NEW DELHI: India is set to witness its first-ever professional Women’s Handball League (WHL), which will be featuring prominent players from the Middle East, South East, Europe, and Africa.
The league is promoted by Pavna Sports Venture (PSV) which is the official licensee holder, under the auspices of the South Asian Handball Federation, the Asian Handball Federation, and supported by the Handball Association of India.
PSV is aiming to launch the inaugural edition of the league by January 2025, with six teams set to compete.
At a media briefing here Tuesday, PSV announced it will be making a substantial investment of over Rs 100 crores over the next three years in the sport to focus on infrastructure development, talent identification, and creating of top-notch coaching facilities for the game at grassroots level.
The WHL also plans to integrate foreign exchange programs as a crucial part of its grassroots development initiatives with the international federations to provide a holistic development platform for players that will provide them with the necessary exposure and experience to make their name in the sport both nationally as well as globally.
The inclusion of players from around the globe will enhance the league’s diversity and competitiveness, promising to create a spectacle of best-in-class Handball action for sports fans across the country.
Priya Jain, executive director of Pavna Industries & chairperson of Pavna Sports Venture, stated: “As a corporate group, Pavna Sports Venture is a strong advocate of women’s sports empowerment, believing that sports as a tool can facilitate the growth of an individual in multiple aspects The conception of the Women’s Handball League aims to bridge existing gaps not only in women’s handball but also in women’s sports across India.
“Our primary goal is to establish an inclusive ecosystem that empowers women’s handball to thrive and secure a premium position within women’s sports leagues in India. Through this league, we will also aim to provide a platform for the new generation women to achieve financial, mental, physical, and emotional independence thereby empowering and inspiring millions of women throughout the country to embrace sports. We are aiming to launch the league by January 2025.”
Commenting on the announcement of the league, Anandeshwar Pandey, League chairman of the Handball Association of India & secretary general of the South Asian Handball Federation, expressed, “…By joining forces with Pavna Sports Venture and the Asian and international bodies, our aim is 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 as well as women’s sports for our country.”
India’s girls handball team won the Asian Presidents Cup title for the first time in Jordan last year while the Indian girls junior handball team also made history by winning the gold medal at the Asian Junior Girls Championship and qualified for the World Championship last year.
In the Asian Games 2022, the Indian women’s handball team secured the 5th position in the rankings.
Handball is recognized as the fastest Olympic sport where two teams, each comprising seven players pass a ball using their hands, aiming to throw it into the opposing team’s goal.
A standard match is divided into two periods of 30 minutes each, and the team with more goals at the end of the match emerges as the winner.
Women’s handball in India has been on the rise with over 300,000 girls and women actively engaging in handball across various levels in India, representing schools, colleges, universities, CISF, CRPF, Railways, Services Sports Control Board (Army, Navy, Airforce), Sports Authority of India, Sports Promotion Board, and more.
