PHL will take handball to bigger heights: Golden Eagles Uttar Pradesh owner

Owned by Pavna Group of Industries, Golden Eagles Uttar Pradesh is one of the six teams in the inaugural edition of the Premier Handball League (PHL).

The owner of the team Swapnil Jain is a sports enthusiast and this marked his first investment in the sports world with Golden Eagles Uttar Pradesh.

Talking about the reason behind investing in PHL, Swapnil told The Bridge, "Handball is a game popular in schools and mostly in boarding schools. I played this game in my boarding school days and that is what got me interested."

"Cricket has already reached the biggest level in India. If stakeholders come together, Handball can scale similar heights. It is a game which is played in smaller cities and rural areas of India and I wanted to connect with them," he added further.

Known as the fastest sport in Summer Olympics, Handball has every recipe for thrill according to Swapnil.

"Handball has every recipe of a thrilling game. It has pace, action, and team spirit. My love for team sports prompted me to buy this team and enter the sports vertical," he said.

The PHL auction was the first taste of a league auction for Swapnil unlike many of his counterparts.

"We had done our research one night before the auction. We have listed some players like Omid Reza from Iran, goalkeeper Sunil Ghanghas and Van Jacob and we secured them. Our coach Anuj played a crucial role in getting this superb team," he revealed.

Sharing a light moment from the auction, Swapnil shared a bidding war moment from the auctions.

"I have seen auctions before and you always have to be aware of the purse of the opponents. We had a bidding war with Telugu Talons and a few of the duels with the Rajasthan team," said Swapnil.

Talking about how PHL can change the fortunes of handball, Swapnil said, "Sports is a big thing in our country and I think all the stakeholders need to come together and work towards the common goal. We have seen games from smaller cities and villages in India like Kabaddi take center stage with leagues like this. So, I am very hopeful of bringing that change in handball."

The inaugural edition of the Premier Handball League is set to be held from June 8 to 25 at the Sawai Mansingh Indoor Stadium.