Sports

Pink Panthers ready to pounce... For the fourth season, GS Sports managed the Jaipur Pink Panthers viz. taking care of training, practice and the matches for the course of around three months which included one month of pre-season training practice and on-season, which began on June 24 and ended on July 31. The tournament saw the team make it to the final, completing as runner up.

The agency has a core team of 12 people that manages every aspect of the Jaipur Pink Panthers' activities and overall well-being. Juspreet Singh Walia, Executive Director, GS Sports (A GS Worldwide Entertainment Company) said, “We have a dedicated team with an in-depth understanding of the sport. We deal with the team owner Abhishek Bachchan, and this is the fourth season we’re managing everything for the Jaipur Pink Panthers for the Pro Kabaddi League. We work towards working with people where we build long-term relationships, rather than just working on one off events. This is what we like doing. We also work very closely with the CEO of the team, Wing Commander Ramesh, and engage with Star TV and Mashal Sports.”

The Star Sports Pro Kabaddi League will soon enter its fifth season, a testament to the success of the sport. With more eyes watching the game, teams and players have also come to take the game more seriously. Talking about how this has changed what’s expected of the agency, Walia said, “As the sport and the awareness of the sport is growing, people understand much more because the game is now popular. It is now a professional league and this is very exciting for us. Rather than viewing this growth as something that demands more of us, we welcome what’s happening as a great opportunity. Now we can do more things. Knowledge and interest is so much more. In Season One, the sport was not so well-known. Opportunities to do a lot more have increased, and this is the level we want to work at. That’s how sports team should work.”

GS Sports handled all the logistical as well as sport-related activities. Managing and running the team involved getting on board the sports scientist team, physiotherapists, managing all aspects of training including off-season training, and collaborating with coaches on the curriculum. Further, GS Sports took care of logistics like travel arrangements, F&B, local travel, and so on. All arrangements had to be made for a contingent of 30 people including the team and support staff. The agency also handled all player contracts, and coordinated with the third party agency that handles all social media for the team, as well as the production team. The agency was responsible for bringing on board Heal Institute to take care of the players’ strengthening exercises and overall fitness.

On what the next season has in store for GS Sports and the Jaipur Pink Panthers, Walia added, “Now we’re moving into Pro Kabaddi League 5, which is slated for next year. The dates and player policy is not out yet. However, we work on this round the year, rather than just when the season shows up."