Base Price for Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa Reduced by Half

India's top two women's doubles players Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa are hurt at the way they were treated at the Indian Badminton League (IBL) auction. Their base price was reduced by half (from $50,000 to $25,000) on the eve of the auction!

The only doubles team to win a bronze in the World Championships, Jwala and Ashwini were rightly named as the icons of the league. However, they were stunned to know that their base price was reduced by half (from $50,000 to $25,000) on the eve of the auction.

Will IBL Expand India's Sports?

The successful auction of players for the Indian Badminton League (IBL) represents a massive boost for the sport in India. India has produced some excellent shuttlers in the past - the likes of Prakash Padukone and Pullela Gopichand ranked among the best in the world - and can currently boast of a crop of talented young players, including women's World No. 3 Saina Nehwal. However, Indian badminton lacks the resources and heft to dominate the sport like Chinese badminton has in recent years. And in a country obsessed with cricket, it is often treated in a step-motherly fashion by authorities and sponsors alike. 

It's in this context that the IBL could usher in a new era in the Indian badminton. Based on cricket's Indian Premier League (IPL) model, this new league will feature six private city-based franchises - Hyderabad Hotshots, Delhi Smashers, Pune Pistons, Banga Beats (Bangalore), Mumbai Masters and Lucknow Warriors - vying for the championship title and a purse of $1 million. This not only makes the IBL the richest badminton tournament in the world, but also represents a fantastic platform that brings together budding Indian talents and international stalwarts of the game.

Indian Badminton League School Programme (IBLSP)

The Indian Badminton League and its commercial partner, Sporty Solutionz, have launched the Indian Badminton League School Programme (IBLSP) to promote badminton across India.

Under the programme, players such as Saina Nehwal, Pullela Gopichand, Jwala Gutta, Ashwini Ponnappa, Parupalli Kashyap and PV Sindhu will be visiting 120 schools across India in six cities. The programme, called ‘Shuttle Express’, will offer an incentive of Rs. 10 lakh in prize money to the winners in both boys and girls single events, which will be held in Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Lucknow and Pune. The finalists will also get the opportunity to train at the Pullela Gopichand Academy in Hyderabad.

Dabur, Sahara, PVP Ventures - Owners of IBL Teams!

Dabur India Limited has now ventured into badminton. The pharma giant has purchased the Pune based franchise (Pune Vijetas), one of six teams of the Indian Badminton League.

The base price for each team is Rs 6 crore. Sahara has bagged the Lucknow Warriors team, PVP Ventures had bought Hyderabad Hotshots. PVP Group is a Hyderabad-based multi business house that has interest in realty, media and entertainment and particularly Bollywood. PVP Group, which made an unsuccessful bid to buy IPL team Deccan Chargers, makes its debut in sports.

Owners of all six team to be announced soon

The owners of the six teams have been finalized however there is still a small glitch regarding one of the teams. IBA has received 29 bids and accepted six. While the documentation work for all the teams has been done, some last minute work with one of the franchises is left.

Broadcasting Rights

STAR Sports has bagged the broadcasting rights for the fortnight-long tournament and the players' auction will be held at the end of June. Initially Sony bid at Rs 1.1 crore, but later STAR came up with a better offer.

IBL media mandate to VivaKi Exchange

VivaKi Exchange, a division of TLG India Pvt. Ltd., has clinched the media mandate for the Indian Badminton League (IBL) following a hard fought multi-agency pitch. IBL will offer VivaKi not just traditional media but transcend into social and newer forms of digital media. The account is estimated to be worth around Rs.25 crore in the inaugural year.

As per the president of Badminton Association of India (BAI) Akhilesh Das Gupta, the Indian Badminton League aims to bring long-term benefits for the players and will usher in a new era in the sport.

The inaugural edition of the IBL will be held Aug 14-31. Top shuttlers of the world, including Indian icons Saina Nehwal, Jwala Gutta, Parupalli Kashyap, Ashwini Ponnappa, and PV Sindhu have confirmed their participation.

(Source: Times of India)

Indian Badminton League 2013 from 14 August

The much awaited lucrative Indian Badminton League (IBL), which offers a prize purse of $1 million (Rs.5.5 crores approximately), will be held across six major Indian cities from August 14 to August 31.

The final match will be held in Mumbai on 31 August, while Hyderabad and Bangalore will host the semi-final matches.

New Delhi will host the grand opening ceremony of the Indian Badminton League, featuring international and national star-cast, on August 13, followed by the first round rubbers slated for Aug 14-15.

Venues (Cities) for IBL Season One 2013

The Indian Badminton League (IBL), which is a star-studded event of the the Badminton Association of India (BAI), will be held from 24th June to 14 July 2013 at six venues: 

1. Delhi
2. Mumbai
3. Bangalore
4. Hyderabad
5. Pune
6. Lucknow