current deal had reportedly run into trouble for the brand failing to honour its financial commitments, but Dhoni continues to support the Spartan sticker on his bat.
- Rohit Sharma
Rohit was endorsing MRF’s rival brand CEAT for a per annum deal of rupees three crore. The deal is now extended for the next three years. Even as the brand and the star have not revealed the values, Sharma is expected to get ₹ 5 crore annually. The super talented Indian opener has three ODI double hundreds to his name.
- Shikhar Dhawan
The left-handed opener shares the third place with Sharma for his annual ₹3 crore tie-up to place the MRF sticker on his bat. The Indian tyre brand from the Madras Rubber Factory has been endorsed by cricket legends Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara. The elite club also includes Gautam Gambhir, skipper Kohli, Ab de Villiers and Prithvi Shaw.
Rohit continues to drive with CEAT on his bat; deal extended for 3 years
Tyre brand CEAT today (Wednesday) renewed its association with one of world’s most swashbuckling batsmen Rohit Sharma for a period of 3 years. Rohit Sharma is the first player in the history of cricket to score three double-hundreds in limited overs cricket – an accolade that stands out among many others bagged in his career. The graceful player will continue playing with a bat that prominently displays the CEAT insignia, in all formats of the game.
Commenting on the partnership, Anant Goenka, Managing Director, CEAT Limited said, “We are proud to extend our relationship with Rohit Sharma who has been a stand out performer across all formats of cricket. Rohit is not only an extremely talented batsman, but also a great leader and an inspiration to young aspiring cricketers. Our association with Rohit has been extremely fruitful for the brand CEAT and we are extremely happy with this long term association.”
On his renewed association, Rohit Sharma said, “I am really happy to be continuing this association with CEAT. I am extremely grateful for their backing and they have been a great support to me. These last 3 years have been very memorable and productive for me personally. I am looking forward to continuing this association with this prestigious company for many more years to come.”
CEAT has its roots gripped with cricket, including its partnership with IPL for the Strategic Time Out segment and the CEAT Cricket Ratings that recognizes and rewards the exceptional performances of players on the international stage. Rohit is joined by Ajinkya Rahane, Ishan Kishan, Shubman Gill and Harmanpreet Kaur as cricketers who currently have bat endorsement deals with CEAT.
Wrestling fraternity hails move for central contracts to players
Wrestling fraternity is upbeat about Wrestling Federations of India’s historical initiative to offer “central contracts” to its players. The proposal has received overwhelming support and accolades. This is part the vast WFI revamp programme for a 360° growth of the sport.
About 150 Indian wrestlers – ranging from top rung Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat to under-23 and under-15 talent – are set to get financial security by way of the annual contracts. The decision got a stamp of approval on Tuesday from all stake holders – the WFI, the wrestlers represented by 15 leading names like Sushil Kumar, Yogeshwar Dutt, Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, Pooja Dhanda, Divya Kakran and the WFI commercial partners Sporty Solutionz.
Sushil and Bajrang, while giving their nod for the programme, appreciated WFI’s landmark initiative. “It is a welcome step for the growth of wrestling in our country. I am delighted that even the junior wrestlers will be able to reap the benefits now. It would be a huge boost,” said double Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar.
“The Wrestlers will feel more secured now and the game will reach the next level. I am excited to be a part of this change,” added Bajrang, India’s biggest hope for a medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The contracts, in addition to the financial security, will also ensure comprehensive insurance protection to the contracted wrestlers. The players will be able to pursue their careers like a professional in any other field. “Now, the Junior Wrestlers will be more independent financially and that will motivate them to give their best from an early age. I believe this push was required to take the game to the next level,” said Vinesh Phogat.
Just back from the UWW World Championship with a medal, Pooja Dhanda believes the move will inspire and enable the wrestlers to focus on their game. “It is a massive opportunity for all the Indian Wrestlers as there will be more exposure and incentives for grapplers of all age groups. We will not be worried about our rehabilitation and diet and that’s a big relief,” said Pooja.
WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has assured the players that the contracts are just one aspects of federation’s grand plans to restructure the sport for the sustained growth, driven by a system. “We will create a robust plan for nationals and domestic tournaments through this overhauling along with our grassroots programmes being given special focus to identify and nurture future talents for the 2024 Olympics,” the WFI chief assured the wrestlers.
“With players also getting incentives at all levels, I am confident the move will motivate the wrestlers to do well and perform better than before.”
WFI, through its commercial partners Sporty Solutionz, has also inked its biggest sponsorship deal by getting on board Tata Motors Commercial Vehicle Unit as the Principal Sponsors earlier this year.
WFI will become the first national sports federation in the country – other than the Board of Control for Cricket in India – to provide professional contracts to its players. The move will go a long way in making wrestling an aspirational, career option.
FIFA still open to expand 2022 World Cup: Gianni Infantino
The World governing body for football FIFA has confirmed to increase the total number of teams to 48 from the present 32 in the 2026 World Cup, the possibility of expanding the number of teams at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar is still not ruled out.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino during his address at the Asian Football Confederation annual congress has hinted that FIFA is still open to increase the number of teams for the 2022 World Cup. “We are looking at it (expansion of the 2022 Qatar World Cup). If it is possible, why not?,” said Infantino.
An expanded FIFA World Cup 2022 would see Asia’s allocation rise from 4.5 places to 8.5. “We have to see if it is possible, if it is feasible. We are discussing with our Qatari friends, we are discussing with our many other friends in the region and we hope that this can happen,” Infantino added.
Qatar in 2010 was picked as the host nation for the 32-team World Cup in 2022. However, as FIFA is still considering to expand the number of participating teams further, it would require the cooperation of other countries in the region, FIFA president has stated.
Infantino also reiterated his desire to expand the Club World Cup, the next edition of which will be played in the UAE in December, saying FIFA wanted to make it “a real competition.
“One that every club in the world can target because we have global interest and everyone will benefit, not only from a financial point of view,” he added.
New Fox leads race to buy back regional sports networks from Disney
New Fox is reported to be in race to buy back the 22 regional sports networks, which Ruport Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox is selling to Walt Disney as part of the $71.3 billion deal agreed in June this year.
New Fox, the owner company for the assets that will not be transferred to Walt Disney, will be focusing on sports and news business. In such a scenario, the buyback deal will help expedite company’s business expansion.
The 21st Century Fox-Walt Disney deal includes film and TV studio, additional stake in Hulu, a stake in Sky, Star India and some cable channels, including the 22 regional sports networks. Reports suggest that the regulators are making it mandatory for Walt Disney to disown the regional sports networks because of the company’s ESPN Sports business. The Department of Justice has declined Disney to retain the RSNs as the assets coupled with the ESPN ownership will put the company in a position of monopoly in sports programming.
The Fox News and Fox Business excluded from the Walt Disney deal will be run by the new Fox, which will also run the sports business. CNBC has reported last week that the Ruport Murdoch-owned company is determined to outbid the others to get the 22 RSNs back. If all goes well, the deal might well be closed in time to ensure that the 21st Century Fox does not have to transfer the RSNs to Walt Disney.
New Fox is expected to make a bid for up to $20 billion to get the RSNs back as Walt Disney will be keen to dispose them off as a bouquet to complete the sales process fast for regulatory approvals for the bigger deal.
The revised deal by Walt Disney to acquire the Fox assets has fetched the Murdoch Group media house around $19 billion more over the earlier negotiated deal between the two companies. In such a scenario, the Fox will be well-funded to get the RSNs back in a transaction that may go up to $20 billion.
According to a Sportsbusiness Daily report, Disney has floated the bid book to potential buyers. Though there have been no formal offers as of now.
Since the RSNs are mostly tied through the cable networks, new players like google, amazon and facebook might not find much business sense in acquiring them.
Monday 29 October 2018
Pro Kabaddi audience ratings crash, rural areas worst hit: BARC Data
The Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 6 is witnessing a sharp decline in the Broadcast Audience Research Council of India television viewership ratings, which as of now has accorded the Mashal Sports-run PKL the status of the second most-watched sports league in the country.
The BARC data comparison between the first 24 PKL games for the Season 5 last year and the ongoing Season 6 indicates a 31% decline in the overall Pro Kabaddi viewership. The strong audience base in rural areas that enabled the league flourish is the worst hit.
According to the BARC data, published in a report by business daily Economic Times, the Pro Kabaddi audience in the urban market is down by over 25%, whereas in its rural stronghold it has lost one out of every three audience – a sharp fall of 33%.
The PKL audience for the first 24 games across nine channels in Season 6 has crashed to 237.2 million against 344.7 million for the corresponding period in the last season, reveals the BARC data. The numbers have fallen to 175 million from 261.5 million in kabaddi’s strong rural base, while the urban audience has come down to 62.1 million from 83.1 million a season ago.
Only Star Sports 1 Tamil is reported to have performed better than the previous season. The market is also attributing the 89% gain for Star Sports 1 Tamil over the previous year to the strong local interest on account of the season kicking off from Chennai before the league started running out of steam.
Channel wise, Star Sports 2 (v) and free to air Star Sports First have taken the biggest hit with 45% and 42% decline respectively. Star Sports 1 Hindi (-18%), Star Suravna Plus (-39) and Star Maa Gold (-29% in comparison to Star Maa Movies last year) have amounted to an aggregate decline of 31%.
InsideSport.co has written to the Star Sports PR team for their reaction. The response is awaited. The broadcaster also co-owns the majority stake in the league through Mashal Sports.
The league had created a huge buzz during the two-day player auction in Mumbai earlier this year with six icons getting annual contracts for ₹ 6 crore or above. However, the initials hype has so far failed to translate into the desired results.
Australia tour will generate 20% more revenue than England: Rohit Gupta
Sony Picture Network India is optimistic that India’s forthcoming tour of Australia will generate 15% to 20% more revenues than what the network has garnered when Team India visited England earlier this year.
The optimism is based on the fact that the India-Australia has become the fiercest rivalry in international cricket – bigger than the Ashes except for the traditional values an Australia-England Test series would invoke. Eversince India has declined playing bilateral cricket with Pakistan, series with Australia have been the most exciting and animated ones. The ties between the Kangaroos and the Men in Blue have been intense enough to create rivalries and controversies worth becoming integral part of the sport’s history.
Sony Pictures Network India, Cricket Australia’s media rights partner for the Indian subcontinent and exclusive broadcaster in the territory for India’s upcoming tour Down Under, is upbeat with the prospects of the series. “India-Australia is now the biggest of all series in international cricket,” Sony Entertainment president Rohit Gupta told InsideSport.co. “In the absence of India-Pakistan traditional battles, Australian aggression provides the intensity and spats that spice up the sporting excitement fans look up to. Our winters and summers coming up there (in Australia) just provide the perfect timings to make this forthcoming tour a huge one for all.”
With no major international teams visiting India, Sony Sports Network has been the screen for India’s most competitive cricket series in the past one year – the South Africa tour in December-January, the full tour of England and now the tour Down Under, the mother of all modern-day cricketing battles. The channel is upbeat about the commercial prospects.
“The business volume is going to be very high. This is a huge series for us. As a policy matter we don’t reveal numbers, but it will generate at least 15% to 20% more revenues than what we have grossed from India’s tour the England,” says Gupta.
Sony is celebrating the on-field controversies and spats in its build-up campaigns for the series. How fair is it that ugly spats take precedence over the sport? “These controversies are like big talking points of the game, which add energy and excitement to the action. These indicate that how eager and determined the teams are to outscore the other at any cost and that makes an India Australia series so special. This is what the fans and the game need. Predictable, lacklustre games invoke little value,” says Gupta.
The biggest USP of Indian cricket, Virat Kohli had pressed the accelerator in quest of greatness during India’s last series Down Under with centuries in Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne. Two years later, the “run machine” again functioned flawlessly in the 2016 ODI series with four back to back 50-plus knocks – including hundreds in the Melbourne and Canberra games.
The uncertainty over results will spice up the certainty of the flow of Kohli’s bat to generate better broadcast ratings worth high premiums for the broadcaster. “The kind of cricket Kohli is playing makes Indian win at home near-certain. That kills the intriguing element of the game. The series in Australia will be a real test for the team. That uncertainty in conditions like England, Australia or South Africa is valued more. In those conditions, even Kohli will value his own performance. That is the value all stakeholders in the game look for,” adds Gupta.
While India faces some acid test in Australia, Sony too will be in some for testing times over the next 18 months when five international cricket boards in its kitty will be renewing their media rights. Five of the seven cricket boards with Sony – Sri Lanka, West Indies, Bangladesh, Pakistan and South Africa –will initiate new cycles of their media rights. “We will see which board is important for us during that rights period. There are going to be various factors for consideration and evaluations. Our bids will be very rational. We will look at what each property can deliver and work accordingly.”
However, for the instant opportunity around Pakistan Super League rights, Sony expects the “PCB to develop it (the league) and create that global feel”.
For, now the broadcaster is fully focused on its biggest cricket property – the Australia-India cricket in Australia, being well aware that it can’t get bigger than this for the multi-sport broadcaster anytime soon.
Divij Sharan atop Indian tennis doubles ranking
Divij Sharan on Monday became India’s new number one doubles player, overtaking veteran Rohan Bopanna by moving to 38 in the latest ATP rankings.
The left-handed Sharan, who has been one of the most consistent players on the doubles circuit with partner Artem Sitak, has held the numero uno position in the country for the first time in his career.
Bopanna dropped nine places to 39 while Leander Paes gained two places to be 60 in the world now.
Another consistent player Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan touched a career-high rank of 72 with a jump of three places.
“It feels pretty amazing to have become the highest ranked player in India today. It’s not easy by any means with Mahesh, Leander and Rohan having dominated the doubles circuit for the last couple of decades but they have carved the path and set the trend for the rest of us,” the 32-year-old Sharan told PTI.
“We have had as many as seven players from India ranked in the top 100 this year which is impressive. Personally it’s been another positive year for me where I was able to achieve my best ranking of 36 and win a gold medal for India at the Asian Games,” he said.
Sharan said he will cherish the moment and strive to get better.
“I am really happy that all the work I have put in is paying off and the milestone of being the highest ranked player in the country is something I can cherish with my family and the people who have helped me with my career. I am still looking to work hard on my game and achieve even more next year,” he said.
Sharan has won only one Challenger this season but reaching the Wimbledon quarterfinals was the highlight of the 2018 season for him. He also reached semifinal stage of various ATP 250 tournaments this year.
In the singles, Yuki Bhambri dropped a place to 108 and was followed by Ramkumar Ramanathan (121, +3), Prajnesh Gunneswaran (142, +4) and Sumit Nagal (311, +1).
In the WTA charts, Ankita Raina remains India’s lone singles player in the top-200 at number 197. Karman Kaur Thandi, who ended runner-up at Nanning on Sunday, was static at 215. Her points from Nanning will be added next week.
Los Angeles 2028 targets $2.5 bn sponsorship sales, appoints agency
Los Angeles 2028 Olympics and Paralympics Organising Committee has announced Legends as their official sponsorship sales agency in a ten-year deal for the 34th edition of the world’s biggest multi-sport spectacle.
Legends, a marketing and hospitality company controlled by the Major League Baseball (MLB) outfit New York Yankees and National Football League (NFL) franchisee Dallas Cowboys, has been named sponsorship sales agent for the LA 2028 Olympics and Team USA.
The company, put in charge of securing $2.5 billion in corporate support, will help develop, identify and secure sponsorship opportunities, as well as work with Los Angeles 2028 and United States Olympic Committee (USOC) to sell their combined inventory.
Reports suggest that brands wanting to become “golden” partners of Los Angeles 2028 will have to pay at least $100 million (£78 million/€87 million) to join the programme. However, under the latest rules of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), LA 2028 will not be able to sign any sponsorship agreement before January 1, 2019.
The deal, financial terms of which haven’t been disclosed, will see Legends and USOC form a joint venture with the goal of selling $2.5 billion in domestic sponsorships for LA 2028. The agreement also includes sponsorship rights to Team USA for the 2022, 2024, 2026 and 2028 Games.
The multi-year deal does not includes event hospitality, another part of Legends’ business.
Shervin Mirhashemi, Legends President and CEO, said, “The Olympics is one of the world’s preeminent sports events, offering a unique value proposition and an important cultural influence for brands to connect with consumers through the experience of the Games.”
“This is a tremendous opportunity for our business to partner with an iconic property to engage with partners to create a strategic investment in the Los Angeles 2028 and Team USA platform.”
Casey Wasserman, Los Angeles 2028 President said, “The opportunity ahead is unprecedented. Never before in the Olympic Movement have we had a known 10-year time horizon to imagine stories and create platforms to engage and connect with people.”
“We are thrilled to partner with Legends to bring to life sponsorship opportunities for Los Angeles 2028 and Team USA. Their talent and experience in the Los Angeles market and across the US will be critical to amplifying our commercial success.”
Kathy Carter, Los Angeles 2028’s chief revenue officer said, “LA 2028 is the first Summer Games in the US in a generation. We have a unique story to tell of optimism, imagination and creativity that will connect with young people across the country and the team at Legends will help us do that.”
“With zero planned construction projects and an unprecedented ten-year lead-up to the Opening Ceremony, we are focused one hundred per cent on creating an unforgettable Games experience for athletes, fans and partners.”
Legends has deep experience in America’s second-largest media market, where it’s helping to sell suites, sponsorships and seat licenses for the stadium and entertainment district being built by Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke. That stadium will host part of the 2028 Olympics opening and closing ceremonies, plus other events.
Los Angeles was awarded the 2028 games last year, the same time Paris won the 2024 Olympics hosting rights. That 10-year lead time is an Olympics first, and the relatively small amount of new construction needed for facilities in Los Angeles has allowed the OC to make partnerships the priority.
Leicester City confirms chairman Srivaddhanaprabha death in chopper crash
English football club Leicester City has confirmed the death of their chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha in a helicopter crash on Saturday.
The club in a statement has stated that “we confirm our Chairman, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, was among those to have tragically lost their lives on Saturday evening when a helicopter carrying him and four other people crashed outside King Power Stadium. None of the five people on-board survived”.
The primary thoughts of everyone at the Club are with the Srivaddhanaprabha family and the families of all those on-board at this time of unspeakable loss.
In Khun Vichai, the world has lost a great man. A man of kindness, of generosity and a man whose life was defined by the love he devoted to his family and those he so successfully led. Leicester City was a family under his leadership. It is as a family that we will grieve his passing and maintain the pursuit of a vision for the Club that is now his legacy, stated the release.
A book of condolence, which will be shared with the Srivaddhanaprabha family, will be opened at King Power Stadium from 8 am tomorrow (Tuesday) for supporters wishing to pay their respects.
Supporters unable to visit King Power Stadium that wish to leave a message can do so through an online book of condolence, which will be made available via lcfc.com in due course.
Both Tuesday’s First Team fixture against Southampton in the EFL Cup and the Development Squad fixture against Feyenoord in the Premier League International Cup have been postponed.
Everyone at the Club has been truly touched by the remarkable response of the football family, whose thoughtful messages of support and solidarity have been deeply appreciated at this difficult time.
LaLiga threatens legal action against FIFA for rejecting US games proposal
LaLiga has threatened legal action against the FIFA after council members had rejected the Spanish Premier Division football leagues’ proposal to host some of its games in the USA.
With no respite from strong opposition faced by LaLiga to stage league fixtures in United States, the Spanish top flight soccer body has threatened legal action against FIFA after it disapproved the proposals in a recently-concluded meeting of its council members in Rwanda last week.
LaLiga has said that it will move to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) amid ongoing tussles with the world’s soccer governing body to stage the Barcelona vs Girona tie of matchday 21 fixture in Miami, Florida, on January 26, 2019.
FIFA, reiterating president Gianni Infantino’s concern, has said that the proposal was rejected on the grounds that the official league matches must be played within the territory of the respective member association.
However, LaLiga has remained defiant in its stance. “Should we receive official notification from FIFA that they prohibit the match, we will take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport with urgency,” said LaLiga in a strong reply to FIFA’s move.
Despite Infantino’s statement, football’s world governing body has not yet formally banned the proposal, while Fifa’s permission for the game to be staged there is not believed to be mandatory.
LaLiga’s US expansion plans also suffered a strong blow last month after the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has rejected the proposal for staging the Barcelona versus Girona tie in Miami, a week after LaLiga submitted an official request for permission.
Spanish FA chief Luis Rubiales has also urged FIFA to intervene and oppose such move on the grounds that the move, part of 15-year deal with Relevent Sports to grow the Spanish league in North America, was not discussed with important stakeholders before agreement with the US-based sports agency and that an overseas league match is not in the fans’ best interest.
While the plans still remain in a limbo, it still needs to get approval from the UEFA, CONCACAF, Spanish sports council, and the US Soccer Federation.
LaLiga president Javier Tebas, however, still finds all the opposition unwarranted. “I’m still asking myself this, why so much resistance to a business strategy?” he has been reported as saying. “I think a lot of it is cultural. Cultural in that the bureaucracy that football has built is very different than the American sports leagues.”
With many criticising the proposal seen as threat to Major League Soccer (MLS), the top division of US soccer, Spanish government has also joined the roster with strong dissent, fearing that a match between two Catalan teams could be used as a publicity stunt for the region’s independence movement.
LaLiga MD Cachaza claims football way ahead of kabaddi in India
Football in India is the number one non-cricket sporting discipline in terms of gross television audience and sponsorship sales. The claim is made by the LaLiga India MD Jose Cachaza, in charge for expansion of Spain’s top division football league business in India.
Cachaza strongly dismisses the notion that kabaddi may be rated above and ahead of football just for Pro Kabaddi has got “a few thousand more viewers” than the Indian Super League. He insists that football is undisputedly the second most watched and followed sport in the country after cricket.
“No, that is not right (to say that football is No. 3 sports in the country). Audience wise, if you consider all the competitions, football is number two. If you see Indian statistics, Pro Kabaddi League has just a few thousand more viewers than ISL. However, if you consider everything like LaLiga, EPL, UEFA and all other leagues, football is clearly the second sport. In terms of revenue, if you take sponsorship, ticketing and broadcast deals from ISL to FIFA, you will once again find that football is the second sport in India,” has told Indiantelevision.com in an interview.
The fan base, popularity and the number of youngsters embracing the sports is going to grow further as Cachaza leads a massive LaLiga expansion programme in India. The Spanish top division professional football league is setting up 33 football schools in 10 Indian cities with 4,000 kids as part of their ongoing project that was launched two year ago. Apart from Kerala and Delhi which now have functional centres, LaLiga will also be expanding its centres in Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru and Kolkata.
The Spanish premier football league has launched its football school focussing on grassroots programme in Delhi in the first week of October and then in Kerala recently. In Delhi, the school was inaugurated by former French international and Arsenal legend Robert Pires.
Besides, the LaLiga has also worked on a strong media and social media presence in the country – offering tens of hours of content to India, various shows and content that is already on Sony and now will be available to fans through Facebook. The league is also be bringing legends like Fernando Morientes, Luis Garcia, Christian Karembeu, Gaizka Mendieta, Robert Pires and Steve McManaman.
De Villiers retirement a case of choosing club over country?
South African cricket legend AB de Villiers has quit international cricket. All forms. But the batting maestro not at all retired.
The latest news of the former South African captain signing up with the Bangladesh Premier League establishes that de Villiers is rather more active on the professional circuit now.
The integrity of an icon who made cricket more entertaining and contributed to drawing more fans to the sports with his unmatchable extra ordinary skills can never be doubted. However, his commitments for one after another professional leagues by various national cricket boards will certainly raise a question whether the gentleman of modern day cricket has made a choice to go for clubs over his country.
The South African star will also turn up for Tshwane Spartans for the first edition of the Mzansi Super League, South Africa’s official T20 tournament to kick-off next month. The wicketkeeper-batsman also has a proven track record in Indian Premier League (IPL) with teams like Delhi Daredevils and Royal Challengers Bangalore.
De Villiers though won’t be the lone cricket icons to quit their international career and stay active on the professional league circuit. The “Universal Boss” Chris Gayle, his fellow Caribbean all-rounder Dwayne Bravo, Australia wicketkeeper batsman Adam Gilchrist are numerous examples to opt out of high pressure, extremely demanding international cricket and be available for the leagues.
De Villiers is set to mark his debut in Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) in the sixth edition with Rangpur Riders franchisee. The South African cricketer, who announced his retirement this year after IPL 11, as surprised everyone after signing with three professional t20 leagues across the globe, inaugural Mzansi Super League and Pakistan Super League being the other two.
The 34-year-old hard-hitting batsman is Rangpur’s second signing outside the player draft concluded yesterday (Sunday). Chris Gayle and Alex Hales are among the other foreign marquee stars in the team for 2018-19 edition of national T20 cricket league in Bangladesh.
De Villiers, who recently denied reports of a comeback to the national side ahead of the World Cup next year, after announcing his retirement in May 2018, will be seen playing in major T20 leagues in the next few months. The Proteas star was named as one of the fourteen Platinum category players for the fourth edition of Pakistan Super League (PSL) in 2019.
Sunday 28 October 2018
Adi Dassler Family Sports Tech Fund to target Indian start-ups
Adi Dassler Family-owned Sports Tech Fund – ADvantage – has picked up fan engagement app Rooter under its accelerator programme, as the leAD Sports co-owned series-A fund targets more Indian start-ups for investment opportunities.
Mumbai-born entrepreneur Sandy Agarwal’s Tappp is among the India sports tech start-ups to receive $10 million investments from fund ADvantage, which has also picked up Rooter for its accelerator programme, according to report by the business daily Economic Times.
“We will be visiting Indian fan engagement start-up for the accelerator programme, in February next year,” leAD Sports CEO Christoph Sonnen has told ET assistant editor Gaurav Laghate.
“India is a huge sports market which goes far beyond cricket. As sports continue to gain space in the country, new opportunities in the ecosystem arise. We want to leverage the momentum and continue to nurture early-stage start-ups that can disrupt the mobile, tech-focused market,” added Sonnen, who also spearheads lead accelerator programme.
The fund is focusing on the India market as it has received the majority of funding applications from here.
“We have just started the second batch of our accelerator programme for pre-seed and seed funding. Between first and second batch we received 350 applications from Indian sports tech start-up owners alone. This year we have picked up nine out of 600 applications for programme, which has only one Indian company Rooter,” Sonnen is reported as saying.
leAD Sports is a sports entrepreneurship and investment platform run by the Adi Dassler Family Office (ADFO), and global hybrid venture capital platform OurCrowd.
Saturday 27 October 2018
#MeToo: BCCI officiating secretary not satisfied with Rai’s handling of case
Diana Edulji and several State associations in the Board of Control for Cricket in India are not the only voices of dissent against the Committee of Administration chairman Vinod Rai’s handling of the sexual harassment allegations faced by the board CEO Rahul Johri.
BCCI officiating secretary Amitabh Chaudhary in an email to the Committee of Administrators has termed the formation of the three-member committee as “suspect” and in “violation of Hon’ble Supreme Court orders”.
The secretary in his mail, also copied to the officiating BCCI president CK Khanna and officiating treasures Anirudh Chaudhary, has accused the CoA chairman of dealing with the matter in “a most cavalier manner”.
Insidesport.co is in possession of a copy of the email, which states that “from the very beginning, the actions of the CoA did not inspire confidence”. Choudhary has also challenged Rai’s jurisdiction as the CoA Chairman to refer Johri’s case to the three-member independent inquiry committee when the other member Diana wanted the CeO out of the board in wake of the serious allegations.
“The Committee of Administrators was constituted by the Hon’ble Supreme Court as a four-member body and one of the members of the said committee was made the chairman convene its meetings and preside over them. The position of the Chairman was only that of first among equals and no additional or superior powers had or have been conferred upon the Chairman by the Hon’ble Supreme Court. Presently, the committee comprises two members and both members are equal in status for all purposes. That being so, the Learned Chairman has no power or authority to prevail over the views of the other esteemed member and take decisions unilaterally on behalf of the CoA or on behalf of the BCCI,” states the email.
The officiating secretary has also questioned how the three-member independent committee was constituted and “who chose the members” while alleging that two of the three members in the committee do not qualify “in terms of the limitation of the age laid down by the Hon’ble Supreme Court”.
“In view of the clear divergence of views of the two members of the COA, the only recourse available was to refer the issue to either the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India or to the General Body,” said Choudhary, while fearing that the “three-member enquiry committee stricken with infirmities from its inception is hardly expected to dispense any real justice and is bound to be seen with great suspicion”.
#MeToo: Handling of Johri issue can land CoA Chairman in trouble?
Can the heat faced by Board of Control for Cricket in India Chief Executive Rahul Johri in wake of the sexual harassment case also hurt Committee of Administrators’ Chairman Vinod Rai?
Has the former Comptroller and Auditor General of India erred in handling the sensitive issue? What if reported accusations by Cricket Association of Bihar secretary Aditya Verma about Rai sweeping under the carpet a sexual harassment complaint by a female staff against Johri are found substantial?
The BCCI CoA, rather the cricket administration set up in the country, State associations included, is a divided house over the handling of the Johri case by the CoA Chairman. The other CoA member Diana Edulji wanted the “accused” who is facing serious allegations out of the BCCI and Indian cricket. There are at least seven State units in the BCCI who separately have echoed Diana’s sentiments.
Rai, defying the majority, has formed a three-member independent committee to investigate the allegations against the CeO. A valid, logical and legally appropriate move by the CoA chairman. How, an “employee” can be sacked or suspended without substantiating allegations or charges against him ? A termination without inquiry and investigation will not easily stand the testimony of law if the suspended or terminated “employee” seeks legal course.
So, where did the CoA chairman go wrong in handling the sexual harassment issue in the BCCI?
It is the alleged earlier complaint by a BCCI female staffer against the CEO, reportedly highlighted by BCA secretary Verma.
The BCCI media release about the constitution of the three-member independent committee for a transparent inquiry of the matter, states that “The independent committee could take into account and/or probe all allegations of sexual harassment against Mr Johri while he was employed with the BCCI.”
“… take into account and/or probe all allegations of sexual harassment against Johri while he was employed with the BCCI” is tricky legally. Primarily it appears that by limiting the inquiry to his tenure in the BCCI, Johri has been saved from the #MeToo allegations pertaining to his previous employment.
However, prima facie this also amounts to an acceptance to the fact that there has been / or have been sexual harassment allegation or allegations against Johri, the BCCI CeO. If there were none, then why a three-member committee, comprising a former High Court Judge, a women’s commission ex-chairperson and a retired IPS, to inquire something that’s never reported?
This is what may cast trouble for the CoA Chairman, who has reportedly been accused of ignoring the allegations to protect Johri.
Not reporting the complaint may potentially constitute to an offence under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act of 2013.
So, what the act says that may bother Rai?
“Sexual harassment being a crime, “employers” are obligated to report offences.
Does Rai qualify to be an “employer” in this context? An employer under the act has been defined as any person who is responsible for the management, supervision, and control of the workplace and includes persons who formulate and administer policies of such an organisation.
Was Rai obliged to report the alleged complaint by a BCCI staff female member against the CeO? That is a subject of debate and interpretations. The answer lies in the relevant clauses cited above. With regard to Rai, the matter may be debated on two counts. Did he ever receive any complaint of sexual harassment in the BCCI? Was he as an “employer” obligated to report the offence?
The law has also defined the quantum of punishment for erring employers. “Employers” who fail to comply will be punished with a fine of up to ₹50,000 states the act.
The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, has come into force in India from December 9, 2013. It is enacted to protect women from sexual harassment at their place of work.
Pro Kabaddi: Jaipur Pink Panther shift home base to Panchkula
Jaipur Pink Panthers have decided to shift their home leg of Pro Kabaddi League to Tau Devi Lal Indoor Stadium in Panchkula as their home venue – Sawai Man Singh Indoor Stadium is under construction.
The home Leg for Jaipur Pink Panthers will begin on December 14 and will conclude on December 20. “We conducted a joint recce of the venue in Panchkula with Star India Pvt Ltd and Mashal Sports Pvt Ltd to look at the viability of the location before the season commenced,” Jaipur Pink Panthers spokesperson Bunty Walia said in a statement.
“We will definitely miss the massive cheers from the crowds in Jaipur that the team has received all these years but we support the improvement of the facility that has been taken into consideration. The construction work increases the seating capacity which will help us and all the other sports to drive more audience to the stadiums and raise motivation among our young athletes,” Walia added.
Captain of Jaipur Pink Panthers, Anup Kumar added: “I was a part of U Mumba for the past five seasons and always found the support in Jaipur for the home team astounding. I was looking forward to the home venue but unfortunately, we’re not playing at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium this time. I urge all our fans from Jaipur to continue supporting us this season and we shall try to bring the trophy back home.”
Owned by Indian film actor and producer Abhishek Bachchan, Jaipur Panthers were the Pro Kabaddi inaugural edition champions in 2014.
Woods-Mickelson $9 mn showdown secures title sponsor, Audi car partner
‘The Match’ –$9 million prize money showdown between American golf legends Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson – has secured US-based bank holding company Capital One as the title sponsor for the one-off duel.
The much-awaited event pitting the two legends against each other is thought to be the first televised pay-per-view golf property in the US history with a recommended retail price of US$19.99 announced by Turner Sports, which will produce the tournament after US media company WarnerMedia signed a worldwide rights deal.
The head-to-head competition, to be hosted by MGM Resorts International, takes place on 23rd November at the Shadow Creek course in Las Vegas.
The exhibition event, rechristened as ‘Capital One’s The Match’, will be available through Turner’s B/R Live over-the-top (OTT) live-streaming service, and via California-based sister network DirecTV. Turner Sports will also serve as the contest’s exclusive sales and sponsorship partner.
Pay-per-view access will also be distributed to other operators including Comcast, Charter, Cox, Verizon and Altice in the US. In Canada, it will be distributed to Rogers Communications, Shaw and Bell Canada. Turner International will manage the distribution of live access of the 18-hole event beyond North America.
Under the terms of the agreement, Capital One will work alongside Turner Sports on creating digital and broadcast integrations in the build-up to and during the event, as well as having cardholder access opportunities for the event.
Capital One has also been named the official bank and credit card as part of its agreement with ‘The Match’, as well as B/R Live’s preferred payment card. Capital One cardholders will also receive a one-time 25% discount off B/R Live’s live coverage.
Turner Sports will produce all pre-, post- and live-event coverage to distribute across its various verticals including the House of Highlights social media strand. HBO Sport’s ‘24/7’ reality programmes will also air shoulder content.
Meanwhile, German automaker Audi has been named the official automotive partner of the contest, while telecommunications giant AT&T has been announced as the official wireless and data services partner. As part of that arrangement, AT&T will present drone coverage at the Shadow Creek course.
The winner of the event between the two iconic golfers, who hold 19 major titles between them, will take the entire $9 million purse, with an additional set of in-game challenges such as the longest drive competition to raise money for charity.
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