NEW DELHI: Premier Handball League (PHL) has appointed seasoned sports management professional Rajeev Khanna, currently an advisor to the IPL team Rajasthan Royals, as the league commissioner of the inaugural edition of the upcoming franchise-based league, to be held later this year.
Driven by his passion for sports, Khanna left four years of legal practice to explore a sports management career through the Indian Premier League in 2009 as the manager of Rajasthan Royals. He later became the vice-president of the company. He has also worked closely with Kings XI Punjab, now rebranded as Punjab Kings, as their chief operating officer for two years.
The stated aim of the handball league is not only to “revolutionise” the sport, but also take the game to the masses. The PHL has been exclusively licensed to Bluesport Entertainment Pvt Ltd under the aegis of Handball Federation of India.
“We are glad to welcome Mr Rajeev Khanna to the PHL family. His vast experience of working in IPL and managing various teams, crisis and exploring opportunities that the league presents as well as creating sustainable solutions – is something that has been Rajeev’s area of expertise and as the commissioner of the League I am sure he is a perfect fit to this role and we believe he will guide the league and help in making handball a mainstream sport in India,” said Abhinav Banthia, president of Bluesport Entertainment Pvt Ltd.
Attributing his time at RR and KXIP as full of learning, excitement and fun; Khanna, who is looking forward to be part of this development for Indian sports, said: “I am thrilled to be part of Premier Handball League. The beauty of sports lies in the fact that you bring in so much from one sport to the other that shifts the dynamics totally. It is a brand new challenge for me but we are working to make it a big success, developing the right strategies from the past experiences, matching the pre-existing league standards and also creating a brand new experience.”
He further added: “My experience with IPL has taught me to be patient, team work, trusting people and resource management skills. Being part of this growth story in its nascent stage, my sports vision will be to make it one of the most locally played sports in India and bring representation from all sections of society.”
The PHL organisers are also putting up an expert panel of advisors to maximize the impact of the upcoming handball league, where six teams will vie for the Season 1 honours.
