CHENNAI: Chennai Sports Organiers Private Limited will own the Chennai franchisee, christened Chennai Cheetahs, of World Series Hockey, that kickstarts from December 17. The announcements of other franchisees will be made later this week, said a WSH statement.
The consortium is headed by LT Nanwani, also the director and Promoter of Jubilee Granites, a leading mining company in South India. A delighted Nanwani said, “It is a matter of great pride to own a franchise in the prestigious World Series Hockey. Chennai has always had a strong sports culture and we are committed to strengthen the talent pool of hockey players. Extensive research has revealed that speed is a key attribute of the sport and hence our team is going to be aptly called Chennai Cheetahs,” he said.
He also affirmed that there would be more ventures up their sleeve to promote sports in the country. “India has a strong hockey legacy and we will strive towards bringing the glory back. This is the first step for CSO and in the near future, we will expand our sports business by investing in multiple sports to create greater local connect with the fans,” he said. Cheif Operation Officer of Nimbus sports Yannick Colaco revealed they were choosy in allocating franchisees. “WSH has been very selective in identifying franchise owners who are passionate about hockey and share the common vision of creating a strong and viable ecosystem for the sport in India. We are delighted to welcome Nanwani to the WSH family. His deep rooted understanding of the local Chennai market coupled with his keen interest in hockey will definitely create a strong fan base in the catchment area,” he said.
`5 lakh incentive for hockey players
Meanwhile, WSH and IHF have decided to reward `5 lakh for every WSH player in India’s Olympic qualifier team, an additional `5 lakh if they qualify for the 2012 Olympics. An Olympic gold would fetch them `2 crore, silver `1 crore and bronze `50 lakh, to be divided equally among the WSH players in the national side.