PHL Know Your Team: Maharastra Ironmen

mahrashtra
The Maharastra-based franchise team became the fourth team of the league in January 2022. The team is owned by Punit Balan of the Punit Balan group. Balan, a devoted sports fan and youth idol, has always been passionate about Olympic sports and has made bold investments in the sports, entertainment, and real estate industries. He also owns a number of teams in other sports leagues including one with former Indian cricketer Kedar Jadhav.
 Maharastra Ironmen
“Handball is one of the most exciting games with a unique combination of speed, agility, technique, skill and teamwork and enjoys a great following in the western market. I believe that if promoted and supported well, it will enjoy the same popularity in the Indian market as well. Additionally, being an Olympic sport with a majority of the players coming from the armed services, Handball becomes a natural choice for our group. Through PHL, we will look to transform this new-age sport,” says Punit.

 

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Punit owns teams in a number of sports leagues, including the Tennis Premier League, and has a stake in a start-up that provides jobs in the sports industry. He hopes to advance the growth of handball in the state because sports are an integral part of Maharashtra’s culture. He also thinks that if the sport is properly pushed and supported, it would enjoy the same level of popularity in India as it has internationally. Punit has also made significant donations to the Army Goodwill Schools and Parivar School Society in Jammu & Kashmir through the Indrani Balan Foundation.

 

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Manu Agrawal, CEO, Bluesport Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., in his statement on the impact of the franchise in state of Maharashtra, said, “We are delighted to welcome Mr. Punit Balan and the Punit Balan Group on board and believe that this partnership will not only help in restoring the rich sporting legacy of Maharashtra but will also enable the sport of Handball to be developed into a commercially viable product in Maharashtra where the sport is already popular.”