Jaipur, June 2 (IANS) The inaugural Premier Handball League is all set to begin from June 8 and Rajasthan Patriots — the Rajasthan franchise, are hopeful of making the most from the home advantage that they will have.
The World of Krida Private Limited owned Rajasthan Patriots, whose home base is the city of Jaipur, hosts the inaugural season as well. Given the inaugural season is being played from a single location — Jaipur, it should give the Rajasthan franchise a lot of confidence.
Rajasthan Patriots begin their campaign on the opening day of the championship against Maharashtra Ironmen at the Sawai Mansingh Indoor Stadium Jaipur.
The inaugural Premier Handball League is a franchise-based competition for the sport of Handball, an Olympic sport and will see six teams go up against each other in a round-robin format consisting of 30 matches.
The round-robin format will be followed by three knockout matches that would eventually determine the ultimate champions. This 18-day tournament will see each team play a minimum of 10 matches. The other five teams who will compete against Rajasthan patriots in the inaugural editions are Garvit Gujarat, Maharashtra Ironmen, Golden Eagles Uttar Pradesh, Delhi Panzers and Telugu Talons.
“The Premier Handball League is a league that we all have been eagerly waiting for. Given its stature as the fastest Olympic sport, I am confident that the inaugural season will embark a new era for the sport in India. As a team representing Rajasthan and to have the inaugural season at our home base, is a blessing that we for sure will make the most from the opportunity and aim “ForTheGlory”. We look forward to enthralling our fans in Jaipur and the whole of Rajasthan along with our fans from outside with some top-quality handball,” said Parina Suresh Parekh, owner of Rajasthan Patriots, in a media release.
The Rajasthan Patriots’ team is a healthy mix of national & international players who have played domestic as well as international competitions.
“Premier Handball League is going to be a game changer for handball as a sport in India. Not many people are aware about the sport of Handball, also known as the fastest Olympic sport and the Premier Handball League is just the tournament that the handball community was waiting for,” said Atul Kumar, member of the Rajasthan Patriots squad and captain of the Indian Handball team.
“Tournaments like this will not only help Indian handball with more game time and experience but will also open a new source for future talent. Such events definitely help popularise the sport and also help the players to compete at a high level. I am super thrilled to play for Rajasthan Patriots in the inaugural season and am hopeful that I can play my part for my team and help achieve the desired outcome in front of our home crowd,” he added.
–IANS
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