Pavna Sports Ventures announces Women’s Handball League

Pavna Sports Ventures has announced the launch of South Asia’s inaugural professional women’s handball league, to be held in India, on the back of a reported investment of over ?100 crore to be strategically allocated over the next three years in order to drive grassroots development of the sport in the country.

The Women’s Handball League (WHL) will be organised under the auspices of the South Asian Handball Federation and the Asian Handball Federation. It will also supported by the Handball Association of India.

As the official licensee holder, Pavna Sports Ventures also plans to integrate foreign exchange programmes as a crucial part of its grassroots development initiatives to provide a holistic development platform to the Indian players.

With six teams set to compete in its inaugural edition, the league will feature prominent players from around the world, who will enhance the league’s diversity and competitiveness to create a spectacle of best-in-class handball action for fans across the country.

Priya Jain, Executive Director of Pavna Industries and Chairperson of Pavna Sports Ventures, commented:

“As a business group, Pavna Sports Venture is a strong advocate of women empowerment and we believe sports is a crucial tool to facilitate the growth of an individual in many aspects. Our investment of INR 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. Drawing insights from the success trajectories of other sports leagues in the country, we have a long-term vision for the Women’s Handball League and expect it to achieve financial profitability within the next five to six years as per our projections. We are aiming to launch the league by January 2025 and are focused on creating a self-sustaining model with robust foundations that can prosper without relying on external financial support.“

Anandeshwar Pandey, League Chairman of the Handball Association of India and Secretary General of the South Asian Handball Federation, said:

“We are proud to be part of this historic moment as we launch India’s first Women’s Handball League. This league is a significant step forward in our mission to promote and develop women’s handball across the country. By joining forces with Pavna Sports Venture and international Handball federations, we aim to elevate the standard of women’s handball in India and provide our athletes with a world-class platform to compete at the highest level. This league marks the beginning of a new era for women’s handball in our nation.“