Mumbai: Eurosport India announced that it has acquired the broadcasting rights for the inaugural Grand Prix Badminton League (GPBL). The 2022 edition of the league will be played in Bengaluru from 12 August to 21 August.
Eight teams representing different cities in Karnataka will have over 64 players from across the state under the mentorship of national badminton superstars, including the likes of two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu, former world number one Kidambi Srikanth, Commonwealth gold medalist duo of Jwala Gutta & Ashwini Ponappa, along with World Championship bronze medalist B Sai Praneeth, Thomas Cup winning team India’s Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy.
Announcing the broadcast partnership, Warner Bros. Discovery head of Eurosport India-South Asia Ruchir Jain said, "It’s the first time that our top players will be managing a team consisting of budding players and we are very eager to bring that action to the audience in India. GPBL is just a new beginning that is going to go on for a long time, and we are glad to be a part of this journey."
The eight teams competing in the GPBL are viz., Mandya Bulls, Mysore Panthers, Bengaluru Lions, Malnad Falcons, KGF Wolves, Mangalore Sharks, Bundipur Tuskers, and Kodagu Tigers, consisting of eight players each.
Speaking about collaboration, GBPL commissioner and Bitsport CEO Prashanth Reddy commented, "Exciting times lie ahead as GPBL is finally set to begin soon. It is a league like never before as we will get to see many new players under the mentorship of Olympics players like Sindhu and other top national badminton players. Eurosport has been a go-to destination for many sports, and we found them to be the perfect broadcasting partner for GPBL."
Eurosport India is ready to bring the badminton action closer to the audience as each team will play the other team at least once, and the team with the most wins and scores on the leaderboard will get hold of the trophy, with the winners taking away Rs 24 lakh out of a total of Rs 60 lakh in terms of prize money.
