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Maharashta Ironmen, a handball team from Maharashtra, has joined the Premier Handball League (PHL) bandwagon. The Ironmen will be the fourth team to be featured in the inaugural edition of the PHL.
The team is owned by Punit Balan of the Punit Balan Group. An avid sports enthusiast and youth icon, Balan is passionate about Olympic sports and has visionary investments in the field of sports, entertainment and real estate. He also owns multiple teams in various sporting leagues.
Also read: PHL: Rajasthan Wolverines introduced as third team
Manu Agrawal, CEO of Bluesport Entertainment Pvt. Ltd, the exclusive licensee of the league under the aegis of the Handball Federation of India, spoke about the development. Agrawal said the advent of Maharashtra Ironmen into the league will help the sport develop at the grassroots level in the state:
“Having stakeholders who are equally passionate and have a vision for handball in India is a perfect combination for us at PHL.”
He added:
“We are delighted to welcome Punit Balan and the Punit Balan Group on board and believe that this partnership will not only help in restoring the rich sporting legacy of Maharashtra but will also enable the sport to be developed into a commercially viable product in Maharashtra where the sport is already popular.”
Maharashta Ironmen plans to boost handball at grassroot level
With sports being an essential part of Maharashtra’s culture, Maharashta Ironmen aims to boost the development of handball in the state. The team believes that if promoted and supported well, the sport will enjoy a similar popularity in the Indian market as it does globally.
The Ironmen will be the fourth among the six teams to feature in the inaugural edition of the PHL, slated to take place later this year.
The league earlier launched three teams, namely Garvit Gujarat, Golden Eagles Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan Wolverines.
Also read: Bluesport Entertainment to invest 240 crore in PHL
