Indiantelevision.com Team

(20 February 2010 11:19 am)

MUMBAI: The Badminton Association of India (BAI) has roped in Premier Brands as a three-year sponsor for Rs 75 million. The BAI said that the amount that it secured from the contract, brokered by Total Sports Asia (TSA), would all accrue to the badminton players.

Former players will administer the sponsorship amounts. BAI president VK Verma says, “The entire receivables from the sponsorship would go directly to the players and BAI will not use any of it for its administrative costs. Also, we are presenting a model of financial governance that will set the highest standard of transparency in sports administration."

Premier Brands chairman Suresh Kumar emphasised that the engagement with BAI is not just a sponsorship deal. “It is our way of giving back to the society for development of sports in India and contributing to a sport with tremendous Indian heritage, history and a sense of national pride in which India has consistently proven its worth at a world stage. We looked at different sports federations in India and came to a conclusion that BAI is one of the most professionally managed sports bodies. We will soon be announcing several other international sports and lifestyle alliances on the global scale.”

The BAI says that this deal is not only a landmark in the history of Indian badminton but also heralds a new beginning for the sport in the country. The renaissance of Indian badminton is led by Saina Nehwal, who is scripting history with her exceptional talent and grit. Other players like Chetan Anand, Anup Sridhar, Arvind Bhat, V Diju and Jwala Gutta have also won laurels in some important tournaments across the world.

By becoming the official title sponsor of the National badminton team, Premier Brands gained the right to be featured prominently on the front of the team jerseys, to be named the presenting sponsor of the Yonex Sunrise Asian Badminton Championship to be held here from 12 - 18 April 2010 as a pre-cursor to the Commonwealth Games and the domestic circuit.