UTV Bindass has tied up with the Indraprastha All India Sports Foundation to launch India's first cricket reality show, Cricket Champs. The show will go on air in February 2012.
Through this initiative UTV Bindass with Indraprastha All India Sports Foundation will seek to identify the budding cricket talent from across the country, providing an opportunity for potential young cricketers by holding auditions covering 300 schools, colleges and coaching centers across India with renowned cricket representatives like Irfan and Yusuf Pathan, Keerti Aazad and Piyush Chawla among others. The cricketers will be chosen in two categories: Under 16 and Under 22 in Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, Bihar, Jharkhand, Bhubaneshwar, Delhi, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai.
Commenting on this, Keith Alphonso, business head, UTV Bindass said, “We at Bindass are known to create path breaking programming and are happy to present to our viewers an exciting mix of sports and reality with Cricket Champs. The concept of the show has a purposive goal aimed at giving youth a platform to showcase their sporting talent. The show will bring alive the spirit of the youth and help promote the budding sports talent in India.”
Rohini Rajdev, chairperson, Indraprastha All India Sports Foundation added, “IAISF aims at bringing talent from hinterland to mainland. As an NGO, we wish to create opportunities for those, who have a dream to become not only the Indian cricketer but also the Indian Captain, the Cricket Champ, however, they do not have any opportunity and resources to fulfil their dreams. This show will help them in coming up and showing their talent. The entire country would horn their skill and abilities and give them opportunity to play higher league form”.
The winner of the show will win a cash prize of Rs. 10 Lakh and the top 10 players will get an opportunity to be a part of the IPL coaching, where they will be coached by some of the most renowned names in Cricket.
The application form for the show can be can also be downloaded from the IAISF website www.indraprasthasportsfd.com.