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The Grand Prix Badminton League (GPBL), Karnataka’s Premier League, played under the aegis of the Karnataka Badminton Association, has announced new dates for the first season.
The league, originally scheduled to be conducted from July 1-10, will now be held from August 12-21.
The GPBL, which has eight teams in the fray, has been postponed in the wake of the international badminton calendar and India's junior national rankings tournament in Panchkula.
The GPBL might have hampered the ranking points of some of the participants who would miss out on international and national tournaments. This is why the organizers have moved the league to August.
“Keeping in mind the best interests of the players who stand to gain ranking points, we have moved the GPBL to August when there is no clash of major badminton tournaments,” Prashanth Reddy, CEO Bitsport and GPBL League Commissioner, was quoted as saying in a press release.
Karnataka’s top badminton stars to compete in GPBL
All the top Karnataka players, including several international shuttlers, will participate in the GPBL. Some of the leading international players like Mithun Manjunath and Tanya Hemanth will lead their respective teams.
“This period will also give the organizing committee and the franchises some more time to strengthen their position both financially and prepare the teams physically,” said Prashanth Reddy.
Elaborating on the decision, Arvind Bhat, co-promoter of GPBL and league director, was quoted as saying in a press release:
“Owing to the international badminton calendar, GPBL, which was to be telecast live, would have possibly eaten into the telecast time of GPBL. We want all the parties concerned to get their due benefits. Hence, it was inevitable to reschedule the event by a month or so.”
The teams in the fray include Bengaluru Lions, Mangalore Sharks, Mandya Bulls, Mysore Panthers, Malnad Falcons, Bandipur Tuskers, KGF Wolves and Kodagu Tigers.
All the teams are mentored by the country’s top stars including PV Sindhu, Kidambi Srikanth, Sai Praneeth, Jwala Gutta, Ashwini Ponappa, Chirag Shetty, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, and HS Prannoy.
A total of Rs. 60 lakh will be on offer as prize money, with the winners taking away a bounty of Rs. 24 lakh.
