We at bluesport wish to send India's own handball team to the Olympics soon

Aseem Merchant

Midday caught up with actor/entrepreneur Aseem Merchant. On his latest venture "PREMIER HANDBALL LEAGUE"

What are the benefits that you plan to bring to Handball and PHL with your involvement?

Our years of experience in curating world class events through our production company options, will enable us to provide cutting edge production techniques at cost effective rates.

As an investor/co-founder/shareholder to the League what attracted you to it?

Personally for me the speed did it, being the fastest sport in the Olympics was enough incentive to becoming a handball fan and promoter.

You have the experience of turning around things, making sick businesses profitable- what are the key things you believe challenge the sport of Handball and how can you make a difference to it?

We believe every business is like a baby, if proper care and attention is invested in the formative years then one can be sure of raising a world class product.

How do you see Premier Handball League as a product?

We believe phl has the potential of being the most viewed sport in the future especially with the youth.

With the expertise and access to technology- how do you think tech can give a boost to Handball in specific and Sports in general?

Tech fused with research leads to development of cutting edge supplements, techniques, equipment, training and strategies which in turn enhances productivity many fold.

It is always said that money and exposure both are essential for any sport to flourish - how would you respond to the same in context to PHL?

Absolutely true " money and exposure " both of which we at bluesport are prepared for are crucial in creating a successful sports franchise.

What will be your three objectives with which you aim to build the entire narrative of Handball and PHL in India?

Speed
Youth
Glamour

In pandemic conditions when no sports are being played, how do you plan to create confidence in the Handball Community about the League?

History has proved that after every pandemic the comeback of the economy is euphoric. Bluesport believes in using the pandemic period to strengthen our roots and backend and wait for the right moment to score that winning goal.

Is this going to be your maiden shot in sports or you intend to extend your relationship with Sports and specifically with Handball?

We have already acquired the women's league rights too along with the men's league rights from hfi. We intend to create a world class training facility for Indian players and mentoring the next handball team for the Olympics in the near future.


Do you think with your contacts and relationships, the Handball League will be able to garner good sponsor support?

Contacts depend entirely on how strong the product is. We are confident that the thrill and speed of the sport are its usp which will garner enough sponsor interest.

What challenges do sports leagues face in India?

The biggest challenge we face is that cricket in India is treated almost like a religion not just a sport unlike internationally, this is the biggest challenge we at bluesport aim to overcome by creating a niche for handball and pave the way for other sports platforms to create their identities in India.

Broadcast rights is a big revenue stream for most pro sports leagues and there are only two active sports broadcasters in India (Star and Sony). In such a scenario, do these broadcasters have an unfair advantage over league owners?

In every scenario there will always be two or three key players, the spectrum of broadcasters below that is also available to us but we choose to go with the best. We look at this positively and say " Atleast there are two "!

What sort of planning/strategizing go into starting a new league? How popular should the sport be?

Immense and intricate planning and strategy go into creating a successful sports league. Right from conceptualizing, federation initiative, franchisee model, social media, PR, marketing, production and broadcasting are key elements to be carefully studied .

How are Franchisees picked?

We have an internal franchisee review team which does a complete background and due diligence exercise before green lighting a franchisee.

When do new leagues expect to turn profitable?

We believe if all goes well and according to plan, we should be profitable from the inception of season three.