PBL 2018: Ahmedabad Smash Masters, Guwahati Eastern Warriors set to be part of 8-team event

Chennai: Two new teams – Ahmedabad Smash Masters and Guwahati Eastern Warriors, are set to be part of the third Premier Badminton League (PBL) scheduled to be held from 22 December to 14 January, next year.

The league, which is organised annually by Badminton Association of India (BAI) in association with Sportzlive, will be an eight-team affair from the upcoming season.

The Ahmedabad team owned by Padmanabh Sports Pvt. Ltd, a subsidiary of Padmanabh Industries Ltd.

The upcoming season will be played in four cities in a rolling format with the final being hosted by Chennai.

“As I welcome Ahmedabad and Guwahati on board PBL Season 3, it is a great thing for the league and the sport in the country,” said BAI President Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma.

“I would like to thank the new owners and welcome them into the BAI family. I would also like to congratulate SportzLive and believe that together we can take to badminton to unprecedented heights.”

The third edition of PBL will also see the 11-point format make way for 15 point format and there will be single match a day to drive more footfalls at the stadium and viewership on TV.

“This Season we have two additional teams and a longer window and we are confident that Badminton fans in Chennai will be up for an exciting time. We will also be hosting the Final in Chennai and are confident that the way the sport has seen response PBL Season 3 will only grow bigger and better,” said Atul Pande, Executive Director of SportzLive.

The league, which offers a prize purse of Rs 6 Crore was a six team competition last year with Delhi Acers (Delhi), Mumbai Rockets (Mumbai), Awadhe Warriors (Lucknow), Hyderabad Hunters (Hyderabad), Chennai Smashers (Chennai) and Bengaluru Blasters (Bengaluru) vying for the top honours.

Chennai led by Olympic silver medalist PV Sindhu clinched the title in the second season in January.