Currently ranked second in the world, Saina Nehwal is one of India’s biggest sporting icons. She reflects the aspirations of millions of Indians and has a huge following of fans cutting across demographics. That same support, however, is missing when she plays abroad. To capitalize on the same in a unique way, Star Sports is forming the #SainaSquad, she can count on an army of fans cheering her on in Dubai. The ‘Saina Squad’ will play from the stands and support the Badminton prodigy during the tournament. The ubiquitous ensemble will be drive, motivate and cheer the ace shuttler as she will take on the world’s best players in Dubai. Sanjay Gupta, COO, Star India said: “Saina Nehwal, with her exceptional performances in the recent past, is the new sporting icon in the country. From reaching the summit of the sport to medals in Olympics and Superseries, Saina has done the country proud. As a broadcaster, we believe in bringing the fans closer to the game and their heroes. Keeping Saina’s growing fanbase in mind, we decided to form an ensemble of fans that will support her during her next international tour. We are confident ‘Saina Squad’ will not only create a platform for her fans but will also help increase the following of the sport.” Saina Nehwal said: “The support I have at home in India is phenomenal and while I do have followers internationally, there’s still a certain buzz that’s missing when I’m playing abroad. I’m always striving to give my best on the court for the nation but having my own army of fans cheering for me in Dubai will definitely give me a massive boost. I would like to thank Star Sports for giving me my own army of fans through ‘Saina Squad’.” ‘Saina Squad’ will be shortlisted after a series of contests and activities on Social media. The first of those contests – featuring 20 cards celebrating Saina’s career achievements – kicked off on November 9. Fans can tweet using the hashtag #SainaFact to get a card. Those who collect all 20 cards will be eligible to be shortlisted. The activity will be followed by a quiz contest, an online treasure hunt, a puzzle featuring Saina’s top moments for fans to solve and a Saina chant competition. Finally, participants will have to answer why they think they are fit to join the ‘Saina Squad’. Activity Timelines: November 9-10 : Saina Factoids November 13-14 : Video Quiz November 16 : Timeline Treasure Hunt November 17-18 : Top Saina Moments November 20-21 : Saina Chant & Cheer November 23-24 : Last stage - Why should you be in the Saina Squad? November 25 : Announcement of the winners
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The UD Group announced that Singapore-listed integrated property developer OUE Limited is the new title sponsor of the Singapore Slammers for a three-year term. The OUE Singapore Slammers, as the team will now be known, are one of the five teams competing in the second edition of the Coca-Cola International Premier Tennis League (IPTL). Singapore will host the final leg of the competition from 18-20 December to determine who will be the league champion for 2015. Dr Stephen Riady, Executive Chairman of OUE Limited, said “OUE is proud to be the new title sponsor of the OUE Singapore Slammers led by World Number 1 Novak Djokovic. As a home grown Singapore company, we are pleased to support the Slammers and bring together current tennis champions, legends and future stars in a highly-entertaining and spectator-friendly format. This year is particularly special as Singapore will be hosting the IPTL 2015 finals for the first time.” “Through our sponsorship of the Singapore Slammers, OUE also hopes to boost the profile of tennis in Singapore, give opportunities for up and coming local players to be inspired and learn as well as continue to do our part to make Singapore a vibrant hub for tennis and sports in the region,” added Dr Riady. Singapore based UD Group owners of the Singapore Slammers, with their premises in OUE Bayfront, are delighted to welcome OUE Limited to the court to be part of this fantastic franchise for a long-term partnership. Chairman Prateek Gupta said, “It is wonderful to confirm the support of OUE Limited today as the title sponsor of our very own OUE Singapore Slammers. “As a Singapore-owned team, having another prominent local company getting behind this venture shows the enthusiasm for top level sport here and also our wider goal of developing tennis from the grassroots through our Junior Slammers programme, through to the faces of our team who will lead by example to inspire the next generation here.” The Singapore Indoor Stadium will be transformed into our #SlammersNation fortress in December and the seven stars - Novak Djokovic, Nick Kyrgios, Dustin Brown, Carlos Moya, Marcelo Melo, Karolina Pliskova and Belinda Bencic - will be looking for a strong home support to fight off the challenges of the four other competing teams. Joining the OUE Singapore Slammers at the Singapore Indoor Stadium will be the UAE Royals, Indian Aces, Philippine Mavericks and Japan Warriors – the newest addition to the season – bringing 35 of the world’s top tennis stars into town for the three-day league climax.
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Dubai Parks and Resorts, one of Middle East’s largest integrated theme park resort, has launched a search for performers for a variety of shows across its parks and at the world’s first Bollywood themed park, Bollywood Parks™ Dubai. Bollywood Parks™ Dubai, in association with Wizcraft, will scout for over 200 performers including dancers, singers, actors and acrobats, when it opens in 2016, for its live entertainment shows and its Bollywood musical. The casting hunt will provide a platform for entertainers to take their talent across borders, allowing them to showcase their talent to the millions of visitors that the park is projected to attract. Dubai Parks and Resorts will also be on the lookout for additional talent required within the destination. Wizcraft International Private Limited will identify some of the most sought after talent among the numerous entries registered online. The shortlisted artists will later be auditioned in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata and Dubai by a panel of experts. The chosen artists will be signed as performers for the musical as well as be considered for the park’s daily live entertainment shows. Thomas Jellum, General Manager, Bollywood Parks™ Dubai said, “At Bollywood Parks™ Dubai we want to showcase the very best of India through music, dance and culture. We are extremely excited to launch this campaign, which will give the selected performers the opportunity to be part of one of the most exciting destinations in the region.” Situated in Bollywood Parks™ Dubai, the Rajmahal Theatre, home to the spectacular Bollywood musical reflects the exquisiteness of India’s culture and architectural heritage. Envisioned to house one of the most striking Broadway-style themed musicals, the sprawling 60,000-square-foot theatre will feature extravagant Bollywood style music with state-of-the-art LED stage backdrops and spectacular performances. Commenting on the auditions, Viraf Sarkari, Director of Wizcraft, said, “We have never been let down by the talent that emerges from our country. We are extremely happy that Bollywood Parks™ Dubai chose India to kick-start the auditions for the musical. We will ensure that no talent goes unnoticed and will create a power troop of the best to represent India at the first ever Bollywood-themed park in the World.” Dubai Parks and Resorts is set to be the region’s largest integrated theme park destination and Riverland™ Dubai will be at its heart as both the main entrance to the resort and also a connecting point between all three theme parks - motiongate™ Dubai, Bollywood Parks™ Dubai, LEGOLAND® Dubai, LEGOLAND® Water Park and the Lapita™ Hotel, a Polynesian-themed hotel catering to families.
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Conceptualised and presented by Semora Entertainment Works; TDFT initiative has been supported by Britannia NutriChoice along with Biocon and Zomato. The Diabetic Food Trail® is all set to offer Diabetics, Pre-Diabetics and Health conscious individuals, a culinary experience at over 100 restaurants across Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Bangalore. Beginning on the occasion of World Diabetes Day – 14th November, this unique initiative will add a whole new flavour to the term ‘eating out’. Acclaimed and celebrated chefs at some of the most popular dining establishments will showcase their culinary skills to present special ‘Diabetic friendly’ menus that would be complete, with nutritious and delicious choices, thus allowing patrons to indulge without worry. Eating right is vital if you’re trying to prevent or control diabetes. While exercise is important, what you eat has the biggest impact when it comes to managing diabetes. It may come as a surprise that the nutritional needs are virtually the same as any other person, no special foods or complicated diets are necessary. In conjunction with medication and exercise, DIET plays a critical role in ensuring a diabetic individual’s level of good health. The food trail features 100+ Top Restaurants, who’s Chefs have designed a special diabetic- friendly menu, just for people with diabetes. A menu that is not only diabetic-friendly, but also healthy and delicious enough, that the whole family will appreciate and can partake of. A menu comprising well-balanced, tasty and nutritious meals prepared by the Top Chefs of the city. To provide this burgeoning segment of the urban Indian population a taste of varied, delicious and healthy culinary choices that adhere to the calorific and dietary requirements of diabetics – at some of the best and most popular restaurants across the country! As Seema Pinto – Director, Semora Entertainment Works and the brain behind this initiative says. “One of the primary objectives of channeling this initiative through restaurants was to dispel the notion of ‘healthy food cannot be tasty food’, and influencing the Food Industry to recognise the need of ‘diabetic friendly’ menus, given that we will be a country of 80 million diabetics by 2030 (World Health Organisation estimates).” The chefs from our restaurant partners have conjured up novel gourmet dishes whilst some recipes and menus were re-engineered from their existing dishes to suit the recommended diet and within the calorific values. Every effort has been made by the Chefs to ensure the food is tasty and suitable to the Indian Palate. The Menus include sugarfree desserts, appetizers, Entrees and much more. All dishes under the Diabetic Menu during the promotion will provide complete nutritional information, including carbs and calories, to make a diabetics choice easier when selecting a particular dish. Zomato’s primary focus in partnering in this initiative is to give a healthy food choice to every person visiting their site. "At Zomato, we look to create delightful customer experiences, and partnering with Semora on the Diabetic Food Trail® is another step in that direction. We're constantly looking for ways to make every meal, for everyone, a great experience. With this partnership users can now make informed and healthy dining decisions." said Pramod Rao, SVP, Growth, Zomato. A diabetes diet is simply a healthy eating plan that is high in nutrients, low in fat with little or no sugar, and moderate in calories. It is a healthy diet for anyone! The Diabetic Food Trail is her to make a big difference for not only Diabetics but also people who are health conscious or pre-diabetic. “Biocon has been making a difference to the life of millions of diabetics for over a decade. As a compassionate, caring and responsible company our efforts are aimed at sensitizing people through a holistic diabetes management and life style modification program. Our association with the Diabetic Food Trail initiative resonates our efforts toward highlighting the importance of a balanced diet in managing diabetes effectively. Our endeavour is to empower many more ‘people with diabetes’ the ability to ‘win with diabetes’ through lifestyle modification, healthy diet and regular exercise.” Dr. Subir K Basak, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Business Excellence, Biocon. “We are thrilled to showcase healthy meals for diabetic customers through this initiative. This project is very close to my heart since I’m a person with diabetes and know the challenges we face when we are out on work for meetings and need to have a meal, or when going out to dine with family and friends. This initiative is a collaborative effort to spread the word that we CARE for our health and we ACT on it.”, says Seema Pinto, adding that “We are dedicated to provide healthy, delicious, diabetic friendly food options to the food lovers and sincerely appreciate our partners, Britannia NutriChoice and Zomato for supporting us, in this pioneering venture, along with all the participating restaurants”.
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Half Marathon runners at the upcoming Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon 2016 are in for a treat as they will get to run the famous Bandra-Worli Sea Link twice in their quest to complete the 21.1km journey. Procam International today announced that the Half Marathon will now start opposite the Worli Dairy on the northbound carriageway of Worli Sea Face for the 13th edition of the event, scheduled for 17th January 2016. The Worli Dairy premise, will also serve as the holding area for the runners. With the 21.1km race now starting opposite the Worli Dairy on Worli Sea Face, runners will go straight onto the Sea Face Road towards the Bandra-Worli Sea Link taking a left onto the bridge. as they head north on the bridge, the first 5km mark will come at the end of the bridge as they then take a u-turn before the Toll Naka to head back onto the southbound carriageway of the bridge. Upon exiting the BWSL at Worli, runner will turn right on sea face road, towards Worli Dairy and then taking right at Mela Restaurant onto Annie Besant Road. From here on, the route is the same as the participants run past National Sports Club of India, towards Haji Ali, then past Jaslok Hospital on Peddar Road, climb up the Kemps Corner Bridge, then right at Prem Puri Chowk towards Babulnath Road, then left at Tambe Chowk onto Marine Drive Road running straight down all the way to the Pizzeria Junction, where they take left on to Veer Nariman Road, past Churchgate Station, towards Flora Fountain and then down DN Road, towards the finish line at Capital Cinema. Heralding the change, Vivek B Singh, Joint Managing Director, Procam International said, “Over the years, with the growth in the running community, we have felt the need to increase the holding area for the Half Marathoners. With the expanse of the Worli Dairy, we will be able to provide enhanced facilities, for the runners before they start their run. We would also like to express our gratitude to the Worli Dairy authorities for extending their support to the event. ” Singh added, “We encourage feedback from our runners, and are pleased to incorporate their suggestions as we go about with preparations for Mumbai’s most eagerly awaited event. We’ve often been told what a delightful experience it is for runners as they cross the majestic Bandra Worli Sea Link, and are now happy to give this experience to Half Marathoners, twice in their 21k journey!” Hugh Jones, Race Director, added “From a technical point, the new Half Marathon route simplifies the course so that there are fewer turns for runners. This should help make the course easier to run, both for first-timers and for experienced athletes. Starting out on the open Sea Face with fresh air and cooling breezes will also enhance the overall running experience and we are sure will be a change welcomed by all.” Half Marathon: Route Start Gate – Opp. Worli Dairy on North Bound Carriageway – Go Straight on Khan Abdul Gafar Khan Road (North Bound Carriageway – Worli Sea Face Road) – towards Bandra Worli Sea Link junction – Turn Left on Sea Link – go straight on Bandra Worli Sea Link towards Toll Naka on North Bound Carriageway – Take a U-Turn before Toll Naka and run towards Worli Sea Face on south bound carriageway – exit from Sea Link end and turn right on Worli Sea Face (Khan Abdul Gafar Khan Road) on south bound carriageway – cross Bindu Madhav Thakre chowk – cross Worli Dairy – Go towards Mela Restaurant - turn right on Dr. Annie Besant Road and go towards National Sports Club of India – Go Straight on Lala Lajpat Rai Marg and run towards Haji Ali Junction – Cross the junction and go straight on Dr. Gopal Rao Deshmukh Marg (Peddar Road) – Cross Jaslok Hospital and climb the Kemps Corner Bridge – go towards Prem Puri Chowk – Turn Right from Prem Puri Chowk and go towards Babulnath Temple – Go straight on Babulnath Road – and take left from Tambe Chowk – Go straight on NSC Bose Road (Marine Drive Road) – Cross Wilson College – Cross Charni Road and Marine Lines Station and go towards Pizzeria junction – Turn left from Pizzeria and go on Veer Nariman Road – Cross Churchgate station and go towards Flora Fountain Junction – Turn Left on D N Road and cross Citibank – Cross ICICI Bank and go towards McDonalds and finish at Capitol Cinema.
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The capital city’s Airtel Delhi Half Marathon heats up even more this season with a total of over 25 elite athletes in attendance, with the Ethiopians ruling the roost. Defending Champions and Course Record holder Guye Adola along with the Half Marathon World Record holder Florence Kilpagat, will take centre stage on Sunday, 29th November 2015. Touted as one of the fastest half marathon courses, the elite line-up this year is one of the best ADHM has seen in all its eight years. Adola only started running internationally in 2014, and achieved his personal best time in the 2014 edition of ADHM. He won a bronze at the World Half Marathon Championship. Closing in on his trail are Mosinet Geremew (ETH), who clocked 59:11 at the previous run in the city, his personal best; Jonathan Maiyo (KEN) who came in 8th last year, if his performance this year in the Mattoni Olomouc and RAK Half Marathons are anything to go by, Maiyois is in it to win it at ADHM 2015;Atsedu Tsegay (ETH) who placed 1stat the 2013 edition of ADHM, will be back in the capital this year and is vying to reclaim his title. New to ADHM this year are - TCS World 10K champ Alex Korio (KEN), who clocked the fourth fastest time this year, will try his hand at the title, having achieved his best (59:28) at the recently concluded Copenhagen Marathon; Tsegaye Kebede (ETH), known to be one of the most consistent runners in the international circuit will be running his first Indian marathon this November, and has nine medals to his credit from some of the world’s largest marathons; Edwin Kiptoo (KEN) is no stranger to Indian running, having participated in both SCMM 2015 as a pacer and TCS World 10K 2015 where he placed third, he is looking to make his mark at ADHM as well. The foremost among the women athletes participating in the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon 2015 is World Record Holder, Florence Kiplagat (KEN) who set record time at Barcelona in 2014, only to break it herself a year later. Kiplagat placed first at ADHM 2013, is in good form to make a comeback this year; Cynthia Limo (KEN), well-known in the US running circle, won podium places at 10 out the 11 races she has run this year, and will give Kiplagat a fight for the title; Worknesh Degefa (ETH), though young has won podium places at many of the world’s renowned marathons, after bagging the first place at the Göteborg Half Marathon is ready to run for a podium finish this year. Reigning Olympic marathon champion Tiki Gelana (ETH), who most recently took home the bronze at the Tokyo Marathon, will be gunning for gold at ADHM. Helah Kiprop (KEN) is a familiar name in the Indian running scenario, having won the TCS World 10K and Cochin Half Marathon, armed with silver at the 2015 World Championships Marathon and is one to watch out;NetsanetGudeta (ETH) has represented her country at the World Half Marathon Championships, and was placed first at the Valencia Half Marathon with her personal best time of 67:31; WudeAyalew (ETH) is also a household name in the Indian circuit, having run at ADHM thrice before, as well as at the TCS World 10K 2015 held in Bangalore where she placed second. Other super fast male athletes in the field are Birhanu Legese (ETH, Berlin Half Marathon 2015, 59:45), Shumi Dechasa (BRN, World Championships Marathon 2015, 2:14:35), Geoffrey Kirui (KEN, Yangzhou Half Marathon 2015, 59:55), Fentahun Hunegnaw (ETH, All-Africa Games half marathon 2015, 65:27), JosphatKiptis (KEN, Prague 10k 2015, 29:07), Vincent Rono (KEN, CPC Half Marathon 2015, 60:52), Jackson Kiprop (UGA, World Championships Beijing 2015, 2:15:15), Moses Kipsiro (UGA, Great South Run 10 miles, 46:00), and Abrar Osman (ERI, World Championships 10.000m, 27:43.21). A few more notable female athletes participating at the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon are Genet Yalew (ETH, Valencia Half Marathon, 68:12), Valentine Kipketer (KEN, Amsterdam Marathon 2013, 2:23:02), Tadelech Bekele (ETH, Berlin Marathon 2015, 2:25:01), Gladys Chesir (KEN, Berlin 10K, 30:41), and Beatrice Mutai (KEN, Lisbon Half Marathon 2015, 69:50). The race will flag off from the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi, on 29th November 2015.
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Karwachauth is one of the most important and auspicious occasion for women which marks the beginning of the festive season. to capitalize on the festivities, Maybelline New York introduced its new ‘Color Sensational’ range during this time and wanted a sales driven in-store campaign at general trade outlets. To meet the brief Vibgyor created Maybelline kiosks at over 100 key outlets across northern India, wherein on the purchase of a certain value of Maybelline products women would get free henna application. Women could now get henna applied on their hands and get the same value of their favorite cosmetics during the festival. Not only did the brand got awareness and recall value during the festive season but there were huge amount of instant sales generated in the process. Top performing sales counters were identified across northern India, kiosks were set-up depending upon space availability and the expected traffic. Stall sizes varied from as large as ‘6x6’ to as small as 4’X3’at over 100 counters across the selected states. At each kiosk there were henna application booths as well as make-over sections where women were given a make-up by our beauty experts using the maybelline products they had just bought. The activity was further supplemented by an MC and promoters at some of the larger kiosks. Over 15,000 women got the Henna application done as well as beauty makeovers using maybelline products at the kiosks across the 3 activity days. The 3 day campaign resulted in incremental sales of over 1.75 crore across participating cities.
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Bacardi Enchanted Valley Carnival, India’s camping music festival has finally revealed its line-up for this year's edition of the festival. Oliver Heldens, who has been creating waves around the globe & win Alex_M.O.R.P.H.ning hearts with his Bunny Dance is all set for his maiden trip to India. This year, for the first time BEVC has allied with one of the leading labels globally to launch a stage programmed by Armada in India; another one from the hat-of-the-firsts is Full On, another programming format curated by Ferry Corsten. Also showcasing stages Sci+Tec, Soma & Live@Saavn to celebrate different genres of music. While every artist is going to be belting some crazy beats, the festival will be headlined by crowd favorites, Tiesto & Fatboy Slim. The festival arena will have four stages featuring multiple genres of music- Trance, House, Techno, Dubstep, Future house; The Full on Ferry stage programmed by Ferry Corsten will feature back to back sets by Marco V, Alex Morph & RAM. Armada is all set to bring down the house with Thomas Gold, Omnia, Ben Gold & Ruben De Ronde. The stage debuting at the campsite will showcase live & experimental music where bands will play exclusively for the Enchanted Village campers even before the festival hours. This one’s going to be a new addition to the festival not only as a stage but with programming jointly curated by Universal Music Group & Saavn. The brand plans to expand its offering to wider audiences & provide a platform that give artists from all over an equal stage. From the slew of our Internationally acclaimed Indian artists, EVC has artists such as Arjun Vagale, Lost Stories, Nucleya, Zaeden and some top talent from across the country. The final artists details have been revealed with the final phase of tickets, season tickets priced at INR 6,820 for general admission & INR 12,400 for VIP. VIP ticket holders are entitled to access the BEVC after Party. BEVC also launches single day tickets priced at INR 3,999 for each day. Regular & Luxury packages are available for all four days of camping at Enchanted Village.
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