The upcoming Premier Handball League license-holders, Bluesport Entertainment Pvt Ltd, have promised to invest ₹240 crore to bolster the sport in the country, a proposal that has been welcomed by the national federation.

The company said it will fund the growth of both men’s and women’s handball in India in the next five years, “providing it with a much-needed boost not just at elite level but also at the grassroots”.

“Apart from creating a professional handball league and its marketing, we are also looking at a holistic approach to develop the sport at the grassroots level…and customised programs especially curated to train the players, coaches as well as upgrading the handball infrastructure in India,” Manu Agrawal, CEO and Co-Founder, Bluesport Entertainment Pvt Ltd said in a statement.

The Handball Federation of India welcomed the support.

“Handball as a sport has seen huge investments globally and the sport too has exponentially grown in popularity as well as commercially,” said Anandeshwar Pandey, Executive Director, HFI.

“We have been working rigorously on the development of handball in India for years now and believe this investment by Bluesport Entertainment will bolster the process further,” he added.

The company has already acquired the rights for both men’s and women’s leagues — PHL — in India for the next 10 years.

With an investment of ₹120 crore each for the men’s and women’s game, it plans to spend ₹35 crore for the grassroots development.

Played by over 190 countries across the world, handball is popular in India at the grassroots level with more than 85,000 registered players currently.

The inaugural edition of the PHL is scheduled to take place next year. PTI SSC PM PM