Bollywood From Cricket to Badminton

Cricket is no more the coolest game for Bollywood to endorse. Once known to associate themselves only with cricket, big celebrities in the film industry are now in a bid to be seen getting involved in other sports  including Badminton.

Actor Shah Rukh Khan wants to promote football; top league actors such as Katrina Kaif and Nargis Fakhri recently performed at the Hockey India League, and Aamir Khan and Deepika Padukone are set to be the faces of the Indian Badminton League.

“We are the only nation of such a size without a good football team,” said SRK recently, expressing his desire to open a football academy. Actor Shilpa Shetty is also kicked up about the game. After a successful start to the Super Fight League — a mixed martial arts event, she now wants to launch an International Football League. According to sources close to Shetty, the league will be co-owned by corporates and celebs. “The league will be christened as Football India Cup. It will see some top international footballers,” an insider was quoted as saying to media.

World Top Players to Participate in IBL

The US$1 million Indian Badminton League (IBL) on June 24 to July 11 is expected to attract a host of top shuttlers, including World No 1 Lee Chong Wei as the world body has provided it a clear window in the annual calendar.

The inaugural event, modelled on cricket's cash-rich Indian Premier League, is a joint initiative between the BA of India (BAI) and its commercial partner Sporty Solutionz Private Ltd.

The IBL, comprising six teams, will be held in six major cities. Each team can sign up to four foreign players with two available to play in the best-of-five tie on the format of the Sudirman Cup.