Bengaluru: Bengaluru franchise garnered the maximum fee while Chennai was second in the highly-anticipated Teams Auction for the Grand Prix Badminton League (GPBL) Season 2 that came to a thrilling conclusion on Saturday with the bidding happening online.
The other teams which were sold included Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune, Kerala, Gujarat (Ahmedabad) and Delhi as eight franchises were auctioned. A decision concerning two of the teams would be taken soon, the organisers informed in a release on Saturday.
The auction witnessed an unprecedented level of excitement and intense competition as bids were invited for 10 teams from a choice of 13 cities/states -- Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kerala, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Lucknow, Orissa, Kolkata, Rajasthan and North East.
The online auction witnessed intense bidding battles as team owners strategized and competed to secure their favourite city teams.
The teams are now focused on preparation, fine-tuning their strategies for the upcoming Players’ Auction to be held in the third week of this month. As many as 453 players including 67 international players have registered, of which, around 150 players will be included in the Players’ draft.
Expressing his enthusiasm, Prashanth Reddy, Commissioner GPBL, stated, "The response and level of engagement witnessed during the online Team Auction for GPBL Season 2 have exceeded our expectations. It is truly remarkable to witness the growing interest and support for badminton. We are confident that Season 2 of GPBL will be an exhilarating affair, delivering outstanding talent and fierce competition."
GPBL, India's premier badminton league, is all set to make a grand return this August with its much-awaited Season 2 which will feature top-notch badminton talent from India and around the world.
“GPBL, India's premium badminton league. is dedicated to promoting and popularising the sport in the country. It brings together top badminton players from around the world, offering them a platform to showcase their skills and entertain fans through thrilling action,” Prashanth was quoted as saying in a release on Saturday.—IANS
