Rs 2.5 cr for winners
New Delhi: The Hockey India league on Tuesday announced a whopping Rs 2.5 crore as the winners’ prize cheque for the second edition of the franchise-based event starting on Saturday. “While the winning team gets to take home Rs 2.5 crore, the runners-up team stands a chance to win Rs 1.25 crore and the team placed at the third position will take away Rs 75 lakh,” the organisers said in a statement. Apart from the top three teams winning cash prizes, the Player of the Tournament will get to take away Rs 25 lakh. The player with the maximum goals will have a chance to win the Airtel Maximum goals award and Rs 10 lakh cash prize. The upcoming player gets the opportunity to bag the Ponty Chadha Upcoming Player of the Tournament Award and cash prize of Rs 20 lakh. The player who makes everyone proud will win the Yes Garv Award and will get a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh. In addition, each man of the match will win Rs 25,000.
Coming up next IPTl
Melbourne: International Premier Tennis league (IPTl) on Tuesday announced the names of their first five teams, including Mumbai, and scheduled the player draft on March 2 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). “We are happy to announce today, the ownership of teams and therefore competition in Bangkok, Singapore, Mumbai, Kuala lumpur and one more city to be announced in the Middle East,” Mahesh Bhupathi, co-founder of the IPTl, said. The IPTl will consist of the best male and female professional tennis players and some of the greatest names.
Wrestling league
New Delhi: The much-anticipated Indian Wrestling league (IWl) is likely to debut in November this year with organisers set to announce six city-based franchises for the three-week long professional league later this month. “The IWl will be held in mid-November. We have corporate houses and sponsors on board and a formal announcement about the league would be made soon,” said IWl commissioner and chairman G S Mander. “November suits us as the World Championships are over and all big players would be available. We can hold our national championships before that.”
Gopi’s expectation
lucknow: After going without a single title in the 2013 season, Saina Nehwal is hungry for success and chief national coach Pullela Gopichand is hoping that the Indian ace will be able to snap her poor streak at the Syed Modi International tournament, starting on Wednesday. Gopichand hoped it will be a fresh start for Saina at the $20,000 Grand Prix Gold event. “I think this is a fresh start for Saina this year. I am expecting her to do well here,” the former All-England champion told reporters at the pre-tournament press conference on Tuesday. “lucknow has been a happy hunting ground for me and I am keen to clinch the Syed Modi title again,” said the 23-year-old.
SAI’s ultimatum
New Delhi: Putting the blame on unhappy shooting coaches, the SAI on Tuesday said they were being paid on pro-rata basis since they have not signed the contract with them which was mandatory for getting salary on monthly basis. SAI has now set a February 1 deadline for protesting coaches to sign the contract. SAI Director General Jiji Thomson said the issue has cropped up due to “communication gap” between National Rifles Association of India (NRAI) and the Indian coaches associated with the senior and junior teams. “We have coaches in other sporting disciplines also who have signed the contract with us and are accordingly receiving their monthly salaries. The shooting coaches have not signed the contract and we have told them to sign it by February 1 and start receiving salaries on monthly basis. Till that time, we will continue paying them on a pro-rata basis,” Thosmon said. “We had issued a circular to all National Sports Federations on March 13 last year informing them that the coaches employed by them will have to sign the contract with SAI in order to receive salaries on monthly basis. Those, who have not signed as is the case with NRAI, they will continue to receive their dues on pro-rata basis,” Thosmon informed.