The responsibility of the new National Working President of the Indian Style Wrestling Federation has been handed over to JitendraRathi, son of the former President of the Federation, the late Nafe Singh Rathi. This decision was taken unanimously in the National Executive meeting of the Federation held in Bahadurgarh on Sunday. Earlier, the late Nafe Singh Rathi was appointed as the National President of the Federation.

In the meeting, everyone paid their emotional tribute to him and offered their tributes in front of his picture. Apart from this, Dhyanchand Awardee Gyan Singh was elected as Technical Chairman, and Arjun Awardee Olympian Kripashankar Patel was elected as Technical Secretary in the meeting. Senior Vice President Shiv Kumar Sharma, Vice President Arjun Yadav, General Secretary Gaurav Roshan Lal, Treasurer Hanif Raj Sheikh, Joint Secretary Chutri Captain, and members Sajjan Singh, Mohan Khopade, BaijnathSood, Khalid Sheikh, Satyanarayan, Vikas Deep, Juginrdra Pal, etc. were present in the meeting.

Along with this, a Haryana executive has also been formed. In this regard, JitendraRathi has also been appointed as the President of Haryana State. Pawan Yadav has been made Senior Vice President; Ram Kanwar, Ombir Singh, Virendra Arya, Purnmal, and Suresh Kumar have been made Vice Presidents. Sajjan Singh, alias Leelu, has been appointed General Secretary, and Raj Singh has been given the charge of Technical Chairman. Apart from this, the responsibility of Joint Secretary has been given to Jagbir Singh, MangalGulia, Jaiveer alias SolhaPehlwan, Anshul Kumar, Vinesh, Tejpal, and Manoj. MohitRathi has been made Treasurer and Vipin Pradhan Office Secretary, and Jitendra Singh, Vikas, Ajay, Indjit, AkshayTanwar, Sunil Kumar, and Ashwini Kumar have been made members.

Talking to journalists, the newly appointed Executive President of the Federation, JitendraRathi, said that from 1958 until now, senior national competitions have been held, in which India’s proud titles Bharat Kesari, Hind Kesari, and Rustam-e-Hind have been organized in some state or another every year.

All these titles are trademark titles of the Indian Style Wrestling Federation, which cannot be used without the permission of the federation. He said that this year the Indian Style Wrestling Federation has been recognized by UWW, which is a world-class wrestling organization. After which, the sportsmen associated with the federation will also get facilities for other national and international games. Therefore, now the inclination of sportsmen is increasing towards the above-title competitions.

JitendraRathi said that this year Hind Kesari title competitions for women and men will be organized, and in the month of September, Wrestling MahaKumbh will be organized in Bahadurgarh in the memory of the late Nafe Singh Rathi, in which famous wrestlers from all over the country will participate. For these national wrestling competitions, wrestlers will be selected after trials in each state.

He said that in February this year, the then National President of the Federation, Nafe Singh Rathi, went to Turkey and signed an MoU, under which 134 countries gave full recognition to the works of the federation.

On this occasion, Rajesh Kumar Handa Punjab, Satish Kumar Delhi, Pradeep Bantre Maharashtra, Rakesh Yadav Madhya Pradesh, Ravindra Kumar Delhi, and Y P Bakshi were present.

Disney Star, the broadcaster for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, announced a record viewership of 510 million for the initial 51 matches. As the Tata IPL 2024 approaches its finals with 17 matches remaining, cricket fever has soared to unprecedented levels, establishing new records both in the sport and in terms of viewership. According to data from the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), Star Sports, the broadcasting channel for IPL 2024 under Disney Star, has attracted 510 million viewers during the first 51 matches. This figure represents a 5% increase compared to the previous high recorded in 2019 for the same number of matches.

Additionally, the broadcaster has experienced an 18 per cent increase from the previous edition in terms of total watch time, with viewers spending a staggering 356,000 million minutes. Disney Star also witnessed a 19 per cent increase in TVR (television viewership rating) for the first 51 matches, compared to the 2021 season.

As the conclusion of the IPL 2024 league stage approaches, the competition for playoff berths is intensifying, with eight teams competing for the last four positions. Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings are not in contention for the IPL 2024 playoffs race. Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals are striving for the top two spots, while Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants are locked in a battle for fourth place with 12 points each.

In a release, Disney Star said, “The Tata IPL 2024 season is reaching its fever pitch, and Star Sports is capturing the electrifying race to the playoffs with unique surround programming. The battle for the top four positions is set to go down to the wire, promising thrilling and exceptionally close matchups, making it one of the most compelling races in IPL history.

Disney Star is airing the Tata IPL 2024 across 14 channels in 10 languages. The marketing campaign for the 17th edition of the tournament, titled “Ajab IPL ke gazab rang,” revolves around the idea that a fan’s allegiance shines through during their team’s journey in the tournament, with each IPL moment resonating uniquely with diverse viewers.

This year, Star Sports has collaborated with Tata Play and Airtel Digital TV to provide IPL matches in 4K resolution and introduced value-added services.

The “Sporting Nation—Building a Legacy” report emphasized a significant increase in digital advertising revenues, comprising 40% of total ad spending, driven by free access to IPL and ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup matches on OTT platforms.

In 2023, India witnessed a remarkable surge in sports sponsorships, reaching a staggering Rs 15,000 crore, reflecting a notable increase of 10.95% compared to the previous year’s Rs 14,209 crore. This information stems from a report issued by GroupM ESP, the entertainment, esports, and sports division of GroupM India.

The substantial rise in expenditure encompassed various elements such as ground sponsorships, team sponsorships, franchise fees, athlete endorsements, and media spending. Notably, cricket remained the dominant force in this arena, capturing Rs 13,701 crore, which accounted for a significant 87% of the total spending and exhibited a robust 13% year-on-year growth.

The report titled “Sporting Nation—Building a Legacy” highlighted a pivotal shift towards digital advertising revenues, which constituted 40% of the overall ad spending. This surge was largely fuelled by the accessibility of Indian Premier League (IPL) matches and ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup matches on Over-the-Top (OTT) platforms without any paywalls, in contrast to previous seasons.

The decision made by the IPL in April 2023 to bifurcate the rights into digital and TV packages for the 2023-27 cycle, involving media giants Viacom18 and Star Sports, potentially contributed to a stagnant growth amid a slowdown in advertising spending. However, the ICC Men’s World Cup injected a year-end boost to the overall spending.

Despite a transition from TV to digital platforms, the sports ad spending in 2023 remained relatively steady, witnessing less than a 1% growth compared to 2022.

Specifically, in 2023, TV ad spends for IPL experienced a decline of 17%, whereas digital platforms witnessed robust growth of over 25%. Conversely, during the World Cup, both TV and digital advertising surged by over 40% compared to the 2022 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

The IPL, recognized as a premier T20 cricket tournament, saw its valuation soar to $10.7 billion, marking a significant 28% increase from 2022, and reflecting a remarkable 433% rise in brand value since its inception in 2008.

Additionally, emerging sports observed a marginal decline of 1% in 2023, collectively accounting for 13% of the total industry expenditure, amounting to Rs 2065 crore or $249 million. Most of the business was dominated by franchise cricket and Team India.

Overall, sports sponsorship in India displayed an impressive growth trajectory in 2023, signifying the increasing influence and significance of the industry. Brands across the nation substantially augmented their investments, fostering valuable consumer connections through partnerships with sporting events, teams, and related properties.

The total sponsorship revenue in 2023 surged to a robust Rs7,345 crore, marking a notable 24% increase from the previous year’s Rs5,907 crore ($748 million). Ground sponsorship emerged as the largest contributor, accounting for 42% of the total spending with Rs 3,117 crore, reflecting a 6% increase from the previous year.

However, significant growth was also evident in team sponsorships (a 22% increase to Rs1,600 crore) and franchise fees (a staggering 60% surge to Rs 2,628 crore), with the latter being the biggest contributor to the absolute increase in sponsorship spending in 2023.

HCL Cyclothon at Gaur City Mall, Witnesses an Overwhelming Participation, Reflecting Growing Community Engagement.

Noida: The latest edition of the HCL Cyclothon, held on Sunday, March 17, showcased an unprecedented turnout, underscoring the growing enthusiasm for cycling and community engagement in Delhi NCR. Organized by HCL with Gaurs Group as their venue partner, this year’s event saw a substantial increase in participants compared to previous years, highlighting a burgeoning interest in health and wellness initiatives in the region.

DCP IPS Preeti Yadav (Women’s Safety and Traffic, Gautam Buddh Nagar), DCP Anil Yadav (Traffic), and Akanksha Rana, CDO of Aligarh flagged off the races which included three categories: 55 km for professionals, 27 km for amateurs, and 10 km for fun riders. With over 2000 enthusiastic cyclists taking part, the event showcased the growing enthusiasm for cycling and healthy living in the region.

Sharing his views on the Cyclothon, Mr. Manoj Gaur, CMD of Gaurs Group, expressed, “HCL chose Gaur City Mall as the venue partner due to its strategic location and robust infrastructure. We provided seamless registration processes and top-notch facilities, ensuring a smooth event execution. With ample space and wide roads around the mall, combined with multilevel car parking, we ensured smooth traffic management and a hassle-free experience for all participants. Our dedicated security and operations teams collaborated effectively with HCL to ensure the event’s success.”
“The unity displayed by participants is truly inspiring, and we take pride in supporting initiatives that benefit the community,” he added.

Further reflecting on the success of the event, Sundar Mahalingam, President of Strategy at HCL Corporation and a participant in the Amateur (27 KM) category, said, “At HCL, we are thrilled by the overwhelming response and success of this year’s HCL Cyclothon, with a significant increase of more than 100% in participants from 2023. This growth is a testament to HCL’s belief in multiplying the potential of individuals through collaboration and a shared purpose. We are proud to support an initiative that promotes not only physical well-being but also a sense of community and healthy competition.”

The event, which trended across social media platforms, featured not only cycling races but also yoga sessions, further emphasizing the holistic approach towards well-being.
Gaursons India, known for its commitment to providing amenities promoting fitness in its township projects, reaffirmed its dedication to fostering a healthier and greener environment in Noida.

The Ministry of Electronics & IT on Monday summoned executives from Wikipedia to explain how fake information on Indian cricketer Arshdeep Singh’s page linking him to the separatist Khalistani movement was published on the website. A high-level panel is likely to quiz the executives of the crowdsourced digital encyclopaedia on precautionary checks and may even issue a show cause notice.

The Ministry of Electronics and Technology said that “no intermediary operating in India can permit this type of misinformation” after cricketer Arshdeep Singh’s Wikipedia page was edited by an unregistered user, linking him to the separatist Khalistani movement. “No intermediary operating in India can permit this type of misinformation and deliberate efforts to incitement and user harm — violates our govt’s expectation of Safe & Trusted Internet,” tweeted Rajeev Chandrasekhar, MoS Electronics and Technology.

Arshdeep became the target of vicious online trolling after he dropped a crucial catch in the death overs resulting in the defeat of his side against Pakistan in the Asia Cup game on Sunday.

The word “India” was replaced with “Khalistan” on Singh’s Wikipedia page by an anonymous user even as another editor undid changes.

Pictures were shared on social media, stating that “he was named in Khalistan squad for the 2018 under-19 World Cup.

”The edit history of Arshdeep’s Wikipedia page revealed that the user who made those changes was unregistered and was using the internet protocol (IP) address 39.41.171.125.

The user also edited his name to “Major Arshdeep Singh Langra” and a minute later, to “Major Arshdeep Singh Bajwa”. Many random changes were done to Singh’s game statistics.

The address allocation records showed that the particular address was allocated to the Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL).

Following Sunday’s match, Arshdeep Singh became the top trend on social media after he dropped a sitter in the Super 4 match of the Asia Cup 2022 at a very crucial juncture of the match.

But he redeemed himself in the final over. He came to deliver the final over and took the wicket of Asif Ali to keep Team India’s hopes alive, with two runs needed in two deliveries.

However, he was brutely trolled by angry fans while many blamed him for the loss and even went on to abuse him and his family on various social media platforms.

But the Indian cricket fraternity came in support of the young pacer who had dropped a crucial catch in the 18th over of the match.

Indian batter Virat Kohli had some strong words in his support and said “Even when I played my first game against Pakistan in Champions Trophy, I played a bad shot and got out. Anyone can make mistakes under pressure. It is natural to feel bad. The team environment is great right now, credit for this goes to management and the captain. So one must accept his mistake, address it and look forward to being in that pressure situation once again,” said Kohli in a post-match press conference on Sunday.

He was backed by the former India spinner Harbhajan Singh, who stated that no one drops catches purposely and the young seamer should not be criticized.

“Stop criticising young @arshdeepsinghh. No one drops a catch purposely..we are proud of our boys .. Pakistan played better.. shame on such people who r putting our own guys down by saying cheap things on this platform bout Arsh and the team.. Arsh is GOLD,” Harbhajan tweeted.

Chasing a target of 182, Pakistan got off to a shaky start after skipper Babar Azam (14) was dismissed in the fourth over of the innings by Ravi Bishnoi. Fakhar Zaman too failed to deliver big innings as he was sent back to the pavilion after scoring 15 by Yuzvendra Chahal.

Mohammad Rizwan and Mohammad Nawaz then stitched a vital partnership, gathering 84 runs for the third wicket. Both Rizwan and Nawaz (41) were dispatched in quick sequence by Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Hardik Pandya, respectively. With Pakistan needing 26 off the last two overs, senior pacer Bhuvneshwar conceded 19 runs in the penultimate over as India lost the match by five wickets.

On this day in 1882, England suffered their first loss to Australia at their own backyard by eight runs, which served as the birth of the prestigious “The Ashes” series that is contested between both the sides till this day.

In August 1882, Australia toured England for a Test match. Batting first, Australia were bundled out for just 63 runs in their first innings and the English side made a dominant start to the Test. Only Jack Blackham (17), Billy Murdoch (13) could hit scores above ten and other batters crumbled to heaps due to the powerful spells of Ted Peate (4/31) and Dick Barlow (5/19).

In reply, England could not muster a lot either as medium pacer Frederick Spofforth’s 7/46 helped visitors skittle out England for just 101. Only George Ulyett (26) and Maurice Read (19*) could play some half-decent knocks. However, England had a slender 38-run lead over Australia, which gave them some comfort.

Miseries continued for the batters in the second innings of Australia. Hugh Massie (55) and captain Murdoch (29) played some solid knocks, but still could not save their side from another sub-par score. Australia did not have a lot of advantage in their hands as the lead was merely 85-runs long. Ted Peate once again impressed for England with 4/40.

On the second day of the match, despite WG Grace’s 32, England failed to win the Test. When England’s Ted Peate, side’s last batter came to the crease, England needed 10 runs to win. He could score only two before getting dismissed. England was all out for 77 and had lost a Test on their home soil. Frederick Spofforth continued his monster run in the second innings, taking 7/44.

Following the match, the criticism from the Press was immense. The Sporting Times, a weekly English newspaper back then, wrote the iconic words that birthed “The Ashes” and intensified the rivalry between England and Australia.

“In Affectionate Remembrance OF ENGLISH CRICKET, WHICH DIED AT THE OVAL ON 29th AUGUST, 1882, Deeply lamented by a large circle of sorrowing friends and acquaintances. R. I. P. N.B.–The body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia,” this was the mock obituary of English cricket that triggered a rivalry that would change the sport forever.

With this, Cricket got a gem it could cherish and its first major rivalry before India versus Pakistan rivalry became a thing too. An urn, named as “The Ashes urn” became the symbol of this rivalry and an object worth fighting for on the cricket field. It is believed to contain the ashes of a burnt cricket bail. The first-ever Ashes series was played that year in Australia in December. England won the series 2-1 and brought back “The Ashes” to England. Since then, 72 editions of this series have taken place, mostly having five Test matches.

Out of this, Australia has won 34 series while England is not too far behind with 32 series wins. Six series have ended in a draw. Australian great Don Bradman has the most number of runs in Ashes history, with 5,028 runs. Late Aussie spin great Shane Warne has the most Ashes wickets, with 195 to his name.