Game On!

Hockey Night in Canada Punjabi Meet & Greet

Gateway Chevrolet is proud to host The Hockey Night in Canada Punjabi team at Gateway Chevrolet on Apri 16th for a meet and greet session. 

When: Tuesday April 16, 2013 
Where: Gateway Chevrolet - 2 Gateway Blvd, Brampton
Time: 7PM - 9PM 
Tickets: This is a free event!

Announcers Harnarayan Singh and Bhola Chauhan will be live on site to sign autographs and pose for pictures. 

The first 15 visitors will receive a free Chevrolet Hockey Cap courtesy of Gateway Chevrolet!

You can also enter to win great prizes such as a Youth Composite Hockey Sticks or a Hockey Night in Canada Jersey from Gateway Chevrolet and Hockey Night in Canada.

This event is proudly supported by MyBindi.com

Cinema and Sports: Enduring, High Scoring Partnership

Cinema and sports, the two abiding loves of Indians all over, are intersecting as never before. If sports stars are turning actors and producers and providing creative fodder for Bollywood filmmakers, tinsel town is also doing its bit by pumping in money and providing glitz to various sports leagues.

It's a unique, symbiotic relationship and it's getting stronger.

Bollywood films on London Olympics bronze medalist M.C. Mary Kom and 'Flying Sikh' Milkha Singh are already in the pipeline, while actors like Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar and Suniel Shetty are doing their bit in promoting various sports.

"The synergy (between cinema and sports) beats me," filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, who is making "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag", the biopic on Milkha Singh, told IANS. Actor Farhan Akhtar, who plays the legendary athlete in the movie, is hoping the film will serve as an inspiration for youngsters to take athletics more seriously.

The buzz is that more filmmakers are waiting to bring heroic tales of other sports icons -- hockey star Dhyan Chand, for instance -- to the big screen.

This is, of course, not new. In an earlier era were films like "Awwal Number", "Hip, Hip, Hurray" and "Saaheb". But the trend really caught on after 2000 when Bollywood readily began to use sports as a canvas in movies like "Lagaan", "Iqbal", "Chak De! India", "De Dhana Dhan Goal", "Meerabai Not Out", "Victory", "Lahore" and "Patiala House".

And it's no longer about just cricket, points out Omung Kumar, who is directing the biopic on Mary Kom, to be played by Priyanka Chopra.

"Sports and films are always loved in our country. But cricket became a highlight. Now, all sports are gradually getting due respect. As far as biopics on sports stars are concerned, they are often inspiring tales which touch the heart," Kumar told IANS, adding that he had been inspired to tell the boxing champion's story even before she had won an Olympic medal for the country.

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who is tipped to play Dhyan Chand, has always been forthcoming in promoting any and every sport.

Shah Rukh, who teamed up with Sachin Tendulkar for the hugely successful Pepsi commercial in the 1990s, is always game.

"I actually would like to be the brand ambassador of any sport in the country. I am good at sports. I love sports. I like cricket. Hockey is the best game in the world," the 47-year-old said recently.

Shah Rukh, who played a hockey coach in "Chak De! India" and has lent his name to the Toyota University Cricket Championship, is co-owner of Kolkata Knight Riders, a franchise of the Indian Premier League (IPL), a Twenty20 cricket championship started here in 2008.

The event serves as one of the biggest platforms for India's twin passions - cinema and cricket - to come together. Actresses Shilpa Shetty and Preity Zinta also own IPL franchises.

There are other stars associated with different sports - Sanjay Dutt backs the Super Fight League, Akshay Kumar supports the Hockey India League and hosts Kudo Tournaments, Salman Khan and a host of other actors promote the Celebrity Cricket League, Suniel Shetty owns a hockey team in World Series Hockey and Ranbir Kapoor keeps unofficially promoting football.

There was also buzz that Aamir Khan and Deepika Padukone would endorse a Badminton India League.

And while Bollywood biggies are at it, sports stars are making the right moves too.

There's tennis ace Leander Paes, who made his acting debut with "Rajdhani Express" earlier this year. His colleague, Mahesh Bhupathi, and the latter's wife, actress Lara Dutta, ventured into film production in 2010 with "Chalo Dilli".

Then, badminton star Jwala Gutta grooved to an item number in southern film "Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde", and cricketer Harbhajan Singh recently exercised his vocal chords for a Punjabi number.

Sports stars' love for the glamour world isn't new - cricketers Vinod Kambli and Ajay Jadeja had tried their luck with films like "Annarth" (2002) and "Khel" (2003), respectively. So what if they didn't work! The others scored big time.

Check out the trailer for 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag' below!

By Radhika Bhirani (IANS)

American athletes headed to India for sports diplomacy

Two US athletes, Major League Baseball Hall-of-Famer Barry Larkin and Olympian Natasha Watley, are headed to India as sports envoys to encourage youth participation in sports.

During their February 12- 18 trip to India, Larkin and Whatley will lead baseball and softball clinics in New Delhi and Imphal for underserved youth and their coaches, as well as engage in dialogue on sports and diversity, the State Department announced Tuesday.

In both cities, the sports envoys will meet with officials from the Indian Baseball and Softball Associations as well as representatives from NGOs that promote youth sports opportunities.

Throughout the exchange, they will speak with local media about how sports encourage in the development of good sportsmanship, leadership, and teamwork skills.

Working with Major League Baseball and USA Softball, this trip marks state department's first joint baseball and softball programme, its bureau of educational and cultural affairs said in a media release.

Sports diplomacy builds on the state department's efforts to create opportunities for young people so that they can share experiences and foster greater international cooperation, it said.

SportsUnited, which is a part of the educational and cultural affairs bureau, has brought over 1,000 athletes from 65 countries to the US to participate in sport visitor programmes.

SportsUnited has also sent approximately 250 US athletes to almost 60 countries since 2005.

IANS

Manny Malhotra: Locked-out Members of the NHL Players’ Association are “unified and strong”

The National Hockey League’s rejection of the players’ association’s proposal at the end of intense negotiations last week has further galvanized the union, according to Manny Malhotra.

“There’s guys of the mindset that we’ve given too much and they didn’t want to see us give any more with our last proposal,” Malhotra, the Canucks centre, told reporters Monday following a skate at UBC.

“As far as we’ve come with our last proposal, and for them to reject it outright and call everything off, I think that pissed a lot of guys off and again, similar to their first deal and the beginning of the summer, made us that more unified and strong.”

The league first proposed in July that the players’ share of hockey-related revenue (HRR) drop from the 57 per cent total in the last CBA to 43 per cent.

The two sides now appear to agree on a 50-50 split of revenues, and the NHL had upped its “make whole” provision – payment from owners to the players as the players transition from 57 per cent of HRR in the last CBA to 50 per cent in the next agreement – to $300 million during last week’s talks.

The two sides are still divided on length of player contracts and a length of a new CBA.

Malhotra was in New York last week, as a group of players, owners and members of the league and union’s legal teams met for negotiations.

The first day of talks brought overwhelming optimism that the two sides may yet find common ground, reach a new CBA and save the season before Christmas.

However, pessimism took over as negotiations blew up in dramatic fashion after the league rejected the union’s proposal Thursday afternoon. Outrage poured from fans and players who took to Twitter to vent their frustrations almost immediately after NHL commissioner Gary Bettman blasted the union and its executive director Don Fehr during a televised press conference.

“I think you run the whole gambit of emotions throughout these talks,” said Malhotra.

“Right from the get-go, Don mentioned that the biggest thing throughout this whole process is going to be patience and that’s definitely been tested over the past few months and especially last week.”

On Monday, the league cancelled more games, this time through to Dec. 30.

The lockout has now claimed 526 regular season games.

“It’s frustrating. That means it’s 2012 gone,” said Canucks defenceman Kevin Bieksa.

“Most of us thought maybe September – end of September – October, November we’d be able to get a deal done. Right now, this is just unfortunate.”

This article first appeared HERE.

Toronto Argos to Host Football 101 for New Canadians

Football 101 sessions for new Canadians, featuring the Toronto Argonauts, will take place October 10th and 11th in the GTA.

The Toronto Argonauts have been part of the fabric of our community for 139 years, and now the club is inviting the newest members of our community to learn about our great game from those who know it best.

Through a pair of Football 101 sessions hosted by local TV personalities, participants will be welcomed by hometown defensive back Matt Black and Canadian offensive tackle Chris Van Zeyl. Those in attendance will learn about the basics of the Canadian game and, by the end of the sessions, be able to join all Canadians and Torontonians in celebrating every first down and touchdown by the Double Blue!

Registration is FREE! Click HERE to sign up now.

Toronto Argonauts Executive Chairman & CEO, Chris Rudge, said “There are few things as dear to us all as the Canadian Football League, and there is no sports franchise more entrenched in the history of our city than the Toronto Argonauts. This is an outstanding opportunity to learn about our game, meet some of our players and join us in being part of something that is truly Canadian.”

See below for details on both Football 101 Sessions for new Canadians.  

Session 1 - Feat. Argos Players DB Matt Black and OT Chris Van Zeyl

When: October 10, 2012
Time: 7pm – 8:30pm
Where: David Suzuki Secondary School (inside the cafeteria), 45 Daviselm Drive, Brampton, Ontario, L6X 0Z3 (Chinguacousy Rd. & Queen St. W.)

Session 2 - Feat. Argos Players DB Matt Black and OT Chris Van Zeyl

When: October 11, 2012
Time: 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Where: SATEC at W. A. Porter Collegiate Institute (inside the auditorium), 40 Fairfax Crescent, Toronto, Ontario, M1L 4V7 (Warden Ave. & St. Clair Ave. E.)

The Toronto Argonauts are North America’s oldest professional football club, celebrating their 139th anniversary in 2012. As Toronto’s #1 community team through player involvement, community programs and The Argos Foundation, the Toronto Argonauts, a member of the Canadian Football League (CFL), have 15 Grey Cup championships to their credit.

For 2012 game tickets and group sales packages, please contact the sales team at (416) 341-ARGO.

For more information on the Toronto Argonauts Football Club, please click HERE.

This event is proudly supported by MyBindi.com.

3rd Brampton Mayor’s Cricket and Community Festival

Cricket with a Cause :: An active & healthy lifestyle, and multiculturalism. FREE Community Celebration of Cricket, Culture and Cinema!

Corporate Canada Cricket Club, a Not-for-Profit, is an enabling platform for the establishment and promotion of cricket in the Corporate Sector and Communities and as such it creates linkages between Cricket and the Community Services in partnership with the charity partners, Heart & Stroke Foundation and Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, and the presenting partner, CIBC. We foster partnerships with other cricket organizations and municipalities to produce joint events.

The objectives of the Mayors’ Cricket Festivals are as follows:

• Create awareness for cricket infrastructure growth—new fields, indoor fields and flood lights, cricket programs through the community centers, and engagement of the corporate sector
• Provide a platform to the charity partners, Heart & Stroke Foundation and Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, to show-case their programs and services to the communities in the Durham and Peel Regions, in general, and Ajax, Brampton, and Mississauga, in particular, and
• Encourage youth and adults to adopt sports (cricket) as a vehicle for an active and healthy lifestyle and diversity, and show-case their batting, bowling, wicket keeping, and fielding skills on the field.

When: Saturday, September 15, 2012
Where: Dixie-Sandalwood Cricket Field, Brampton
Time: 8am to 11pm

3rd Brampton Mayor’s Cricket & Community Festival will feature:

Cricket matches among BMO, CIBC, UAE Exchange, Asapient-Thunderbolts, Mississauga Dynamite, and Mississauga Warriors, Cricket Coaching, Lively cultural performances by Dhol Circle, Band Bajha Entertainment, Infusion Dance, Neeti Dream n Dance, Safari Sounds etc. from 12 PM to 4 PM, Henna/Mehndi, Face Painting, Kids Zone with bouncy castle, popcorn, cotton candy, & balloons, Maestro Ustaad Irshad Khan on Indian musical instrument Sitaar, from 630 PM to 730 PM, Bollywood hit movie under the stars on a BIG SCREEN (40 ft by 20 ft) featuring ”3 IDIOTS” from 7.30 PM and food vendor - Moti Mahal or pack your own picnic & chairs.

For sponsorship opportunities and teams registration in 2012 & 2013, please contact us via 647.822.0910 or via email at [email protected] or visit the website .

The 3rd Mississauga Mayor’s Cricket Festival will be held on September 30, 2012.

 

This event is proudly sponsored by MyBindi.com.

Lingerie Football League Eyes India Expansion

After raising eyebrows in B.C.’s bible belt city of Abbotsford, the much hyped Lingerie Football League (LFL) is now setting its sights on forming teams in Asian cities.

League officials have said that within Asia their immediate target territories are Japan, China, South Korea, India and Thailand. China and Japan are both slated to host LFL exhibition game tours in 2013.

The BC Angels take on the Regina Rage when the season kicks off Aug. 25 at the Abbotsford Entertainment & Sports Centre. The other teams in LFL Canada are Saskatoon Sirens and Toronto Triumph.

Xinhua reported that China will get a close-up look at the Lingerie Football League in December when the upstart American circuit undertakes a three-game swing through Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong with a long-term view to forming an Asia league.

Described by league founder Mitchell Mortaza as a “hybrid of American football meets Gladiators,” the three-year-old LFL, featuring lingerie-clad women in football equipment, has aggressively been building a “global footprint” through expansion.

In addition to the  four-team Canadian league that is launching next week, an Australian circuit will be added in 2013, with “LFA Europa” following in 2014.
Mortaza told Xinhua the sport will truly be international as the inaugural LFL “World Bowl” will be played July 2014 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. It will feature the respective champions of the Canada, Australia, Europe and U.S. leagues.

The championship will be held every four years to coincide with soccer’s World Cup.

“It’s definitely a very unique approach to a very violent sport,” Mortaza said of his product that has been described as sexist and degrading to women by its detractors.

Unlike traditional football games that can take up to three hours, LFL features teams of seven playing on an indoor ice hockey rink-like field that is very much a party setting. The 90-minute games features a DJ pumping the music to the fast-paced action that is big on hits, passing and lots of trash talking with the players, coaches and officials all fitted with microphones.

With a national TV contract with the MTV Networks since its first season, and the coverage taking the fans inside the locker room at half-time, the 38-year-old Mortaza calls the access “incredible.”

“It’s fast-paced. It’s played by some of the best female athletes in the world. They’re all former collegiate athletes. They just happen to be beautiful and charismatic and the combination of all that really translates, not only to hardcore and casual football fans, but more importantly for us to a large contingency of people who otherwise could care less about American football.”

Mortaza introduced lingerie football to the world in 2003 as a television special opposite the Superbowl halftime show. With the pay-per-view program drawing “as many as 43 million viewers,” its success set in motion a 12-team U.S. league that launched in 2009.

With all of the teams owned by the league, the LFL has had its growing pains in the initial years with strong franchises drawing 10,000 to 15,000 fans a game, and others either folded or temporarily suspended.

All the players are currently amateur but are allowed to seek out individual endorsement deals. Mortaza hope in the next two to three seasons he can revert his business model to a professional one where the athletes get paid.

China, without doubt, Mortaza noted, has tremendous potential for his sport with its booming economy.

“We’re going to first introduce the game in the form of exhibition games, which is what we always do before we go into a territory. And then, who knows, China might have a national team that’ll compete in LFL Asia,” he said, according to Xinhua.

“Obviously it’s a completely different market, but as long as we have the government’s blessing, which it appears we do now.”

Full details of the China LFL tour will be announced at a press conference in Macao next month.

Meanwhile, the Vancouver Island-based CHEK-TV station said it will carry nine LFL games, on tape delay, each Saturday night at 8: 30 p.m. beginning Sept. 1.

This article first appeared HERE.

Indian Touch to Olympic Arts in London

A handful of illustrious Indians have lent their creative touch to give the London Olympics some Indian touches.

When the 2012 Olympics unveils July 27, a reality that will transcend the historic fortnight is a creation of art with an Indian touch. Iconic sculptor Anish Kapoor, the India-born winner of the Turner Prize, has given Britain its Olympic mascot - the ArcelorMittal Orbit - the country's biggest public art installation.

The giant Orbit is a 115-metre high steel observation tower at Olympic Park in Stratford in London that is likely to help in the post-Olympic regeneration of the area. Kapoor designed the Orbit with Cecil Balmond with steel donated by India-born steel tycoon Laskhmi Mittal, who remains the richest man in Britain with an estimated fortune of 112.7 billion pounds as in April 2012, according to British estimates.

Recalling the project, Mittal says he "never expected" it would turn out this big. He said it was not just the supply of thousands of tonnes of steel but in reality ArcelorMittal "has given much more than steel".

Artist Kapoor, who sculpts futuristic forms in steel and glass, said in an interview to The Guardian that the making of the Orbit was a "series of discrete events tied together". Kapoor said he did not want an icon, "but a moving narrative".

"You start under this great domed canopy that sits above you, almost ominous darkness sucking you in. Then you come slowly to light," he said.

Then, there are two other Indian touches to the Games.

Shobhana Jeyasingh, a Chennai-born contemporary dancer who works out of Britain, was approached by the committee of the Cultural Olympiad some time ago to present her new choreography, "Too Mortal" in the Old Churches of London during the London Olympics 2012 Festival.

After several performances at the St Mary Church June 28-30, Jeyasingh, a trained Bharatanatyam dancer, will now stage her act at St Swithun's Church July 19-21.

"Too Mortal", an atmospheric new work with Indian classical elements, was conceived for churches in London, Stockholm and Venice, Jeyasingh said.

Inspired by their dramatic architecture, the choreography contrasts and complements the rhythms and spaces of these historic buildings. Jeyasingh said she has tried to explore the "notions of the church as a sanctuary".

"Too Mortal" is presented in Britain by Dance Umbrella.

Nearer home in the capital, noted graphic novel writer and artist Sarnath Banerjee, the author of the best-selling "The Barn Owl's Wondrous Capers", has taken his graphic textual art to Olympic billboards in London with a message: "Games Don't Just Deal With Winning ".

The Olympic public art project commissioned by Frieze East is made of several billboards, graphic essays and posters. Banerjee says the project is against the sensibility of the Olympic Games which is about winning. "It is a campaign about people who fail".

Banerjee said he has created characters like a boxer who is thinking of trying to duck a punch, a pole vaulter who realizes that he chose the wrong discipline daunted by the audacity of the jump, a judoka who takes long-distance tips about his sport and a high jumper who lives, reads and eats light.

Banerjee is one of the three artists chosen by Frieze East for the Olympic Public Art Project.

(IANS)

T20 Cricket All Star 2012

Witness the excitement of All-Star Cricket in Toronto!

Come see some of the best players of all-time from all over the world. Watch Shahid Afridi, Sanath Jayasuriya and Sunil Joshi as they lead the Asia XI team against International XI lead by Brian Lara, Mark Boucher and Rizwan Cheema.

With a half-time performance from Imran Khan (Dutch-born Punjabi singer), it's guaranteed to be an unforgettable event.

When: Saturday, May 12, 2012
Where: Rogers Centre, Toronto
Time: 2:30pm
Tickets: $25 - $200

Click HERE for more information.

Click HERE to purchase tickets.

This event is proudly sponsored by MyBindi.com.

 

International All-Star Cricket Match Coming to Toronto!

India's IPL may have been the catalyst, but cricket is now the fastest growing sport in the world. The T20 format has revolutionized the way people see the game. Now is the time for Canada to take its place in the cricket entertainment calendar.

Kat Rose Inc. is pleased to announce that they have been sanctioned by Cricket Canada to host an International T20 Cricket Match in Toronto. The match, scheduled for May 12, 2012 at the Roger’s Centre, will feature Canadian and top-tier international cricketers. In addition to world class cricket, this event will include a cultural and entertainment show, featuring world renowned Punjabi artist Imran Khan.

Tickets are on sale now at www.ticketmaster.ca and the prices are as follows: $25, $39, $69, $99, and $199. It has been over 4 years since the last time international cricket was played in Canada, and tickets are expected to sell out fast.

Kat Rose Inc's current focus is to bring the sport of cricket to Canada at an international level. With the increase in the population of immigrants over the last few decades, there is a need for such a sport to make a strong presence in our country. In addition, Kat Rose Inc. is also pleased to donate some of the proceeds from the event to Cricket Canada's Capital Infrastructure with the primary goal that this event will have a long lasting impact on Canadian cricket.

Cricket fans in Canada have been waiting for an opportunity to attend a cricket match that features international players. In 2008, Canada hosted Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe in a four day T20 tournament that attracted thousands of fans to Maple Leaf Cricket Club in King City, Ontario. The tournament featured players from Canada, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Zimbabwe many of whom will feature in this year’s event.

The captain of the Asia team, Shahid 'Boom Boom' Afridi, is known for his aggressive batting style and has been a sensation for cricket fans. Shahid Afridi came into international view in 1996 with a big 'boom' as he scored the fastest ODI century in his very first international innings against Sri Lanka. Afridi has built himself among the most effective leg spinner in one day cricket.  He has surpassed more than 6,500 runs and captured 300 plus wickets in one-day internationals. The influential all-rounder has hit most sixes in the history of ODI cricket, but rumor has it – he considers himself a better bowler than batsman.

Other all-stars named for Asia XI are Sanath Jayasuriya, a former Sri Lankan all-rounder whose record for the fastest century has only been overtaken by Afridi; Sunil Joshi (India), a left-arm spinner; Saeed Ajmal (Pakistan), who is arguably the best spinner in the sport today; Tamim Iqbal (Bangladesh), an opening batsman; Mohammad Sami (Pakistan), a fast bowler and more recently announced are Misbah-ul-Haq (Pakistan) and Umar Aqmal (Pakistan).

Facing off against Afridi, as the captain of International XI, is well known West Indian batsman Brian Lara.  From breaking Gary Sober's long standing record in 1994 by scoring an amazing triple century (375 runs) - to being the first batsman to reclaim the highest individual test score record of 400 against England in 2004, Lara's achievements show that he is worthy of the term all-star.

Two Canadian superstars will be part of the International XI squad; Ashish Bagai, former team captain; and Rizwan Cheema, a world-class cricketer who is currently  playing in the Bangladesh Premier League. Other names announced for the International XI squad are Mark Boucher (South Africa), considered to be one of the most successful wicket-keepers of all time; Tino Best (West Indies), known as one of the fastest bowler during his prime; Brendan Taylor (Zimbabwe), a top-tier all-rounder. Also joining them will be Jacob Oram and Tim Southee from New Zealand.

There will also be a formal gala following the match, giving you the opportunity to dine with your favorite player! The gala will be taking place at the Westin Harbour Castle ballroom and tickets are priced $150 or $200 for VIP (sit with an All-Star!). For tickets visit www.katroseinc.com or call 905-366-7312.

Keep up to date with player announcements and get more information by checking out T20 All Stars on Twitter and Facebook or www.t20allstars.ca!