Badminton
Team, player auction for Grand Prix Badminton League announced
Over 350 Indian players and 52 international players have thrown their names into the player auction.
The GPBL event launch last year (File Photo)
The second season of the Grand Prix Badminton League (GPBL), which will see players from across 25 countries take part, unveiled its team and player auction plans on Saturday.
The league is expanding to 10 teams from the eight from last season. The team auction to be held on June 10 will feature bids for the Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kerala, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Lucknow and Orissa teams.
The player auction is scheduled to take place on July 22. Over 350 Indian players and 52 international players have thrown their names into the hat, hoping to secure a spot in one of the 10 teams.
Approximately 150 players from amongst 400-odd players will be shortlisted for the players’ auction. Current India junior No.1 and Senior National Champion Mithun Manjunath and Sai Praneeth, both ranked under the top-50 in BWF world rankings, head the list of Indian players who have signed up for the auction.
The total player purse for each of the team is set at Rs 30 lakh. The teams participating in the league will have the flexibility to select players from four distinct tiers, each with its own price point, ensuring that the teams can build a competitive roster while managing their budget effectively.
In a first of its kind, a minimum guarantee of Rs 25,000 will be provided to those players who remain unsold. The GPBL Season 2 will be held in August in Bengaluru.
