Tag: Sports

JAIN International Residential School Hosts “Tarang and Champions 2024” Interschool Cultural and Sports Fest

Bengaluru; 2 December 2024: JAIN International Residential School (JIRS) proudly hosted the much-anticipated Interschool Cultural and Sports Fest, “Tarang and Champions 2024,” on November 26th and 28th, 2024, at the Jain Global Campus in Bengaluru. The event, which drew participation from numerous schools, showcased a dazzling blend of cultural, artistic, and athletic talents.

The fest commenced with a grand opening ceremony that left the audience spellbound. Mesmerizing cultural dance performances set the stage for an unforgettable event, highlighting the rich cultural heritage and artistic flair of the participants. The atmosphere was electric, filled with the anticipation of the vibrant fusion of performing and fine arts, alongside tech-savvy challenges.

JAIN International Residential School Hosts "Tarang and Champions 2024" Interschool Cultural and Sports Fest

Tarang 2024 featured an array of creative competitions where students had the opportunity to unlock their potential and showcase their talents. Notable events included:

  • Chitra Spardha: Every stroke tells a story, as young artists brought their visions to life on canvas.
  • En Plein Air: A celebration of outdoor painting where water met color, and creativity came to life.
  • Acting Arena: A theatrical extravaganza where every gesture spoke volumes and every word resonated deeply.
  • AD-O-Mania: A platform for innovative minds where crazy ideas turned into winning advertisements.
  • Legacy Melodies: Harmonies united as voices soared, creating musical magic.
  • Binary Bizzaro: A fast-paced coding challenge where participants had to think swiftly and code even faster.

On the sports front, “Champions 2024” brought the spirit of sportsmanship to life. The event saw intense competition across various sports, including:

  • Cricket: Nail-biting matches that kept the audience on the edge of their seats.
  • Basketball: Thrilling shots and high-flying dunks showcased the athletic prowess of the players.
  • Football: Electrifying goals and skillful play captivated football enthusiasts.
  • Swimming: Swift strokes and impressive techniques highlighted the swimmers’ dedication and training.
  • Table Tennis: Dynamic rallies and quick reflexes made for an exciting spectacle.

The fest concluded with a grand award ceremony, celebrating the achievements of the winners in style. Trophies and medals were awarded to the champions, honoring their hard work, dedication, and outstanding performances.

“Tarang and Champions 2024” at JIRS was more than just a competition; it was a celebration of talent, creativity, and sportsmanship. The event fostered camaraderie and provided a platform for students to shine, leaving everyone eagerly anticipating the next edition.

Hästens and world-class tennis champion Maria Sharapova partner to launch Sleep to Perform - a talent program aimed at supporting the next generation of leaders 2

Hästens and world-class tennis champion Maria Sharapova partner to launch Sleep to Perform – a talent program aimed at supporting the next generation of leaders

(Photo By Jordan Anthony Magtoto)

For over 170 years, Hästens has been dedicated to delivering extraordinary sleep experiences, enhancing people’s lives with exceptional awake time, and contributing to making the world a better, more peaceful, more joyful, and loving place. To further this mission, the world’s leading bed brand is teaming up with celebrated athlete and entrepreneur Maria Sharapova to launch the Sleep to Perform talent program with five selected talents across Culinary Arts, Fashion, Sports, and Visual Arts. Throughout her prolific tennis career, Sharapova understood how important it was to calibrate all aspects of performance in order to win on the court and, in partnership with Hästens, wants to ensure that emerging leaders benefit from the best possible sleep in their own pursuits of excellence.

Sharapova is a world-class tennis champion who won five Grand Slam Titles, an Olympic medal, and over 30 WTA events throughout her illustrious career. Her on-court success led to a trailblazing career in business; Sharapova became an entrepreneur early in her career, partnering and investing in a variety of companies while still in her playing days. Since retiring from professional tennis in 2020, Sharapova has focused her energy on sharing the lessons she learned and expertise she garnered throughout her 20+ year on-court career to help others achieve elite performance in their own lives. A visionary leader and a respected guide, Sharapova hopes to be a wellspring of motivation for new leaders through this program and partnership with Hästens.

Hästens and Sharapova will join forces to inspire and support a handpicked group of talents within a range of fields by providing them with the opportunity and support to feel and perform their best each day to grow their future potential. The program is founded and built on the notion that quality sleep helps people create the life they dream of upon waking, by providing benefits to both the body as well as the soul. Maria has insightfully reflected on these important synergies herself as a dedicated Hästens customer for many years.

“My love for Hästens goes back to 2004 when I went to the store in Los Angeles with my first big paycheck from a tournament I won. I had the most amazing experience. It was quite an investment at the time for me, but nonetheless, I still sleep on that bed to this day, so it shows how much love I have for Hästens beds and passion and history. I am fascinated by the process of how beds are made because of the exceptional quality that it represents.”

“Sleep is essential to performance regardless of industry or where people may be in their careers. My first big purchase after a tournament win was a Hästens mattress and even though it was an investment, it was one of the most important purchases of my career. As I focus my post-playing career on helping others achieve elite performance in their lives, I wanted to partner with Hästens to help broaden the way we think about performance with the understanding of how vital sleep is to everyone in every industry.”

Jan Ryde, fifth-generation owner, CEO of Hästens, and author of the international bestseller When Business Is Love, said there is a great alignment between Sharapova and Hästens: “At Hästens, we are on a mission to make the world a better place and make people’s lives better by providing the best beds and adjacent products for sleep. Collaborating with Maria Sharapova on the Sleep to Perform program is an amazing opportunity for everyone involved. Her unwavering dedication to excellence and performance perfectly aligns with our values and vision. We are excited to support these talented individuals and showcase the profound impact of quality sleep on achieving one’s full potential.”

The Sleep to Perform program will begin this Autumn, with Hästens providing products and support to the selected talents. Follow their journey to see how quality sleep enhances their performance and creativity.

Meet the Talent

The program will support the following talents:

Culinary Arts:

Flynn McGarry: an American chef based in New York City. He is known for being a young restaurant owner in Manhattan, opening a successful restaurant named Gem at the tender age of nineteen.

Visual Arts:

Emma Webster: a British-American painter. She refabricates nature from still life models and scenographic studies using VR technology.

Ian Padgham: a California-born, France-based artist who is a prominent figure in the world of social media art, renowned for his creative use of platforms like Vine and Instagram. His work merges traditional artistry with modern technology, resulting in a unique and engaging digital art form.

Sports:

Jamie Chadwick: a British racing driver who races for Andretti Global in Indy NXT and the first woman to win an ‪Indy NXT race since 2010. She is also a development driver for the Williams Formula One team.

Fashion:

Priya Ahluwalia: a designer and founder of the multi award-winning label Ahluwalia. Ahluwalia represents the intersection between near and far, past and present, taking elements of her dual Indian-Nigerian heritage and London roots.

About Hästens

Hästens is dedicated to delivering extraordinary sleep to people worldwide so they can be their best and create the future they dream of upon waking. That’s why our master craftsmen in Köping, Sweden, consider and handcraft every detail of our bespoke beds using the finest natural materials.

Our story started in 1852, and we are proud to be a world-class international family-run business operating in over 45 countries and a Purveyor to the Royal Court of Sweden. We have over 250 independent resellers in Europe, Asia, America, and Africa and continue to enter new markets.

A VISITOR SEEN HAVING A BICYCLE RIDE IN A STALL IN THE BACKDROP OF THE MARATHON MANNEQUINS

The 7th edition of SportExpo India 2024 kicked off at Hitex

Be fit and keep the lifestyle diseases and doctors away: Film star and director Srinivas Avasarala

Hyderabad, August 23, 2024……Hitex is organizing the 7th Edition of SportExpo India 2024 for two days on August 23rd and 24th at Hitex, Madhapur in the city.

The two-day expo was inaugurated by Mr. Srinivas Avasarala – Director & Actor; Mr. Vishwaraj Mohan – Decathlon; Mr. Jayapal Reddy – Executive Director, NMDC; Mr. Aditya Reddy – Buddy Bashl Mr. Srikanth T.G, Business Head, Hitex Business Center.

Speaking on the occasion the film star and director Srinivas Avasarala said, my fitness mantra is to go to the gym as soon as I get up from bed, but never do. By visiting the Sports Expo and seeing many fitness freaks, I am now motivated and doubly charged to get back to fitness, which I skipped after COVID-19.

It is very important to have an active lifestyle. And my message to people is that your body is a very important thing in life. Be fit and take care of it. It is better to be fit rather than regret later, the film star added. Be fit and keep the lifestyle diseases and doctors away, he added.

The expo is a B2C platform that unites leading brands and exhibitors from diverse segments of the sports, fitness, nutrition, and wellness industry. It has 55 exhibitors informed TS Srikanth, Business Head of Hitex.

A snapshot of Sports Expo at Hitex

NMDC Hyderabad Marathon 2024 powered by IDFC FIRST Bank, India’s second-largest marathon and a World Athletics Label Race is a Marathon partner of SportExpo.

SportExpo India 2O24 brings a holistic approach to mainly emphasize sports and fitness as a profitable industry as well as an avenue for health and wellness, added Srikanth.

Gamology, a fun gaming zone, was one of the attractions at the Expo. It has a lot of engaging and funny games. Our games elevate the gaming experience of any social gatherings, corporate events, get-togethers said Ayyappa Chakilam. Our games are fun, stress-busters, and ideal for parties, corporate events, educational institutions events, and gatherings. Some of the interesting and out-of-the-ordinary games include Fintastic Fish, TossBoss, ShiftSwift, ShuttleShowdown; BalanceBattle; RollingRumble; Knockdown King, CoinChaos; QuadMad; TwistyEscape, and others.

The Hyderabad Runners Society (HRS), India’s first institutionalized running group will be organizing 5K- a “Curtain Raiser” of the 13th Edition of the NMDC Hyderabad Marathon powered by IDFC FIRST Bank on Saturday at 7 am.

Mr Aditya Reddy of Buddy Bash who is supporting the expo said ‘We make things that help people engage with life and loved ones– through leisure games and play.

Buddy Bash, Decathlon, Hyderabad Runners, and Community are some of the partners of the expo.

Times Group Enters New Age Sports – Pickleball

Hyderabad/New Delhi, March 5, 2024: Pickleball, which is billed as the fastest-growing modern sport, will soon have a new superstar league- the Pickleball World Series. The Times Group –the news and entertainment leader in India — is partnering with Pickleball Asia to start this exciting new series on a global stage. The Pickleball World Series will start in the United States and travel across different continents with six major events in a year.

Pickleball –which has become a worldwide sensation in a very short period of time— is a fusion of tennis, table tennis and badminton. Its accessible gameplay has attracted enthusiasts of all age groups across the globe as well as sports stars and celebrities including champions from these three racquet sports,

While there are several existing competitions and leagues in the US, the Pickleball World Series will be the first tournament with global ambitions and will also have a significantly enhanced entertainment quotient. In the first year, the Pickleball World Series will comprise of 64 players in the individual format and six teams comprising four players each, from the US and the rest of the world, including India – which is the rising hotspot for Pickleball.

Times Group Managing Director Vineet Jain states: “Pickleball is gaining ground as the game for urban sports enthusiasts. Times Group is known for its innovation and ability to be ahead of the curve in every one of its initiatives and we hope that this effort to take the fastest growing modern sport to the next level will inspire its exponential growth all over the world including in India. I personally believe that in five to seven years, Pickleball will overtake Tennis in terms of participation.”

Times Group CEO, New Media and Investments, N Subramanian adds: “Rapidly accelerating participation and increasing fandom is driving the popularity of many innovative sports globally. That is the opportunity we spotted in Pickleball, an exciting sport that is being enjoyed by millions the world over. Powered by passion and fueled by competition, this fun and immersive sport has won over the hearts of Gen Z and Millennials, making it a natural choice for our partnership and an important addition to our portfolio of strong brands. The Pickleball World Series, our marquee event, will provide a unique platform to bring out the best in players and teams, for fans to enjoy and support their favourites, and for brands to engage and interact with these audiences.”

Pranav Kohli of Pickleball Asia says: “The Pickleball player community is now 60 million strong worldwide and is growing steadily. We could not have found a better partner, anchor and investor than the Times Group –which brings us many positives that will swiftly move the needle of growth. That is a big gain for the sport and the Series.”

Outlining details, he said: “Pickleball World Series will embody the spirit of the Pickleball community and aim to provide action-packed competition along with scintillating entertainment built around the game. Starting in the US, the Pickleball World Series will travel across different continents with six major events. The Series will be supported by Pickleball World Rankings, a one-of-a-kind ranking system that allows players to accumulate points and qualify for the Pickleball World Series. We expect this will enable Pickleball stars to rise from different corners of the world and not just from the US.”

Pranav Kohli is a fourth-generation entrepreneur associated with the legacy brand “Stag” – which is popular as the makers of table tennis gear across the globe—as well as Pickleball Asia and Pickleball United. In his short time as CEO, Pickleball United has become one of the top infrastructure providers for Pickleball in the US and is associated with major events both in the US (eg Pickleball Slam, US Indoor National Championships, US Open, etc), as well as in other territories like the English Open, Bainbridge Cup, etc.

Foot Ball Match

Super Sports Park launched for the sports lovers

A renowned shopping and entertainment destination at Sector 21 Dwarka, Pacific Mall has started a Super Sports Park for the sports-loving visitors of Dwarka and attachment areas. The newly launched initiative kickstarted with a football match (Freekick Football Arena) between Paschim Heroes and Dynamic Football Club. Paschim Heroes won the by 6–2; the next match will soon be played between the New Friends Club and Paschim Heroes. Apart from football and cricket, people can play other sports also in the park.

Mr. Abhishek Bansal, Executive Director Pacific Group said, “On the occasion of the auspicious occasion of Diwali which is drawing near, Pacific Mall is gifting this park to all the sports-loving visitors. We hope that everyone will appreciate our effort. In the modern world of iPhones and laptops, the importance of sports is more relevant than ever. Competitive physical exercise doesn’t only motivate children and adults to get outside and keep fit, but it also instils important values.”

25-year-old Gaurav, who lives in Dwarka, says, “Now we have got a nice and safe environment to play on weekends, for which we are thankful to the Pacific Mall.”

sports

Sportz Village Xp steadily unlocks sports for consumer engagement

Sports are a major contributor to economic and social development. The onset of Covid-19 pandemic, as we know, has led to lockdowns of businesses, schools, public spaces etc., further leading to disruption of many regular aspects of life, including sports and physical activity. Consequently, brands that believed in experiential sports as a medium to connect with consumers were left with no option to engage consumers physically. Sportz Village Xp, the pioneer of Experiential Sports Marketing that specializes in school contact programs designed to meet brand’s consumer connect goals, configured new ways to engage kids through ‘Phygital’ means.

Saumil Majmudar, Co-Founder, CEO and Managing Director of Sportz Village says, “There is a pent-up need in consumers for playing after all the restrictions recently. And so, with all the appropriate safety protocols being followed, sports programs will see a restart as consumers focus on health and immunity through physical activity/play/sports. These programs will be a combination of Digital and Physical – Phygital – hence providing the right balance of safety and scale. In the near term, Home will be the New Playground”.

Sportz Village Xp and group company Sportz Village have successfully designed and implemented various Phygital programs to keep kids active during the lockdown, like Home Games, Play At Home as well as Active Club which is a subscription-based online training platform for physical education and sports.

With the Unlock 5.0 taking place and markets gradually opening up, people are cautiously stepping out into the new normal. Saumil continues, “Brands will be eager to re-engage with consumers after the lockdown and they will naturally go towards engagement models that ensure consumers see them in a positive and uplifting context. And experiential sports programs, Digital and Physical, with all the safety norms and standards, provide the deep engagement they need to reconnect with their consumers.”

Sportz Village Xp offers great sports experiences by providing PAN India participation opportunities across multiple sports. Its areas of expertise include Experiential Sports Marketing – helping brands achieve their marketing goals through amateur sports programs; Grassroot Sports Development and School Contact Programs – enabling millions of kids to experience the magic of sports; and Government sports programs – providing execution & network support to large-scale government sports initiatives.

Over the years, this business vertical has been responsible for the execution of well-recognized large-scale events and programs like Mumbai Games – the world’s first-ever city-level, multi-age and multi-sports extravaganza, Premier Badminton League, Reliance Foundation Youth Sports, Coca Cola Cup, Hero Grameen Khel Utsav, Skoda Single Wicket Tournament, Boostcamp, Tata Tea ‘Suraksha’, Star Sports KBD Junior, Milo National Quiz, HCL Foundation ‘Sports for Change’ and the Khelo India Youth Games among many others.

Jitendra Joshi, Co-Founder and Director of Sportz Village says, “Brands like these believe that sport is the most receptive medium for engagement and enables a long-term relation with their consumers, not to forget the recognition they get as a sports enabler brand.”

As an entity, it has partnered with over 100 brands, over 15000 schools & colleges to create unique sports programs, thus driving participation from more than a million kids each year.

Sportz Village Xp, with its well-defined safety protocols for events, learnings from international markets like Dubai, and its investments in Digital experiential sports marketing platforms like Digital Talent Identification and Digital Tournaments can help brands engage with consumers at scale in a cost-effective manner.

Sportz Village Xp is actively driving consumer and employee engagement programs through Phygital play/sports solutions and hoping to deliver active Experiential Sports Programs in the near future with safety SOPs in place.

shake hand

Usha International Associates with NK Racing Academy

Usha International, one of India’s leading consumer durables brand, today announced its partnership with the NK Racing Academy as Associate Sponsor for the Rotax Max National Karting Championship to be held at Meco Kartopia, Bangalore. Usha International will support the academy for this initiative to encourage and discover new talent in the world of racing, reiterating Usha’s commitment to helping improve the quality of life for youth through sports and promote an active and healthy lifestyle.

The tournament will take place in December-January over weekends comprising a total of 5 rounds with 4 races each – Rotax India Round 1 and 2 from 4th to 6th December 2020, Rotax India Round 3 and 4 from 18th to 20th December 2020, and Rotax India Round 5 from 8th to 10th January 2021. With a total of 20 races, this event will see over 50 budding racers from across the country vying for top honours. As a part of the association, the Usha branding will be seen on the T-shirts of the participants, on the backdrop boards in the pit, and on the race car nose. While the pit garage area at the racing venue will be equipped with Usha fans and air coolers, Usha will also be installing various products from its portfolio in the Narain Karthikeyan Academy that will aid an active and healthy lifestyle.

Commenting on the association, Komal Mehra, Head – Sports Initiatives and Associations, Usha International, said, “Exploring new avenues that offer developing sports among people is one of the opportunities that brings us together with Narain Karthikeyan. This association with the Narain Karthikeyan Racing Academy gives us a great opportunity to encourage and engage with upcoming sports talent while promoting an active and healthy lifestyle. This collaboration is a long-term commitment, one that extends beyond the usual sports boundaries.”

Speaking on the partnership, Narain Karthikeyan, said, “My association with Usha International goes way back and they are true partners in every sense. We share a common agenda – that of giving back and contributing to the development of sports in India – and I am sure this is going to be an exciting journey ahead for all of us.”

Usha International supports numerous sports, healthy and active initiatives in the country including its association with Mumbai Indians, Ultimate Flying Disc, Differently Abled Cricket, Junior Golf Training Programs, visually challenged sports (Athletics, Kabaddi, Judo and Powerlifting) and Football.