- Grand success of the five-nation T20 event led organisers to reschedule the series to prevent further gathering in stadium
- This has been done in line with Ministry of Health and Family Welfare advisories due to the outbreak of COVID-19 and the escalating number of cases worldwide
- Players looking forward to come back and play when situation is conducive to hold remaining matches of the series
Mumbai, 12 February 2020: In the interest of public safety and security the organizing body of the Unacademy Road Safety World Series — the Professional Management Group (PMG), Viacom18 Media Pvt Ltd, BookMyShow, DNA Entertainment and Majestic Legends Sports Pvt Ltd. —and following the advisory issued by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, have unanimously agreed to reschedule the remaining matches of the Series to a later date. The remaining seven matches in the series will now be played when the situation is conducive to hold public events with large gathering and there are no travel restrictions.
Due to the outbreak of COVID-19 and the escalating number of cases worldwide, the Government of India issued an advisory “to ensure that no public gatherings take place in any sporting event”. The first four matches in the Road Safety World Series saw a tremendous turnout at all venues and huge following and engagement on air and the digital channels. The popularity of this five-nation T20 series, which is held to create awareness towards road safety in the country, grew with every passing day and tickets for the upcoming matches were sold-out much in advance. To prevent any further scope of a large gathering, the organisers felt that it is apt not to go ahead with the planned matches now.
Talking about the series, Mr Ravi Gaikwad, RTO Chief of Thane (Konkan Range) said: “The decision to reschedule the event has been taken as the most responsible course of action, to safeguard the health and safety of the cricket-loving fans, players and staffs. The Government of India (GoI) has issued an advisory to ensure that no public gathering takes place in any sporting events and so it is important that we obey the government guidelines and hence this slight break in the tournament, but it will be back soon for the cause of road safety.”
Rohan Lavsi, Head, COLORS Cineplex, Viacom18, the official broadcast partner of the series said, “Whilst the first few matches began to a great start, ensuring the safety of our attendees, players and stakeholders comes first. The unfolding of COVID-19 has significantly affected the industry at large and assessing the health risks and in line with the government guidelines, we have decided to postpone the Road Safety World Series matches. We appreciate the enthusiasm and support everyone has extended to the league and will announce the future dates soon.”
Mr Melroy D’Souza, CEO of PMG said: “The players were so excited to be here and playing in this series. They are a little disappointed that they had to leave midway, but they are thankful for the sensitivity shown by the organisers to reschedule the league. They all are looking forward to come back and complete the remaining matches as and when they will be held.”
Indian Legends skipper Sachin Tendulkar said that it was the right step under the circumstance to reschedule the tournament. “The rescheduling of this series, held to create awareness about Road Safety, is unfortunate yet the right step. We all hope and pray that the spread of Novel Corona Virus is contained. It is nice to support the cause and spread the message of Road Safety and playing again with some old friends on the cricket field. I look forward to continuing to support this critical cause through the medium of sports.”
Brian Lara echoed Sachin’s sentiment and added: “People are hungry for cricket, they are hungry to see legends, like (Virender) Sehwag and Sachin (Tendulkar), when they come out to play cricket. So I think this tournament was awesome. The competition was even more than I expected. It was very special, seeing Sachin back on the field again and seeing the crowd reaction. I think it's a great tournament which is for a cause. Road safety is such a huge thing in India, and not just in India but around the world. To be leading the charge on an improvement in that area, is great. People not only came to see the cricket icons from the past, but they also came in support of the venture, which is great. The situation is a little disappointing now but we are looking forward to come back and take part in the remaining games of the series.”
The Sri Lanka Legends wicketkeeper Romes Kaluwitharana said: “Personally for me, it was special to come back to keep behind the wickets and open from the top of the order while smashing some big shots, just like old days. Before we came down, we weren't expecting so many people to come and watch this tournament. But the love and support the cricket fans have showed us means a lot. I am grateful for the organizers to promote an important cause of Road Safety. It’s very important for us to take it seriously. While I am a bit little disappointed looking at the current situation, but I am glad that the organizers are taking the necessary steps to ensure everything is under control. I am looking forward for things to work out fine at the earliest so that we can come back and finish this series.”
About Unacademy:
Unacademy is an education technology platform founded by Gaurav Munjal, Roman Saini and Hemesh Singh in 2015. It was started as a YouTube channel by Gaurav Munjal in 2010. Headquartered in Bengaluru, Unacademy is India’s largest learning platform that brings expert educators together with millions of students in need of quality education. With a growing network of more than 20,000 registered educators and 18 million learners, Unacademy is changing the way India learns. The Unacademy group consists of Unacademy, Unacademy Plus, wifistudy, Chamomile Tea with Toppers, Unacademy Studios. The company is backed by prominent investors such as Sequoia India, SAIF Partners, Nexus Venture Partners, Steadview Capital, and Blume Ventures. To know more download Unacademy Learning App from Play Store, App Store or visit us at https://unacademy.com/
About PMG:
Professional Management Group (PMG) is India’s first sports marketing agency co-founded by cricket legend Mr. Sunil Gavaskar. PMG came into inception in 1985 realising the growing popularity of cricket and other sports in the country and understanding the potential for brands and businesses in it. Today, PMG is helmed by industry stalwarts such as Mr. Sam Balsara & Mr. Noomi Mehta, who along with Mr.Sunil Gavaskar have led PMG to the forefront of the Indian Sports Ecosystem.
About Viacom18:
Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd. is one of India's fastest growing entertainment networks and a house of iconic brands that offers multi-platform, multi-generational and multicultural brand experiences. A joint venture of TV18, which owns 51%, and Viacom Inc., with a 49% stake, Viacom18 defines entertainment in India by touching the lives of people through its properties on air, online, on ground, in shop and through cinema.
About Shant Bharat Surakshit Bharat:
Shant Bharat Surakshit Bharat is a Trust working closely with the RTO Department of Maharashtra and the Road Safety Cell of Maharashtra to create awareness towards road safety. Apart from various road safety awareness campaigns, the Trust organised a T20 cricket match last year at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The match was played for TATA Horn Not Ok Please Trophy, in view of the traffic problems, road safety issues and the noise pollution. Several stars like Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Jasprit Bumrah and others participated in the match.
About BookMyShow:
Launched in 2007, BookMyShow, owned and operated by Big Tree Entertainment Pvt Ltd, is India's leading entertainment destination and the one-stop shop for every out-of-home entertainment need. The firm is present in over 650 towns and cities in India and works with partners across the industry to provide unmatched entertainment experiences to millions of customers. Over the years, the company has evolved from a purely online ticketing platform for movies across 6,000 screens, to end-to-end management of live entertainment events including music concerts, live performances, theatricals, sports and more, all accomplished at par with global standards.
BookMyShow has also built India’s largest organic reviews and ratings engine for movies and has driven technology innovations, such as the m-ticket and Movie Mode, impacting tens of millions of users and the industry at large. With continued support from investors including TPG Growth, Stripes Group, SAIF Partners, Accel and Network18, BookMyShow is invested in providing the best user experience, whether on ground or online. Demonstrating category leadership, BookMyShow has grown beyond India with operations in Dubai, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Singapore amongst others. The Mumbai-headquartered company counts Ticket Green, Eventifier, Fantain, Masti Tickets, Townscript and Burrp amongst its key investments in the sector. BookMyShow is also committed to society at large, by way of its charity initiative BookASmile, which provides entertainment experiences to the underprivileged. For more information, please visit www.bookmyshow.com
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