India to kick off first Women’s Handball League with ₹100 crore investment
New Delhi: India is set to launch its first professional Women’s Handball League at an investment of ₹100 crore over the next three years. Pavna Sports Venture, part of Pavna Industries Ltd, has inked a decade-long partnership with the South Asian Handball Federation for the league, aiming for a launch in January 2025.
This league marks only the second professional sports league dedicated to women in India, following the Women’s Premier League for cricket.
Despite handball’s status as an Olympic sport since 1972 and its widespread popularity in Europe, it has yet to gain significant traction in India.
The upcoming Women’s Handball League plans to host six teams, with a schedule of 30 round-robin matches and three knockout games, focusing on infrastructure development, talent scouting, and coaching initiatives.
Priya Jain, chairperson of Pavna Sports Venture, highlighted the league’s potential for financial sustainability and its strategic establishment under the guidance of the South Asian Handball Federation, Asian Handball Federation, and with support from the Handball Association of India. Jain is optimistic about the league’s profitability and its appeal, especially in rural India where the sport enjoys popularity.
In 2022, India’s media advertisements spend, including on-ground and team sponsorships along with celebrity endorsements, surpassed ₹14,000 crore, with cricket dominating 85% of this investment, as per a GroupM report.
Anandeshwar Pandey, league chairperson of the Handball Association of India, believes the sport’s recognition in rural areas will contribute to the league’s success. “Rural India will find a lot of resonance with this sport. We aim to elevate the standard of women’s handball in India and provide our athletes with a world-class platform to compete at the highest level,” he said.
Besides this, Pavna Sports also owns the Golden Eagles handball team in Uttar Pradesh, part of the men’s Handball Premier League.
This is the second league to launch in the month. Last week, the Asian Legends League, a cricket league of recently retired cricketers organised by World Sports Group Private Ltd, was announced.
With 20-25 active private sports leagues, including major leagues like the Indian Premier League for cricket and emerging ones like the Ultimate Kho Kho and Prime Volleyball League, India’s sports scene is rapidly evolving. However, out of these, only 10-12 leagues have achieved commercial success and stability, highlighting the potential for growth and the development of professional sports across various disciplines in the country.
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Published: 06 Feb 2024, 06:43 PM IST
