Riteish Deshmukh expressed his excitement: “Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the world. Its craze and popularity are unmatched amongst all ages. We are excited to be part of the World Pickleball League which will surely take pickleball to newer heights across India. Our endeavor at Pune United is to champion a team that will inspire players to give their best and couples, families, and communities to come together and embrace this wonderful game and lead healthier and fitter lives.”

Genelia Deshmukh added, “Pune United is serving up a storm. We are excited to be part of the World Pickleball League. Pickleball has the power to unite, inspire, and transform. Our mission at Pune United is simple: to ignite a love for Pickleball that goes beyond the court. We’re committed to fostering a culture of camaraderie, wellness, and fun that will enrich the lives of our players, families, and community.”

“We wanted to bring a global sports franchise to Pune,” said Dr. Sudhir Mehta, Founder & Chairman of EKA Mobility & Pinnacle Industries, “Pune is a young and vibrant city thriving with people from all walks of life, students, entrepreneurs, academicians, young professionals, etc. Pickleball is the perfect sport for today’s times—accessible, healthy, and enjoyable. With Pune United, we envision not just nurturing talent but also cultivating a culture that highlights Pune as a hub for innovation, fitness, and community engagement.”

Ajeenkya D Y Patil, Founder-President, Ajeenkya DY Patil University added: “Through Pune United, we want to connect people of all ages and backgrounds, fostering a sense of belonging and pride. It is an interesting & engaging sport and as a team, Pune United will represent not only the city’s unparalleled potential but also its rich culture and innovative energy.” 

Speaking about its latest addition to the league, Gaurav Natekar, Founder & CEO of WPBL, said, “As a Punekar, I am thrilled to welcome Pune United to the WPBL family. The dynamic consortium of owners, with their diverse backgrounds and shared passion for sports, will undoubtedly create a powerful force and elevate pickleball’s popularity and aspirational value in Pune and beyond. The city’s rich sporting and cultural heritage make it the perfect breeding ground for the sport of Pickleball.”

Pickleball’s growing popularity globally is a testament to its ability to bring people together, promote fitness, and provide pure joy. As part of the World Pickleball League, Pune United is poised to elevate the sport nationally, embracing its essence of inclusivity, community building, and its impact on fitness & well-being. The World Pickleball League begins on January 24th, 2025. 

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These graceful beasts would be participating in six categories, Milk Teeth Filly, Milk Teeth Colt, Two Teeth filly, Two Teeth colt, Mare & Stallion. The best horse in each category shall be selected by the panel of judges and shall be awarded at the end of the show on February 26. Over 100 Marwari Horses from all over the country including the states like Rajasthan, Gujarat, Karnataka, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra are participating in the show. The Marwari Horse Show has historically given equine aficionados in the city a glimpse of the Marwari breed of horses.

Commenting on this show Ajay Nensee, Chairman of the Indigenous Horse Owners Association said, “After the British brought their horses to India this original breed of the soil got neglected. Now with the continued efforts of revival, the Marwari Horse is gaining its desired attention. A lot of Horse Shows of Marwari Horses have taken place in the last 8-9 years and horse lovers are giving more attention to this Indian breed now.”

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Even though the country and the world are packed with tournaments that worse following, the truth is that most Americans think that no one is as exciting as March Madness.

There are many reasons to explain why March Madness is one of the best events. The number of teams, the haste of the games, the new stars, and the approachable betting are among the main ingredients that create the world’s best sports event.

March Madness is an excellent opportunity for sports bettors since they offer quite affordable prices to add spice to the games. So, it is no surprise that many are looking for where to bet on March Madness in USA, considering that we are only 30 days from the beginning of the tournament and predictions are already being published.

Historic facts

March Madness was created 84 years ago in Ohio. One of the beliefs is that Coach Harold Olsen was one of the prominent people responsible for the early days of the tournament.

The main idea at that moment was to reunite the major college basketball teams in a competition to define the national champion.

Aside from the many matches and the fuss of those days, one of the main things during Madness March is the bracket pool contest, where almost ten million people participate.

Since 1969, March Madness has been broadcasted by many channels and fully covered by the leading sports-related media, such as ESPN, prompting millions of Americans to follow the tournament from all over the country and the world.

2023 March Madness schedule

According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) website, the tournament will begin on Sunday, March 12th. The first games will be played in Dayton, Ohio, while the match will end in Houston, Texas.

First Four will be played on March 14th and 15th, the First Round will be on March 26th and 17th, and the Second Round is programmed for March 18th and 19th. Sweet 16 will be on March 23rd and 24th, followed by Elite Eight on March 25th and 26th. Last, the Final Four will be played on April 1st and the NCAA championship game on April 3rd.

Changes brought by the 2023 edition

The next edition of NCAA March Madness will bring some updates that, even though they manage to keep the historical essence of the tournament, get new airs since there is both good news.

First of all, the 2023 tournament will be almost a regular event. After the COVID-19 pandemic severely affected the event, we can announce that the next competition will have no restrictions for the public. At the same time, players and staff will only have to undergo testing.

The second new is that NCAA March Madness has become a more fair tournament because, from now on, it will include the women’s basketball tournament. Previously, only men used the March Madness brand during games, but times are changing, and from now on, ladies will also have the opportunity to include their tournaments.

Two of the greatest moments of March Madness

Below are two of the best moments of March Madness to help us cope with anxiety while we wait for the tournament to start.

One of the tournament’s best moments was in 1983 when the NC State team beat the Houston Cougars in an epic game with an unforgettable comeback in the last 2 seconds, thanks to Lorenzo Charles.

Another magical moment at NCAA March Madness was undoubted during 1987 when Keith Smart won his popularity by throwing a game-winning shot against Syracuse in the last 10 seconds.

Final Thoughts To conclude the NCAA March Madness is one of the best sports events for Americans, not only for basketball fans but also for sports bettors who find this tournament a unique opportunity to have great fun watching the games.

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The program caters to all individuals, from youth development to adult programming. PBI is currently leading the charge of the next-gen talent of Indian tennis with players like Sahaja Yamalapalli, Rishi Reddy, and Shrivalli Bhamidipaty, to name a few. Players like Leander Paes, Andy Roddick, Sanchez Vicario, and Abigail Spears have also been associated with PBI. The launch was co-announced by René Zondag (PBI President), Cesar Morales (PBI India Technical Director), Milos Milunovic (PBI Pune Technical Director), and Gurpavit Singh (Founder, Ileseum Clubs).

Ileseum Clubs, Bavdhan, Pune, is unique, with over 12.5 acres of world-class sports infrastructure. It boasts all the necessary world-class infrastructure requirements to execute a successful PBI program, from multiple courts to training facilities, strength and conditioning facilities, swimming pools, therapy, recovery rooms, and sports science team. PBI and Ileseum clubs have already signed three more Ileseum club locations in Pune with the Solitaire Group. They are exploring expansion into several new club projects in Mumbai, Solapur, and Chennai.

Ileseum clubs work with several international academies and Brand partners. Ileseum hosts international Academy brands like PBI, Gary Kirsten Cricket India, FC Barcelona, Ricky Hatton (boxing), and Michael Phelps Swimming, to several leading Indian sports development brands like Padukone Sports Management for Badminton, Chennaiyan FC, Thane City FC, Padel Tennis Federation, and Pickleball Association of India.

Of this new partnership with Ileseum Clubs, René Zondag, PBI President, said, “I am thrilled that we are entering a new geographic location with Pune, to offer PBI programs to competitive athletes and recreational players. Sport brings people together, and I’m proud to be part of this initiative with Ileseum Clubs. Partnering with Ileseum clubs opens gates to new cities and a class-apart infrastructure. I can’t wait to see this partnership blossom and provide fruitful results to people of all ages.”

Gurpavit Singh, the founder of Ileseum Clubs, stated, “It brings me immense joy to be able to add another feather to our cap. PBI is one of the best academies we could partner with to bring advanced tennis training and workshops. We hope the enhanced level of education, workshops, and infrastructure offering will help us propel the tennis ecosystem in India.”

Ileseum Clubs plans to open over 10 world-class PBI programs in club centers over the next three years and conduct several outreach programs in associate clubs. The intention is to rekindle the joy of playing tennis in India by providing state-of-the-art facilities at prime locations and delivering International standard services at all the facilities. 

PBI currently has over 200 students training under its main high-performance center in Bangalore. With over 1000 parents already engaged with Ileseum Clubs in GLC alone, a robust ecosystem is already in place. Plans include demo sessions for adults and children to experience the PBI coaching methodology on February 11/12, 2023.

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KOLKATTA: LaLiga and Instituto Cervantes unveiled the ‘Spanish-Bengali Football Dictionary’ at the Spain Pavilion, International Kolkata Book Fair. Spain being the Fair’s focus country, the dictionary aims to enable football vocabulary in both languages; boosting content creation, social interactions & movement between fans.

The dictionary was presented by Marti Bassets – Head of Culture at Instituto Cervantes Delhi and Jose Antonio Cachaza – Managing Director LaLiga India with the participation of Sonsoles Ballesteros-Vexenat, Secretary of the Embassy of Spain in India, Prithijit Das – representing AIFF and Aakriti Vohra – LaLiga Global Network Delegate.

Building bridges through Football, the dictionary includes information about LaLiga, Spain, and football in general. Kolkata is India’s football sanctuary, the book will allow fans to better engage with LaLiga; Understand sporting milestones, and football actions, as well as a wide range of football terminology. Additionally, it will also provide a vocabulary for social interactions & provide conversation guidelines for public interactions.

Speaking at the gathering, Jose Antonio Cachaza, Managing Director LaLiga India said, “Our connection with India has greatly increased through a variety of stakeholder engagements. Collaborating on multiple fronts, the dictionary will serve as a celebration and catalyst for future engagements. It is well known that football is an unmovable part of Bengali identity. Through the book, we hope to unite & further strengthen our relationship in the West Bengal region, while continuing to bilaterally grow through football.”

Marti Bassets – Head of Culture at Instituto Cervantes Delhi added, “The bridging of the language barrier is tantamount to open collaboration. Breaking down the language to help our counterparts understand and engage with one another is not only necessary but essential for fruitful bilateral conversations. With both regions being connected through football, it is this unifying measure that will help lay the foundation of connection on which the dictionary will layer.”

Sonsoles Ballesteros-Vexenat, Secretary of the Embassy of Spain in India said, “There is no better place to launch this dictionary than the Spanish pavilion at the ‘International Kolkata Book Fair’. Football is a strong link between Spain and Kolkata. This dictionary created by LaLiga is a useful tool that will strengthen the mutual understanding between our two countries.”

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PUNE: Pawan Singh, Joint Secretary General of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), former coach of the Indian Shooting Team, and the co-founder of the Gun for Glory Shooting Academy, has been re-elected as a member of the Judges Committee of the International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF).

Pune-based Pawan Singh has now been elected to the seven-member Judges Committee of the ISSF for the third consecutive time. The elections for the seven-member Committee took place on January 24 in Munich, Germany.

ISSF President Luciano Rossi stated in her message to Pawan Singh, stated, “You have been elected by the ISSF Council in its meeting dated January 24, 2023, as a member of the ISSF Judges Committee for 2023/2024. Congratulations. On behalf of the ISSF, I thank you in advance for your readiness and your dedication to contribute to the promotion of the Olympic sport”.

“I am extremely proud and honored on my re-election to the ISSF Judges Committee. I am thankful to the members for their goodwill and support,” said Pawan Singh on his re-election.

He was also congratulated by the office-bearers of the Asian Shooting Confederation (ASC).

“Your election is an affirmation of the excellent contribution you have made to the shooting sport. We assure you of our full support and cooperation.,” ASC President Salman AlSabah and ASC Secretary General Eng. Duaij AlOtaibi stated in their message to Pawan Singh.

Pawan Singh had become the first Indian to get elected on this most prestigious and important committee of the ISSF and he had also become the first Indian in shooting sports to be a jury member at the Tokyo Olympics.

The Judges Committee consists of Chairman and 7 members. It is responsible for the uniform application of the shooting rules, provides guidelines for International Judges, prepares and conducts courses for judges and jury members, approves applications for Judge’s licenses, and proposes juries to the executive committee for championships and games. The Committee meets at least once a year and reports to the administrative council of the ISSF.

ISSF Judges Committee:
Briez Ghislaine – Chairman, Johansson Patrick – Member, Michael Christian – Member, Pawan Singh – Member, Xenofontos Kostakis – Member, Cleofas Maria Marcia – Member, Huang Lan – Member and Tegoni Nicola – Member.

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The Moroccan goalkeeper saved three penalties, and Sarabia’s shot went into the woodwork. Bounou repeated the unique record of world championships, not conceding a single goal in a series of 11-meter kicks. The three record holders are:

• Shovkovskyi (Ukraine) – 2006;
• Livakovic (Croatia) – 2022;
• Bounou (Morocco) – 2022.

The main time ended with zeros on the scoreboard. The match turned out to be as dry as possible. The coaches and players knew well that the game was played to the first goal. Everyone was afraid of making a fatal mistake. Therefore, the field goal expectations were among the lowest in this tournament.

In extra time, there were also very few goalscoring moments. Sarabia lost a fantastic chance; the Spaniard hit the bar in the last seconds of the second extra time. By the way, his appearance was timed to the penalty shootout. Sarabia had excellent efficiency – 8 successfully made shots in a row. It is possible to view the statistics of the players on the website of bookmaker St bet. It is necessary to consider all factors to make a correct prediction.

The Yassine Bounou phenomenon

The main hero of the penalty shootout, unexpectedly for many, was Yassine Bounou. This season, the Sevilla goalkeeper is conceding an average of 2 goals per game. Therefore, it is necessary to perform the Stbet apk download to follow club soccer. The bookmaker app has all the essential statistics and matches results. Despite past failures, the Moroccan goalkeeper produced a historical performance in the penalty shootout.

Yassine Bounou managed to keep his gate intact. Thanks to the goalkeeper’s saves, Morocco confidently defeated Spain 3-0 in the penalty shootout. Achraf Hakimi dotted down the quarter-finalists with an 11-meter penalty. It is necessary to download the Stbet apk to install the sports betting app. Following top events from a cell phone or tablet is much more convenient. In terms of functionality, the software is as good as the browser version.

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INDIA: There are several competitions and leagues that bring a large number of players to the World Cup, but after the end of the group stage, and with half of the teams already eliminated, it is LaLiga Santander that remains the league that brings the second most international players to the event in Qatar. 

Thus, with nearly 60 players of different nationalities, who will play in the Last-16 round, LaLiga Santander is only behind the Premier League, and ahead of the other three major European leagues (Bundesliga, Serie A, and Ligue 1).  

The Spanish top flight thus accounts for 22.3% of the players in the European Top 5 for the Last-16 round, who come from 15 different LaLiga Santander clubs.  

It is worth noting that, despite being in second place, LaLiga Santander is the league that has lost the fewest players since the start of the World Cup, with -28.9% of the original volume of players. The league that has lost the most players from its original volume is the Bundesliga (-48%), followed by Serie A (-40%), Ligue 1 (-37%), and finally the Premier League (-31.3%). 

“We are proud that nearly 60 top players from our competition are still in the World Cup at such a crucial time. We have a high level of representation and we are sure that, as the competition progresses, this will be maintained,” said Javier Tebas, President of LaLiga.

This Tuesday, the teams that will advance to the quarter-finals will be decided, with players from the five major European leagues battling it out to be among the four best teams in the world. 

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LaLiga maintains that the creation of a league designed to enrich the biggest clubs and concentrate power among a small number of teams that already dominate European football would also lead to the loss of tens of thousands of jobs and drastically reduce tax revenues for the public purse across the continent. Likewise, the political authorities of the European Union, in this case, the Council of Europe have positioned themselves against the Super League and the European Parliament has defended an open, democratic model based on meritocracy, supported by 87% of the votes.

Javier Tebas, president of LaLiga, at the headquarters of the Spanish Confederation of Business Organisations (CEOE) in Madrid where the KPMG report was presented, stated: “The format they are talking about is very detrimental to the national leagues, so they know that, if they explain it, the opposition to it will remain strong. Let’s hope the Super League doesn’t go ahead because it will destroy the local leagues and their supporters. We cannot allow football to be in the hands of the clubs with the most money, we have to find a balance”.

KPMG’s 2022 expert report estimates an overall revenue loss for LaLiga of up to 55%. Additionally, the loss of value for non-Super League clubs will be up to 64%. Numbers that, as LaLiga determines, are similar to those of other leagues in their proportion.

The domestic leagues account for more than 70% of revenues in European football and are basic components in the economic and sporting ecosystem of European football. The 40 European professional leagues and associations generate total revenue of €25.725 billion with €11 billion in audiovisual rights.

Among LaLiga’s main conclusions, based on the data from the KPMG report, the following should be highlighted:

• The domestic leagues in each country are the engine of the industry, accounting for more than 70% of the value of football in Europe.
• The Super League would destroy Europe’s economic and sporting ecosystem, impacting the distribution of money between European clubs and federations.
• In the short term there will be an economic vacuum from the domestic leagues in favor of the Super League, a model that in the medium term will lead to reduced revenues for its own clubs.
• There is a successful model in Europe with a balanced ecosystem, which has allowed the creation of a large industry that the Super League would completely destroy. Reforms must be made, but the Super League is not the solution.

“We care about the rules of the court and what they say, but what matters most to us is the stability of our industry and if we have to fight for regulations that defend the stability of the European model we will do so. We do not want to be governed by those who have the most assets; we are more than the 20 richest clubs in football. We like models like the ones in Spain, LaLiga, where there is a distribution and we don’t do what the clubs with the most assets have“, Mr.Tebas emphasized at the presentation.

The Super League is proposing the same model as in 2019

In 2019, European football already rejected outright a Super League model with promotion and relegation between European competitions. This model is similar to the semi-closed model currently sought by the Super League. Access to European competitions must be maintained on sporting merit from domestic sporting competitions, otherwise it would mean, among other things, the disappearance of qualification on sporting merit and the disappearance of the chances of all clubs to qualify for European competition. Reforms are needed in Europe, but the Super League, where the big clubs want to decide everything, is not the solution.

The Council of Europe has taken a position against the Super League and the European Parliament has defended an open, democratic, and merit-based model, backed by 87% of the votes.

The Super League would lead to the destruction of LaLiga’s competitive balance and of the football industry

According to an analysis by LaLiga, the Super League would increase revenues by €400m for both Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, who would also maintain their commercial capacity. This also means a 55% loss of revenue for the rest of the LaLiga clubs, by creating a less attractive domestic league and decreasing interest for Spanish fans.

In short, the big clubs will benefit to the detriment of the medium and small clubs. This will increase the gap and the only beneficiaries will be the players of the top clubs, who represent only 5% of the players in LaLiga.

The Super League would also lead to the destruction of the industry: GDP, employment, and taxes. The overall economic impact on broadcasting rights would reduce the relevance of domestic competitions by diluting the talent of top-level teams in local leagues, increasing match congestion, with the possible moving of domestic matches to midweek.

Let’s protect our football.

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INDIA: FIFA World Cup 2022 has caught the imagination of millions across the world. Federal Bank, in its latest campaign named ‘Football Fiesta’, celebrates the spirit of the beautiful game. In connection with this, a video ad has been released with a Football themed version of the bank’s Musical Logo, inspiring the viewers to fulfill their financial goals this football season.  

Say Goal with Federal Bank 

The Bank has also come up with an AR (Augmented Reality) filter on Instagram to add to the cheer. One can take a selfie using Federal Bank’s AR filter on Instagram and see himself/herself in a branded jersey in the middle of a football stadium. The AR filter works on facial recognition and provides an immersive visual treat. As soon as one says, ‘Goal’, the filter pops a confetti blast & celebrates victory. 

The Bank has also announced a contest on social media for the public. Win attractive prizes by trying the AR filter. To participate in the Football Fiesta contest,  

1. Follow Federal Bank on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/federalbanklimited/ 
2. Try the AR face filter https://www.instagram.com/ar/476688071114796/ (Also available at the Bank’s profile page) 
3. Say ‘Goal’ and share your Instagram story 
4. Take a screenshot of your photo and post it on social media, tagging @federalbanklimited with the hashtag #FootballFiesta and win attractive prizes! 

M V S Murthy, Chief Marketing Officer, Federal Bank quoted, “a quasi-immersive experience to be in the game while watching the action from anywhere in the world. At Federal Bank, we try and literally waltz with our customers to understand what spurs them. A lot of learning is human observation and digital interpretation of the experience.” 

Federal Bank has leveraged the season to personalize the game to each individual and inspire the viewers to take steps to fulfill their financial goals. 

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