After the inception of Indian Premier League, the richest cricket league now no longer most productive within the country nonetheless internationally, there had been many leagues that followed all the draw by draw of different sports actions.
Whereas some managed to stay afloat, others used away. The list is lengthy, Hockey Premier League, Global Premier Tennis League being two of the essential disappointments.
Alternatively, some area of interest sports actions like Kabaddi and Desk Tennis had been in a situation to make their sponsors elated over serve to serve seasons. Kabaddi, if fact be told, used to be perceived to be a distinct segment sport nonetheless the numbers suggest that it has change into the next broad thing in league sports actions in India after IPL. Subsequent year, a brand fresh league will pick issue in India – the Premier Handball League.
In this interview with CEO and co-founding father of PHL Manu Agrawal, we try to non-public how a sport like handball can make a issue within the hearts of the Indian hundreds, the opinion to initiate it in India and what may perchance be the challenges to make it winning.
Excerpts:
1. What’s the final funding within the league and the draw in which originate you opinion to uncover the returns?
We’ve disbursed an preliminary funding of Rs 240 crores, spread all the draw by draw of the Premier Handball League and diverse model programs for the sport of Handball in India.
We’re working on a talented sports actions league mannequin so earnings streams are the same as in any different sports actions league, particularly, branding rights and media rights. Having acknowledged that, our arrangement is building charge for the sport of Handball in India, monetary returns shall follow.
2. That is now no longer a truly standard sport. Why originate you get dangle of this can work in India as a league, sparkling so many leagues of additional standard sports actions have struggled or have shut shop?
Contrary to total opinion, handball is played broadly all the draw by draw of India. We’ve around 80,000 registered gamers with Handball Federation of India all the draw by draw of age and gender lessons and larger than 1100000 participants play this sport all the draw by draw of colleges and universities.
Its an Olympic sport and the second most traditional sport in Europe. The game has now no longer generated media attention as of now nonetheless that’s because it used to be now no longer commercialised. With initiate of the Premier Handball League, the sport is determined to uncover wider attention after which most productive its repute shall attain to the entrance.
There are many causes for a sports actions league to attain success or unsuccessful. We’ve carried out loads of overview on those components and have carefully structured our league mannequin to be trot we uncover rid of those components.
3. How will the league work? Is it going to be auction basically based?
Premier Handball League Season 1 shall feature six franchise-basically based groups, every representing a issue. First three seasons of the league are going to be single venue seasons, gamers will be chosen by draw of draft course of within the essential season.
There will be three lessons of gamers, two lessons for Indian gamers and one class for foreign places gamers.
In subsequent seasons, franchises shall have the unbelievable-searching for to defend gamers that they’ve picked in outdated seasons. Released gamers shall bound serve to the gamers pool, where they’re going to be eligible to be chosen by groups by draw of draft. This course of will be followed for first three seasons. Season four onwards we shall transfer to caravan type league with participant auctions.
4. What had been the apprehensions that you just guys have relating to its success. If any?
There have never been any apprehensions relating to the success of the league, since we realized how broadly the sport is played at the national level.
Our self assurance has most productive elevated about its success after basically the most productive performance of India till date at the Olympics, which has most productive elevated public curiosity in Olympic sports actions usually. Handball is the fastest Olympic sport with an reasonable of 50-60 targets a match.
Its action-packed sports actions leisure for one hour, crisp and compact. Its very easy to follow and that’s why we get dangle of this will be loved by everyone all the draw by draw of age and gender lessons, in particular by the youth.
5. What has been the very most attention-grabbing field getting handball league to India?
There had been total operational challenges like collecting files from your total gamers from all the draw by draw of India and making a personalised database of your total gamers, officers and stakeholders within the sport of handball in India, nonetheless the Handball federation of India has been very supportive to us and we have created programs for all the pieces linked to operation, administration and execution of the Premier Handball League to make it stand at par with basically the most productive handball leagues within the enviornment, in season one itself.
Then for certain, there are challenges linked to privatization of an Olympic sport in a country eager about most productive one sport. It’s a continuous exercise to uncover stakeholders of the Indian sports actions business drawn to something fresh, nonetheless happily, that lag has been smoother than anticipated, for the rationale that product (Premier Handball League) is so attention-grabbing in itself, and it’s a lag that will proceed for some additional time into the future. Whereas one can call it a field, it has been very most attention-grabbing motivation at the same time.
