Grand opening ceremony planned for ISL Press Trust of India | October 7, 2014 12:50 PM Kolkata: From Amitabh Bachchan to Sachin Tendulkar to Mukesh and Nita Ambani, the who's who of Bollywood, cricket and business world will attend the high profile opening ceremony of the Indian Super League at the Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan on October 12. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is slated to inaugurate the tournament that will conclude on December 20, while Bollywood heartthrob Priyanka Chopra will set the stage on fire along with Varun Dhawan in a 45-minute opening ceremony that would begin at 5pm. As the league is co-promoted by IMG Reliance and Star India and has some high-profile owners and brand ambassadors from both Bollywood and cricketing world, the opening ceremony guarantees to be a fun-filled affair. Being the co-owners of their respective teams, Abhishek Bachchan (Chennai), Ranbir Kapoor (Mumbai), Salman Khan (Pune), John Abraham (Guwahati), Varun Dhawan (brand ambassador Goa), Sachin Tendulkar (Kochi), M S Dhoni (Chennai), Virat Kohli (Goa) and city's favourite son Sourav Ganguly (Kolkata) are also set to promote football. "Tell me who won't be there? We will have Amitabh, Abhishek, Salman, Ranbir then Sachin, Dhoni and the king of kings Sourav Ganguly. The stars will descend on Kolkata. The honourable CM will inaugurate the tournament. It will be an out of the world experience," Atletico de Kolkata co- owner Utsav Parekh told PTI. "Priyanka along with Varun will be the star performers and will be joined by more than 500 co-performers." There will also be a host of top notch industrialists including Mukesh and Nita Ambani of the Reliance Industries Limited, Munjals (Hero Motocorp), Dani (Asian Paints) and Salgaocars who will grace the occasion along with Praful Patel, president of the All India Football Federation that is supporting the tournament. Selling tickets at a throw-away price of Rs 200, the city franchise is confident of a sell-out crowd at the gigantic 120,000 capacity stadium in Salt Lake. "It's very difficult to offer such quality football at such a price but we have managed to bring it down and offer the spectators wholesome entertainment. We are confident of pulling it off," the investment banker said adding that they have already sold 5700 tickets online. Tickets are priced at Rs 200, 300 and 400 for general categories while for bucket seats one will have to sell out Rs 500, 750 and 1250 and Rs 2500 for a hospitality seat. If one buys tickets for the first six matches the seventh match will be offered free.
SYED RAHIM NABI says: "What have we got from I-League till now? If you see, the live telecast is not always there. This (ISL) will be shown on five channels, this is good for football."
The very reason that the above article was written means that things are moving in Indian football.... All these years only a few knew about Indian football..... Today.. Everyone knows what "let's football" means.... At least more people are coming into the game... More fans.... The education part can be done later..... Atleast the stadiums will be full for the first time... & players will stop being complacent... Hope all this will wake up professing I-league clubs who finally understand the power of marketing... Planning and professionalism.....!
@ashindia, that was a good analysis, calling a spade a spade.
Though, finding that may get yourself labeled as 'anti-football', and anti-national by extension. However, what may save your skin that you haven't taken sides, only said 'hmmm'.
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Press Trust of India | October 7, 2014 12:50 PM
Kolkata: From Amitabh Bachchan to Sachin Tendulkar to
Mukesh and Nita Ambani, the who's who of Bollywood,
cricket and business world will attend the high profile
opening ceremony of the Indian Super League at the
Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan on October 12.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is slated to
inaugurate the tournament that will conclude on December
20, while Bollywood heartthrob Priyanka Chopra will set the
stage on fire along with Varun Dhawan in a 45-minute
opening ceremony that would begin at 5pm.
As the league is co-promoted by IMG Reliance and Star
India and has some high-profile owners and brand
ambassadors from both Bollywood and cricketing world, the
opening ceremony guarantees to be a fun-filled affair.
Being the co-owners of their respective teams, Abhishek
Bachchan (Chennai), Ranbir Kapoor (Mumbai), Salman
Khan (Pune), John Abraham (Guwahati), Varun Dhawan
(brand ambassador Goa), Sachin Tendulkar (Kochi), M S
Dhoni (Chennai), Virat Kohli (Goa) and city's favourite son
Sourav Ganguly (Kolkata) are also set to promote football.
"Tell me who won't be there? We will have Amitabh,
Abhishek, Salman, Ranbir then Sachin, Dhoni and the king
of kings Sourav Ganguly. The stars will descend on Kolkata.
The honourable CM will inaugurate the tournament. It will
be an out of the world experience," Atletico de Kolkata co-
owner Utsav Parekh told PTI.
"Priyanka along with Varun will be the star performers and
will be joined by more than 500 co-performers."
There will also be a host of top notch industrialists including
Mukesh and Nita Ambani of the Reliance Industries Limited,
Munjals (Hero Motocorp), Dani (Asian Paints) and
Salgaocars who will grace the occasion along with Praful
Patel, president of the All India Football Federation that is
supporting the tournament.
Selling tickets at a throw-away price of Rs 200, the city
franchise is confident of a sell-out crowd at the gigantic
120,000 capacity stadium in Salt Lake.
"It's very difficult to offer such quality football at such a
price but we have managed to bring it down and offer the
spectators wholesome entertainment. We are confident of
pulling it off," the investment banker said adding that they
have already sold 5700 tickets online.
Tickets are priced at Rs 200, 300 and 400 for general
categories while for bucket seats one will have to sell out
Rs 500, 750 and 1250 and Rs 2500 for a hospitality seat.
If one buys tickets for the first six matches the seventh
match will be offered free.
#ISLtalks
Though, finding that may get yourself labeled as 'anti-football', and anti-national by extension. However, what may save your skin that you haven't taken sides, only said 'hmmm'.