NEW DELHI: The fifth edition of the Premier Badminton League (PBL) will start from January 20, 2020 and will continue till February 9.
Sportzlive, commercial license holders of PBL under the aegis of the Badminton Association of India will host the league this time in four cities – Chennai, Delhi, Lucknow, and Bengaluru.
“India’s prowess in badminton has been re-established once again as PV Sindhu became the first Indian to become the world champion. Sai Praneeth also brought a men’s singles medal after 36 years, signifying India’s stupendous development in the sport. The fifth season of PBL will give badminton lovers a priceless opportunity to watch these champions live,” said Himanta Biswa Sarma, president of BAI.
Defending champions Bengaluru Raptors took home prize money of Rs 30 million as winners in PBL’s previous edition, which now offers a total purse of Rs 60 million and continues to widen its footprint with every season.
“It is not only singles but the dynamics have now changed with superb performances from the young brigade like Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. The two have put Indian doubles on the badminton map with their fearless display against world champions. PBL played a pivotal role in their emergence and it will be fantastic to see them weave their magic in front of home fans,” said Atul Pande, managing director, SportzLive.
With Star Sports as the official broadcaster and Hotstar livestreaming the league, the fifth season is all set to take India by storm for the 21 days of action.
The auction date will soon be announced soon.
While on the PBL, it remains to be seen whether Vodafone, the previous edition’s title partner, continues its association with the league for the 2020 edition, more so considering the dire financial straits the telecom giant is going through in the Indian market.
