Sunday 9 December 2018

Scrapped GT20 spells trouble for Cricket South Africa, franchise claims damages

Ghost of scrapped T20 league returns to haunt Cricket South Africa


Fears of legal trouble over the scrapped Global T20 League are coming true for Cricket South Africa. One of the franchise owners of GT20, the league that failed to take off, has now reportedly claimed $515,627 in damages. 
Pretoria Mavericks owner Hiren Bhanu is suing CSA for $515 627.91 plus interest and costs of the suit on account of losses and compensation, states a Cricinfo report.
The Global T20 League was due to have its first edition in November-December last year. However, the much-anticipated and much-hyped tournament was canned in the absence of a broadcast deal under the leadership of former CEO Haroon Lorgat. Losses incurred by last year’s postponement is tipped to cost CSA several million dollars. 
The T20 Global League has since been replaced by a new-look tournament, the Mzansi Super League, which does not allow for private ownership.
In August this year, it was confirmed that Bhanu received $250 000 as a compensation for the initial deposit. However the Mavericks owner finds the compensation inadequate.
“We’re going to sue them for damages for the efforts that we put in,” Cricinfo has quoted Bhanu as saying before initiating the legal proceedings. “Some people were paid their expenses, and they are happy with that. I’m not happy with that. We just want to be compensated for our time and effort.”
According to the legal documents accessed by the website, Bhanu claimed he spent $81,247.76 on marketing, $68,538.68 on legal fees, $107,216.81 on salaries and wages and $103,754.22 on travel as well as various other expenses.

Star dedicates 14 screens, Hotstar, 5-language broadcast for Khelo India

Star India confirms 5 language broadcast, 14 screens and Hotstar for bigger

Star India has committed to broadcast the Khelo India School Games in five languages across 14 Star Sports cluster screens as the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced a “bigger, better” second edition. ‘
In an unprecedented move, India’s leading sports broadcaster Star has announced to broadcast the Khelo India School Games on Star Sports1 SD and HD; Star Sports 2 SD and HD; Star Sports 3;  Star Sports 1 Hindi SD and HD; Star Sports Select1 SD and HD; Star Sports Select 2 SD and HD; Star Sports 1 Tamil; Star Sports 1 Telugu and Star Sports First for the Khelo India Games.
The broadcaster will produce the live feed in five languages – English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada.
The broadcast initiative is not just about the numbers. Star has dedicated its main TRP drivers, like the Star Sports 1 Hindi and free to air Star Sports First, for the Games. The two channels regularly feature in the top five on the Broadcast Audience Research Council sports genre television ratings charts.
Star is expected to launch the Star Sports 1 Kannada by the month end. The channel will broadcast the Khelo India Kannada feed.
To support the Khelo India initiative by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Star India has doubled the level of promotion and broadcast coverage for Khelo India Youth Games, Maharashtra 2019.
Mr. Sanjay Gupta, Managing Director, Star India said, “The first edition of Khelo India exceeded expectations and instilled an aspiration for sports amongst the youth in India and now, with “5 minute aur”, we are aiming to trigger more pro sport conversations to make India adopt sports as a way of life. The campaign calls for the Indian sports enthusiast to not only support their heroes, but also work towards emulating their feats.”
“Staying true to our commitment of bringing the best in class sports experience to the passionate Indian sports fan, we will broadcast Khelo India Youth Games in 5 languages this season along with LIVE telecast of 9 disciplines, he further added.”
 The games will be telecast live across Star Sports Network and Hotstar.
The Ministry has announced the Khelo India Youth Games, Maharashtra 2019, to be ‘Bigger and Better!’ as it will widen the Games scope and reach out to University and College students across the country with the competitions spanning across 18 sporting disciplines.
Star India has already made the Games bigger and better from the broadcast perspective with a plan only considered for the high-ticket global events.
As part of the campaign, Star India has joined the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to urge the nation to go out and play – This time for “#5MinuteAur”.
The campaign TVC features prominent sports youth icons – Manu Bhaker and Neeraj Chopra among others.
The Ministry and Star Sports kick started the countdown to Khelo India Youth Games, Maharashtra 2019 with an appeal to encourage India to play more –  with the evocative ‘#5MinuteAur’ campaign.
The campaign has a strong call to action, taking the Khelo India movement forward, featuring – Manu Bhaker, Jeremy Lalrinnunga, Saurabh Chaudhary, Lakshya Sen, Esha Singh, Tababi Devi, Srihari Natraj and champions Mary Kom, Sushil Kumar among others bringing childhood playground memories to life.
The #5MinuteAur campaign created this year has a simple insight – we are all born with an inherit instinct to play, kids and adults alike. Building on the core of this message through the #5MinuteAur campaign, Star Sports and the ministry want India to encourage kids to play for those extra 5 minutes.
“The 5 minutes is symbolic, with an assumption that if each child plays a little bit longer, we will add a billion minutes of play every day, that has the potential to translate into 50 medals for the country,” stated a Press release.
Portraying this five-minute agreement between a mother and a child, the aim with #5MinuteAur is to spark a fire in every enthusiast in India to strive for better through sports. Establishing the message that sports builds and defines our personalities, the more we play the better we get. The manifesto, “Hum Aaj Aur Khelenge Toh Kal Aur Jeetenge” is true not just for the sport we play, but for life itself.
Scheduled to take place at Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune from January 9-20, 2019, Khelo India Youth Games, Maharashtra 2019 will see over 10,000 participants from 29 States and 7 Union Territories. The Games will bring to life by over 6,200 athletes, 1,800 Technical Officials, 1,000 volunteers and 1,000 personnel working behind the scenes.
Conceptualised to revive the sports culture in India at grass-root level by building a strong framework for all sports played in our country, the upcoming season of Khelo India Youth Games will be held across 18 sporting disciplines in the Under-17 and Under– 21 age categories.
“The success of Khelo India School Games is a testimony to the hunger and multitude of sporting talent in India. Buoyed by the terrific response for Khelo India School Games and with an aim to increase participation in sports across all age groups, we have not just added two sports this year but the games will also be played under two age categories U-17 and U-21 to allow even more enthusiasts to participate and flourish. The ‘#5MinutAaur’ campaign for the Khelo India Youth Games 2019 to be hosted in Pune, Maharashtra is a reflection of the immense strides we’ve made and the journey that lies in front of us to make India a truly sporting nation. We hope it will inspire India to work towards incorporating sports as a way of life,” said Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs.

FIFA firm on Club World Cup, task force meets

FIFA firm on Club


FIFA task force has discussed the possible formats, dates and slot allocations for the proposed Club World Cup and a Global Nations League.
A panel set up by football’s world governing body, FIFA, at its maiden meeting to discuss revamping the Club World Cup and creating a global Nations League did not address a $25 billion funding offer from Japanese investor Soft Bank, which is closely associated to the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth.
The task force, with members from all six continental governing bodies, looked only at “technical and sporting elements” of new events for clubs and national teams, says FIFA.  The panel will propose at least one version of each competition to a March 15 meeting in Miami of FIFA’s ruling council.
FIFA says “parallel consultation” will also continue with clubs, league and player unions.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has this year pushed a $25 billion, 12-year offer from Japanese investor Softbank, which has close ties to Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth. European football officials blocked approval, citing FIFA’s secrecy about the no-tender deal,thestate.com has reported.
The task force set up to examine FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s plans for the new Club World Cup and a Global Nations Leagueat its first meeting looked into the possible formats, dates and slot allocations.
Infantino has proposed a revamped Club World Cup every four years with up to 24 teams, while his Nations League would take the form of a mini World Cup with an eight-team final tournament every two years.
However, FIFA President’s financial and funding proposal about a $25 billion investment by a consortium over a 12-year-cycle in return for 49 per cent ownership of the competitions did not come up for discussion at the meeting.
The task form is entrusted to suggest into the format of Club World Cup, it would also look at the number of teams and who would qualify. For the Nations League it would consider the impact on qualifying competitions for existing continental competitions and the World Cup.
FIFA said the task force consisted of members appointed by the six continental confederations, while a “parallel consultation” would take place with clubs, players and leagues.
The proposals will be presented to the next FIFA Council meeting in Miami in March.

IPL LIVE Updates: Mustafizur fails to get NOC from Bangladesh Board

10 Bangalesh players cleared for IPL, but Mustafizur denied permission

Bangladesh pace spearhead Mustafizur Rahman will miss the Indian Premier League 2019. He had been denied the mandatory no-objection certificate by the Bangladesh Cricket Board.
The BCB was not willing to take any chances with the fitness and preparations of the mainstay in its bowling line-up just ahead of the ICC World Cup in England and Wales. He has been denied permission to participate in any overseas professional cricket leagues during the World Cup year.
Mustafizur is the only prominent name who failed to get his the BCB nod for the IPL. However, the BCB has cleared ten names for the IPL 2019. Veteran Shakib al Hasan has been retained by the Sunrisers Hyderabad, while the other nine will be the part of the player pool for the IPL action, slated for October 18 in Jaipur.
Mustafizur was the part of Mumbai Indians this year. But injury kept him on the sidelined for a major part of the season as he could play only one match.
The IPL 2019 auctions will see a total of 10 Bangladesh players up for grabs. Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah, Soumya Sarkar, Sabbir Rahman, Imrul Kayes, Abu Hider, Liton Das and Nayeem Hasan. Shakib-Al Hasan will be the tenth player in the auctions after he was retained by Sunrisers Hyderabad earlier this year. All these 10 players will be given the NOC by the Bangladesh Cricket Board.

Thursday 6 December 2018

Delhi Half Marathon raises record ₹16.60 cr for charities

Delhi Half Marathon raises record ₹16.60 cr for charities


The Delhi Half Marathon this year has raised a record ₹16.6 crore for charities, a 105% jump over the amount raised during the event last year. India Cares, the philanthropy partner to the event with the perseverance of 91 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) shattered all records in their benevolent efforts.
The citizens of Delhi showcased in abundance their “heart of gold” and that impossible is nothing! Since inception, Airtel Delhi Half Marathon has now raised a total of Rs 67.16 crore towards charity.
The funds raised by the CSOs will focus on creating a positive impact for different sections of our society – children in homes and schools, youth skill development, environment protection and saving animals, special care for differently abled and health services.
For this edition, India Cares Foundation concentrated their efforts on providing support and guidance in communications and appeals to reach out to more people – this has shown results with 82% of funds coming from and through an individual asking another individual.
A total of 66 companies fielded 91 corporate cares teams and 195 individuals reached out and received contributions from 8,010 family members, friends and colleagues. Incidentally, many CSOs got the confidence to reach out to networks and individuals on their own and this has generated 61% of the total funds!
The remarkable feat by the top fundraising CSO Udayan Care, which generated ₹9.02 crore, has set a records in crowd funding, not just for ADHM, but for marathons across the world. This amount would be in the top-5 Charities of Boston Marathon in 2018 and it is also more than all the other 90 CSOs of this edition!
Murray Culshaw, Chairperson and Founder, India Cares Foundation, states “Delhi amazes us. When we think there is no more room to push, it stretches! Our emphasis on encouraging individuals to raise funds is now well established, with 82% of contributions this year coming from individuals and raised by individuals.
“A ‘thank you’ is such an inadequate word, for the impact that these funds will enable CSOs (NGOs) to bring for the betterment of our Society.  Until we find a stronger word… Thank You to every donor, fundraiser and CSO who participated in Airtel Delhi Half Marathon and especially to Procam International and the sponsors for creating this platform!”
In his concluding remarks, Vivek Singh, Jt.MD Procam International, said, “Sport remarkably pushes humans to unprecedented limits. It has the ability to inspire, birth incredible stories and bring out the gold in humanity. Rs. 16.60 crores raised towards charity is a testimony to the effectiveness of ADHM as a platform and its potential to create an ever-lasting impact on society. Kudos to all the CSOs, individual fundraisers, corporates, runners and the team at India Cares for showcasing the true power of this platform. This has been a befitting closure to a glorious edition of ADHM.”
“The show is dedicated to those people who believes in the social cause, This night is just not a fundraising night, but rather the belief that people have come together to promote this noble cause. When someone receives an award, a big responsibility is bestowed on that person to be that path bearer in bringing about a substantial change for good in the society,” said Mr. Vijay Goel, Minister for State, Parliamentary Affairs, Govt. of India
The impact of ADHM truly resonates beyond the race day. The support for numerous causes has doubled in the last 5 years through the event. Since 2014 the funds generated through ADHM have doubled and an average of 75,000 people have been aided every year – a 1:2 ratio for every runner in  ADHM!
The funds raised in 2017, have contributed towards the construction of 12 new classrooms, 10 current classrooms furnished, 350 women empowered to start earning, 1160 women empowered with self-defense training, an old age home for women constructed and 68 young adults trained in IIT and placed in companies.
WINNERS ACROSS DIFFERENT CATEGORIES
Care Champions Platinum (Individuals taking on a target of ₹10 lakh for their cause). Top fundraiser: Vivek N Gour raised ₹41,60,977 in support of Sri Sathya Sai Health and Education Trust
Care Champions Diamond (taking on a target of ₹5 lakh for their cause) Highest Fundraiser of this edition and Care Champion Diamond, Dr Nandita Chakraborty raised ₹5,78,550/- in support of Lotus Petal Foundation.
 Care Champions Gold (taking on a target of Rs 2.50 lakh for their cause). Top fundraiser: PN Narayanaswamy raised Rs 4,49,733 in support of Miracle Foundation
 Care Champions Silver (taking on a target of Rs 1 lakh for their cause). Top fundraiser: Dr Geetanjali Chopra raised ₹10,02,625/- in support of Wishes and Blessings.
Youngest Care Champion: 15-year-old Kris Nagdev raised ₹1,96,010/- in support of Concern India Foundation.
Youth Cares (Teams of 3 students aiming to raise INR 75,000 for their chosen CSO.). Highest Fundraising Team: Md. Aftab Alam, Rinku Kumari & Kishan Lal raised INR 31,43,980/- in support of Lotus Petal Foundation.
Corporate Cares (Companies that contribute to chosen CSOs and also encourage their employees in contributing to and fundraising for a cause).
Highest Corporate Contribution: Hero MotoCorp Ltd –₹29,00,000.
Highest Corporate Cares Fundraising Team: Fluor India raised ₹6,68,889
Highest fundraising individual from a corporate cares team: Ravindra Singh from Kotak Mahindra Bank raised ₹1,00,000.
iCare Fundraisers (Individuals who raise funds in support of a cause)
Highest Individual iCare Fundraiser: Ranjana Mahajan raised for Sukarya ₹ 5,17,200.
2nd Highest Individual iCare Fundraiser: Anil Chawla raised for Save the Children India ₹5,04,10o.
Highest fundraising organisation: Udayan Care ₹9,02,35,153.
2nd Highest fundraising organisation: Lotus Petal Foundation ₹1,78, 83, 610.
3rd Highest fundraising organisation: Bharti Foundation INR 1,22,55,600.