Category: gaming

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Indian Tigress Ritu Phogat Joins Under Armour’s List Of Elite Athletes

Jul 24, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Managing Director Under Armour India, #Ritu Phogat, #Tushar Goculdas

Chennai: Under Armour, the world’s largest human performance brand has partnered Indian mixed martial arts athlete Ritu Phogat, furthering its mission of engaging, empowering, and inspiring athletes everywhere.

Ritu Phogat joins the brand’s exclusive list of athletes that include Stephen Curry, Tom Brady, Anthony Joshua, Jordan Spieth, Michael Phelps and Dwayne Johnson among others. Popularly known as the Indian Tigress in the MMA fraternity, she comes from a famed wrestling family. She has been training since the age of 8 and has several accolades to her name in her wrestling and MMA career.

Commenting on the partnership, Ritu Phogat said, “I am delighted and honored to join the list of elite athletes who have taken Under Armour’s values and principles to a new generation of athletes. Under Armour’s aim of helping athletes around the globe to put in the work to achieve their goals resonates with the mindset I carried with myself when I entered the ring for the first time. Every product by Under Armour is a quest to build authentic and innovative solutions that enable athletes like me to perform better. I am sure with this association, I would be able to rediscover and expand my limits.”

Talking about the partnership, Tushar Goculdas, Managing Director Under Armour India, said, “From everyday athletes to the world’s best, Under Armour’s equips focused performers to strive and push their limits. Ritu Phogat has excelled in the international arena with her resilience, grit, and determination. We are privileged to contribute in her constant pursuit of performing better with our finest sports gear.”

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Gaming trends from South India: Gaming emerges as a viable career option and a stress buster

Jul 23, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Head, #HP India, #Nitish Singal, #Personal Systems (Consumer)

Over the recent years, online gaming has consistently grown. While this trend has been prominent in India, PC gaming has emerged as a fast-growing segment in the last few years. The HP India Gaming Landscape Report 2021 highlights the growing preference for PC gaming with 88% of gamers surveyed believing that PCs offers a better gaming experience than a smartphone. More importantly, 37% of the surveyed mobile gamers wish to migrate to PC gaming for a better gaming experience. This trend is significantly evident across South India, especially in cities such as Kochi, Bengaluru, Coimbatore, Hyderabad, and Chennai. The report also highlights a growing preference for gaming as a career option, with women showing a stronger affinity towards it.

Enclosed are the key gaming trends observed across South India.

Gaming as a Career Option

In South India, gaming has emerged as a career option with 83% respondents considering gaming as a viable career option. Women lead Men with 84% in expressing a desire to pursue gaming as a career, followed by 82% of male respondents.

Gamers across Coimbatore (94%), Hyderabad (90%) and Kochi (89%) have displayed a higher affinity for gaming as a career option.

Gaming as a stress buster

According to the HP study, 94% respondents across South India agree that gaming helps reduce stress and induce positive feelings. Women are leading this tectonic shift in perceptions around gaming in recent times, calling it out as a key to relieve stress, improve cognitive skills and mental wellbeing.

94% of female respondents believe that gaming is the best source of relaxation and recreation, as compared to male respondents (92%). Additionally, 93% of female respondents believe gaming helps reduce work/ study pressure, as against 92% male respondents. 96% female respondents also feel that gaming helps reduce stress and induces positive feelings, as against 94% male respondents.

As per the survey, Hyderabad (99%), Chennai (97%) and Coimbatore (94%) are more accepting in gaming as a stress reliever.

Nitish Singal, Head, Personal Systems (Consumer), HP India said, ” In the last 18 months, the pandemic has caused lot of stress for us but it’s heartening to see gaming helping people to manage their stress and help them connect with their friends and families remotely. Across demography, users are taking gaming more seriously and considering it as a viable professional avenue. We’re excited to see this positive sentiment for PC gaming industry and believe we are at an interesting growth phase for the PC market in India.”

Consumer purchasing trends for PCs- Gamers in South India spend more on a gaming pc than rest of India
The survey report reveals 52% gamers from South India are willing to invest more than Rs 1 Lakh in a Gaming PC. Interestingly, Women (61%) in South India lead over men (49%) to spend in their preference of buying a PC costing over a Lakh.

Gamers from Kochi and Bengaluru are most willing to spend above INR 1,00,000; whereas gamers from Chennai, Hyderabad, and Coimbatore prefer spending between INR 50,000- INR 1,00,000 on gaming PCs.

Gaming as a socializing tool

In the age of social distancing, gaming has in fact, provided an engaging distraction for people seeking social interaction. 93% Respondents believe that gaming helps in socializing with peers in the community and make new friends.

The survey unfolds how Tier-II South cities more accepting in gaming as a socializing tool than Bengaluru (88%) and Chennai (92).

The HP India Gaming Landscape Report 2021 establishes PC gaming as a mainstream activity in South India and underscores the role of a PC in society, especially during the pandemic. Not only is it a preferred tool for enhancing social connect and relieving stress, but also as a viable career option.

Methodology

In total, 1,500 respondents completed the survey between March and April 2021, across 25 Metros, Tier-1, and Tier-2 cities across India. Interviews were conducted with a mix of male (72%) and female (28%) respondents between the ages of 15-40 years, representing SEC A1, A2 and B1 segments. All respondents were PC and/or mobile phone users, comprising action and adventure games on PCs and smartphones.

 

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Cheer for the Indian Olympics contingent with News18 India’s Jeeto India

Jul 22, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments

New Delhi: Amidst the global pandemic, the Tokyo Olympics will be like no other with sombre celebrations and no spectators. Committed to bring all the major world events for their viewers, News18 India has announced Jeeto India, special programming capturing all the action and updates right from the ground zero. The programming aims to build up the excitement and cheer the country’s athletes as they compete at the biggest global stage. Incidentally India has sent its largest contingent ever to the Olympics this time.

On July 23, News18 India will telecast a live preview show with eminent sports persons, journalists and experts who will share insights on the events featuring Indian athletes and their chances of winning at the Games. Hosted by News18 India’s top anchors Anand Narasimhan and Amrit Anand, the show will also feature renowned personalities such as Sakshi Malik, Yogeshwer Dutt, Malay Nirav to name a few. Further, each day through the course of the competition, the programming will bring news on performance of the athletes, their journey and other records being created at the biggest sporting event in the world.

Watch Jeeto India 3: 30 PM Onwards on 23rd July and daily special coverage from 24th July onwards only on News18 India

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Hero Lectro Cargo Dedicates #CelebratingSkilledYouthofIndia Campaign to Delivery Agents on World Youth Skills Day

Jul 19, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Hero Lectro Cargo President and CEO, #Mr. Partha Choudhary

Hero Lectro Cargo Logo

New Delhi: The last-mile delivery sector has emerged as one of the fastest-growing categories during the pandemic. The delivery agents were amongst the front-line workers who continued to work to provide us with the essentials. On the occasion of World Youth Skills Day, Hero Lectro Cargo E-Bikes has launched #CelebratingSkilledYouthofIndia, a social media campaign that salutes the indomitable spirit of the front-line workers and offers those tips & hacks to continue their good work while the nation unlocks. Keeping up with the theme of this year – Building a resilient & creative workforce of the future, the 3-day long campaign comprises short videos of useful tips and hacks the last-mile workers could use to increase their productivity & chances of getting positive ratings from happy customers.

The campaign started on 13th July and will culminate on 15th July, the day observed as the World Youth Skills Day. Right from how to deliver orders on time to how to keep them safe from COVID-19 during and after work, the solution-oriented videos bring together essential but handy tips to follow.

While the first video showcases a set of tips that help delivery boys get positive ratings from customers, another video gives tips for enhancing their delivery skills. The last video acknowledges the delivery agents’ resilient spirit & encourages them to learn in-demand skills to enable their growth during the pandemic and implement them for smart, safe and timely deliveries.

“When the world came to a standstill due to the pandemic, it was the service of these delivery agents that made our life easy. They were out for work at a time when people moved indoors for safety. They overcame the challenges of the pandemic, and delivered orders safely and timely which let us live sitting at the safety of our homes. We salute their grit and determination for serving us and the nation during these challenging times. The campaign is a tribute to their hard work and provides them with quick and easy solutions that will enhance their existing skill sets and help them increase earnings,” says Mr. Partha Choudhary, Hero Lectro Cargo President and CEO.

World Youth Skills Day is celebrated on 15th July every year by the United Nation to pay tribute to the resilience and inspiration of youth globally. The theme this year is, “Building a resilient & creative workforce of the future” that celebrates the resilience and creativity of youth throughout the crisis and the Hero Lectro Cargo campaign is aligned with this thematic emphasis.

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The continuing popularity of Doordarshan in Sports

Jul 19, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Bhairav Shanth, #CEO of ITW MWORX, #Co-founder and MD of ITW Consultancy Pvt Ltd, #Nikhil Vyas

The continuing popularity of Doordarshan in Sports

Bengaluru-Cricket in India has been an integral part of the most of its population’s lifestyle. It has been the way for decades, thanks in part to India’s national broadcaster – Doordarshan. And while the game’s broadcast has moved on to other channels since, every time Team India is in action, DD Sports still plays a crucial role.

Though Doordarshan accounts to only 14% of the cricket audience of the country, 4 out of the 5 views in that comes from rural parts.

It helps the game (and consequently brands and advertisers) reach a mass population in the areas where the other major broadcasters have not made proper inroads yet.

Take the case of India’s tour to Sri Lanka whose six games (3ODIs and 3T20Is) will all be on DD Sports along with channels of the Sony Sports Network.

Nearly a dozen brands have signed up with DD Sports as broadcast partners and sponsors for the series. These include Co-Presenting Sponsors Myfab11, Mountain Dew, Ultratech Cement, Indira IVF, Ghadi Detergent, Fogg Deo and Associate Sponsors Nilons, Omni Gel, Cycle Incense sticks, Pepsi, and Glori Soap.

Says Nikhil Vyas, CEO of ITW MWORX, which is the ad sales partner for DD Sports: “Advertisers realized that India cricket on DD Sports is a very effective and efficient medium to reach out to an audience size of 40M households in tier 2,3 and smaller towns. The reach of the platform is unmatched which makes it a regular media vehicle for the agencies and clients in the media plans.”

Bhairav Shanth, Co-founder and MD of ITW Consultancy Pvt Ltd, also echoed the same sentiments as to why DD Sports remains a viable and even vital component of a broader cricket media plan for brands associated with the sport. “Our research shows that 1 in 7 viewers in India watch cricket on the national broadcaster and 4 out of 5 of those viewers are from the rural areas. It’s the perfect complement to the more urban audiences that cable and OTT platforms reach.” he said.

ITW is also the official in stadia advertising rights holder as well as markets the Hybrid on air features advertising on Sony Sports network.

Though more of the population will have access to paid broadcasters or major OTT platforms in the coming years, Doordarshan’s feed will still continue to entertain a huge chunk of the rural areas of the country. And the level of brand interest in the India-Sri Lanka series is ample proof of its viability and importance.

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Gamers rejoice at AOC’s Flex week hosted in collaboration with Red Bull Flick

Jul 17, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Atul Jasra, #Business Head India AOC Monitors, #Mr

New Delhi: Globally renowned AOC brand of Monitors belonging to TPV Group, one of the biggest manufacturers of Display Products has announced its collaboration with Red Bull Flick, the ultimate 2v2 CS:GO tournament, national finals of which are taking place this weekend. A week-long celebration is current taking place via a contest called the AOC Flex Week. This contest is running on all AOC India social media platforms from 12th July, 2021 to 17th July, 2021.

TPV Technology India has been a major player in Indian Monitor Market, since its inception in 2001. TheGamers rejoice at AOC’s Flex week hosted in collaboration with Red Bull Flick organisation offers a wide range of Monitors across all user segments including Gaming Monitors of various sizes with optimal solutions for hard core gamers as well as entry level gamers.

AOC gaming monitors comes with innovative features like Free Sync Technology, faster refresh rates and response time, Game color, Dial Point, Low Blue mode and curved panels that allow significantly better gameplay performances. These monitors are a perfect combination of comfort and exquisite design, keeping the users engaged in an ultra-fast, lag free gaming experience.

With an aim to acknowledge gamers that represent the epitome of expertise in CS: GO, the AOC Flex Week has lined up a series of trivia quizzes and contests where participants can flex their skills and win big. The series of quizzes and contests test expert skills and know-how, including testing out their reaction time and attention to detail of the CS: GO gameplay. The trivia quizzes include “Fact or False” series that present the participants with various aspects of the game, and require them to rely on their game experience to give the correct answers to win prizes.

A utopia for all gamers, the AOC Flex week concludes with players reminiscing their favorite CS: GO moments & sharing it on AOC India social media pages. One lucky participant stands to win the AOC 24G2U monitor, which comes with Full HD IPS Panel and has a refresh rate of 144 Hz at the culmination of the AOC Flex Week.

AOC is also planning to introduce their G Line Curved Gaming Monitor with165Hz refresh rate, for professional gamers in India soon. AOC gaming monitors are available on amazon.com and across leading offline retailers.

Speaking about the association, Mr, Atul Jasra, Business Head India AOC Monitors said “We are very excited about the AOC Flex Week, in association with our partners Red Bull to bring a week-long event that recognizes and celebrates the spirit behind the CS:GO gaming community. AOC recognizes the tactical knowledge and the reflexes that go behind a game like CS:GO and celebrates the great deal of efforts that gamers invest in the entire experience. The AOC gaming monitors are built with precise attention to features like faster refresh rate and response time that help gamers showcase their best gameplay. We hope to bring the whole community together for this event, and provide a platform that understands and rewards these gamers.”

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Vedanta’s SFA continues player development through E- Mentorship programs

Jul 10, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments

Goa: Vedanta sports continues football development initiatives through two major projects that is Sesa Football Academy (SFA) at Goa and Zinc Football Academy (ZFA) at Rajasthan. Recently an interactive session was organised with former Liverpool FC Academy coach and former North-East United FC coach, Mr.Gerard Nus, for the players of both the academies, through virtual platform. Mr. Annanya Agarwal, President, Vedanta sports was also present for the session along with the coaches & support staff of both the academies. The session was organised in order to provide the better exposure opportunities and to provide knowledge about advance football techniques to the players, particularly when on ground training sessions are hampered due to COVID. However SFA is continuously working towards development & training of the players through virtual platform, wherein SFA Coaches are periodically engaging with all academy players through E- Mentorship programs.

Mr.Gerard Nus,former North-East United FC coach, applauded the state-of-the-art infrastructure and facilities at SFA and ZFA while he urged the young footballers to make the most out of it. Gerard highlighted the most important attributes for the player’s success like hunger, passion and desire, which are extremely vital for the successful journey of the player.

Speaking during the virtual interactive session Mr.Annanya Agarwal, President, Vedanta Sports said “Interacting with a stalwart like Gerard is a wonderful learning opportunity for our players from SFA & ZFA. At Vedanta Sports, we are committed to honing sports talents across the country through our robust grassroot training programs. During this unprecedented situation posed due to COVID, our team is working to ensure uninterrupted player development using various virtual platforms & online tools.”
Arjuna Awardee, Mr.Brahmanand Sankhwalkar, Chairman GFDC applauded this virtual interaction program and quoted” I appreciate Sesa Football Academy and Zinc Football Academy for contributing to the Indian Football through grassroots training programs, which is extremely vital for grooming the talents. I also urge all the emerging footballers to work dedicatedly and ensure focused efforts to achieve the greater heights in football arena”

Sesa Football Academy has a rich legacy of over 21 years in development of Football. Over 225+ footballers are groomed through SFA residential academies in Goa and are shining at prestigious footballing platforms across the country. Vedanta also launched Vedanta Women’s Football League in collaboration with Goa Football Association which is gaining huge popularity. Recently 4th Edition of Vedanta Women’s League concluded successfully, wherein few talented women footballers from all editions of the league are shining at prestigious football platforms.

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Sportz Village’s Active Club Ensures that Children can Play Anytime Anywhere and Remain Fit During the Pandemic

Jul 5, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Co-founder and Group CEO, #Saumil Majmudar, #Sportz Village

Active ClubMumbai – Sportz Village, World’s No. 1 youth sports organization on a mission to get 100 million kids to play, ensures that children remain active and fit during the pandemic, through Active Club- A special virtual program targeted at children between the ages of 4 to 19 years. Close to 40,000 children have used the Active Club platform to get active and healthy.

Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic as well as with continuous lockdowns, children are spending more time at home as schools remain shut. Covid or No Covid, physical activity and play are imperative for a child’s holistic development. Therefore, there is a requirement to make home a child’s new playground.

With the ongoing covid crisis in the country, Sportz Village was quick to adapt to the digital world and come up with a virtual program called Active Club for children between the ages of 4 to 19 years in 2020.

Benefits of Active Club Program:
• Better Physical Health
• Better Mental Health
• Opportunity to Interact with Peers

The program intends to include sports and fitness as a part of a child’s daily routine. The program not only ensures that children get to play and have fun but also lays a foundation towards their sports journey. The instructor-led program revolves around getting children and parents to subscribe to different online training modules wherein certified trainers would train the children on various age-appropriate, sports-specific fitness activities. Moreover, since the child would be performing the physical activities at a particular distance from the screen, the probability of straining one’s eyes is reduced.

Customized activities around martial arts, yoga and general fitness were well-received by children with Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Pune being the most active cities.

Speaking about the Active Club program, Saumil Majmudar, Co-founder and Group CEO, Sportz Village said, “With an aim to revolutionize the way fitness and sports can be implemented in a child’s routine, we were quick to adapt to the new normal and conceptualize the idea of Active Club. We had an overwhelming response in the past year and hope to reach more children through our program. Holistic development of children has been the prime focus for Sportz Village and though Active Club we have tried to ensure that children stay active, healthy, and happy during these difficult times.”

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Sony Pictures Sports Network to air India’s Quest for Gold with Kiren Rijiju

Jul 5, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments

 

Chennai: As the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 gathers momentum with only 20 days to the start of one of the most prestigious events in the globe, Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN), along with many luminaries from diverse fields, undertakes a ‘Best Wishes Initiative’ to rally the support of the nation for the Indian contingent.

SPSN has collaborated with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports as well as eminent personalities and joining the brigade are Shri Kiren Rijiju, Hon’ble Minister of State (I/C) Youth Affairs and Sports, General Bipin Rawat, Chief of Defence Staff and Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee and Mr. N.P. Singh, MD & CEO, Sony Pictures Networks India, along with Rana Daggubati, Anupam Kher, Yuvraj Singh, Boman Irani, Farhan Akhtar, Sonakshi Sinha , Johnny Lever, Ali Fazal, Adille Sumariwala, Arshad Warsi, Pullela Gopichand, Vijender Singh, Anjali Bhagwat, Parth Jindal, Harsha Bhogle, Sudha Murthy, Shankar Mahadevan, Anurag Basu, and many more to catalyze the Olympics momentum in the nation for the landmark event.

SPSN has put together a series of ‘Hum Honge Kamyab’ films on air and on their social media platforms which have been led by these eminent personalities sending their best wishes to the Indian contingent for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. The ‘Hum Honge Kamyab’ campaign has been conceptualized and created in-house by the SPSN team.

SPSN will launch ‘India’s Quest for Gold with Kiren Rijiju’, a special interview with the MoS (I/C) Youth Affairs and Sports. Hosted by anchor, Ridhima Pathak, the honorable minister talks about the impact of the pandemic, athletes preparing through online training in the past year, TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme) with Junior TOPS and the Indian sporting, the viability of hosting the Olympic Games in the future, the 2026 Youth Olympics, his favorite Olympic moment, the role of Sony Pictures Networks in supporting the Olympic movement and much more.

Watch India’s quest for Gold with Kiren Rijiju starting July 3, 2021 from 6.30 pm (IST) on SONY SIX and SONY TEN 3 channels

To celebrate our heroes traveling to Tokyo, SPSN has produced a 7- episode series titled ‘The Torchbearers’, showcasing known and unknown stories of our Olympians. The episodes will feature athletes revisiting their journey to secure their place at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and will encompass all the facets of an athlete’s life: from their initial days, their training regimen, and their path to glory. The Torchbearers will feature athletes like Neeraj Chopra, Bhavani Devi, Manu Bhaker, Abhishek Verma, Tejinder Toor, and many more in a tell all for the viewers who will soon get to see them wave India’s flag at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

Watch the 7-episode series titled “The Torchbearers” every Friday, Saturday and Sunday starting July 9, 2021 from 12.30 pm (IST) on SONY SIX, SONY TEN 1 and SONY TEN 3 channels

Aiming to engage with fans on a deeper level and create excitement among them, SPSN will also launch a mega contest ‘SONY TEN MEDAL OF GLORY’ starting July 3, 2021. The contest will be launched by Hon’ble Minister of State (I/C) Youth Affairs and Sports, Shri Kiren Rijiju. The contest will feature 20 questions across 20 days, leading to the start of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, generating conversations among the Olympics fan community as well as gratify the select few winners.

SPSN is leaving no stone unturned to ensure the country is aware about its athletes who are representing the country. As athletes prepare for the landmark event, SPSN aims to invoke a sense of national pride and bring the country together, as well as motivate the Indian contingent.

Comments:

Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports:

“I am very happy that as official broadcasters of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, Sony Pictures Networks India, has created specialized programming to support and motivate Indian athletes. The Hum Honge Kamyab campaign is a wonderful initiative to galvanize icons from all walks of life to rally behind the Indian contingent. The Government of India has also launched the #Cheer4India campaign envisioned by Honourable PM Shri. Narendra Modi, through which we are conducting various activities across the country to create awareness about our athletes and to garner support for them. With the combined effort of all stakeholders I am sure that as a nation we will be able to create an atmosphere of enthusiasm that will truly energise our athletes to give their best at Tokyo.”

N.P. Singh, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Sony Pictures Networks India:

“The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is one of the biggest sporting events across the globe and while every Indian knows about the stature of the tournament, few are aware about the athletes who represent our country. We are delighted that our campaign, ‘Hum Honge Kamyab’ has received such an overwhelming response. Our attempt is to convey our best wishes to the Indian contingent and are looking forward to a splendid performance at Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.”

Watch the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 from July 23, 2021 to August 8, 2021 LIVE on SONY TEN 1, SONY TEN 2, SONY TEN 3, SONY TEN 4 and SONY SIX channels

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Hyderabad Football Club releases their new series ‘The HFC Man’

Jul 5, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments

HFC logo

Hyderabad: To connect with the modern fans, Hyderabad FC brings yet another original series, this time in form of 30 sec short video content in a fresh and unique way. After the launch of their first docu-series ‘Future Is Us’ which is an ode to the club’s journey, Hyderabad FC is now geared up to release their new production ‘The HFC Man’.

HFC Man is a series that will give an interesting twist to the latest news regarding their favourite club. HFC’s Instagram handle released the intriguing teaser of the HFC man which has garnered the attention of various entertainment buffs and sports fans alike. Taking on from the popularity of Chellam Sir played by Veteran actor Uday Mahesh from the latest amazon prime series, HFC has created their very own Chichaa who has all confidential information regarding the latest player signings, club news and announcements in an unconventional way through a 8 episode micro series. This technique of sharing transfer news and announcements regarding the Club’s upcoming season has never been tried before in football and opens up a trend for others to follow

To make it more interactive, there will be rewards for the fans who are able to guess the announcement using the clues given by Chichaa.