The first professional Women’s Handball League (WHL) in South Asia is set to begin play in India, according to Pavna Sports Venture. Over the course of the next three years, the league will invest more than Rs100 crore to support the sport’s grassroots growth. WHL is an initiative to promote women’s handball in India and around the world. It is run by the South Asian Handball Federation and is backed by the Asian Handball Federation and Handball Association of India.
India will host the first-ever professional Women’s Handball League (WHL) in South Asia, according to a statement released by Pavna Sports Venture on Tuesday. “Strategically allocated over the next 3 years to drive revolutionary grassroots development of the sport in India,” the business claimed, it will invest more than Rs 100 crores.
The Handball Association of India will provide support for the WHL, which will be run under the direction of the Asian and South Asian Handball Federations.
With an option for an extra ten years, Pavna Sports Venture will have exclusive licensing rights for the Women’s Handball League for the ensuing ten years.
As the official license holders, Pavna Sports Venture also intends to include foreign exchange programs as an essential component of its grassroots development initiatives to give Indian women athletes a comprehensive development platform that will give them the exposure and experiences they need to become well-known in their sport both domestically and internationally.
Six clubs are expected to participate in the league’s first season, which will include well-known players from the Middle East, South East, Europe, and Africa. These players will increase the league’s competition and diversity while also showcasing the best handball action available to spectators nationwide.
According to the Economic Times, The Chairman of Pavna Sports Venture and Executive Director of Pavna Industries, Priya Jain, stated: “Our investment of Rs 100 crores will contribute to establishing an inclusive ecosystem that empowers women’s handball to thrive and secure a premium position within Women’s Sports Leagues in India.” We view the Women’s Handball League as having a long-term vision and estimate that it will become financially profitable in the next five to six years, based on lessons learned from the success stories of other sports leagues across the nation. In order to build a strong, self-sustaining model that can thrive without needing outside funding, we plan to introduce the league by January 2025.
“As we introduce the inaugural Women’s Handball League in India, we are honored to be a part of this historic occasion. This league is a big step toward our goal of developing women’s handball all over the nation. We hope to improve women’s handball in India and give our athletes access to a top-tier platform for competition by partnering with international handball federations and Pavna Sports Venture. Anandeshwar Pandey, League Chairman of the Handball Association of India and Secretary General of the South Asian Handball Federation, said, “This league marks the beginning of a new era for women’s handball in our nation.”
