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Top Women Chess Players Take Centre Stage in 2024 Global Chess League Draft

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The Global Chess League, a joint venture between FIDE and Tech Mahindra, is all set for the second season as 30 of the world’s best chess players were handpicked by six franchises during the Player Draft held on Sunday in New Delhi.

Following the huge success of the inaugural edition in Dubai last year, the second season is scheduled to take place from October 3rd to 12th at Friends House in London. All six teams – Alpine SG PipersGanges GrandmastersMumba Masters, PBG Alaskan Knights, defending champions Triveni Continental Kings, and the debutants American Gambits– engaged in a thrilling bidding process to assemble strong squads for the second season of the league.

With 1000 points allocated to use during the bidding process, each franchise filled their quota of two Superstar Men, two Superstar Women, and one Prodigy player, in addition to the Icons announced last month.

The stellar line-up of Icon players include Magnus Carlsen (Alpine SG Pipers), Viswanathan Anand (Ganges Grandmasters), Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (Mumba Masters) Ian Nepomniachtchi (Triveni Continental Kings), and debutants Hikaru Nakamura (American Gambits) and Anish Giri (PBG Alaskan Knights).

The proceedings began with Richard Rapport getting drafted into Alpine SG Pipers, who completed their quota of Superstar Men after retaining the services of Praggnanandhaa R. American Gambits then completed their Superstar Men slots by picking Vladislav Artemiev and Jan-Krzysztof Duda. Arjun Erigaisi and Parham Maghsoodloo were drafted to Ganges Grandmasters, while PBG Alaskan Knights acquired Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and retained Nodirbek Abdusattorov. Triveni Continental Kings picked up Wei Yi and Teimour Radjabov.

Arjun Erigaisi, who recently broke into top five in World Rankings, expressed, “The player draft was absolutely thrilling and I am happy to turn up for the Ganges Grandmasters. They have picked versatile players and I look forward to a fantastic event in London.”

The Superstar Women dominated the Player Draft as franchises used significant amount of points from their purse to acquire their services. Apart from retaining Yan Zhongyi, PBG Alaskan Knights picked up Alina Kashlinskaya. Vaishali R and Nurgyul Salimova were drafted by Ganges Grandmasters, while Alexandra Kosteniuk and Valentina Gunina were acquired by Triveni Continental Kings. American Gambits filled in their quota of Superstar Women with Bibisara Assaubayeva and Elisabeth Paehtz, while Grandmasters Koneru Humpy and Harika Dronavalli were retained by Mumba Masters.

Four-time Women’s World Champion Hou Yifan said, “Firstly, I am happy to be part of the Global Chess League Season 2. The opening season in Dubai created a lot of buzz in the chess world and this time, I am happy to be part of the Alpine SG in this edition.”

PBG Alaskan Knights picked up Nihal Sarin, while Mumba Masters used their remaining purse to acquire Raunak Sadhwani. Daniel Dardha went to Alpine SG Pipers, Volodar Murzin to Ganges Grandmasters, Javokhir Sindarov to defending champions Triveni Continental Kings and Jonas Buhl Bjerre to American Gambits. 

Expressing excitement on joining PBG Alaskan Knights, star prodigy Nihal Sarin, said, “For someone my age, coming up the ranks in this sport, I am super thrilled to be part of the Global Chess League Season 2. I am looking forward to learn from the stalwarts playing in this season and I am happy to be part of PBG Alaskan Knights this season.”

Upon the successful completion of the player draft for this second season, Sameer Pathak, CEO, Global Chess League, said, “We had an action-packed day at the players draft. All six franchises have put together strong and equal teams, and with the second season taking place in London, it is poised to be bigger and more exciting. Best wishes to all the players and franchises, we are eagerly anticipating a cracking extravaganza in October.

In the tournament, each team will play a total of 10 matches in a double round-robin format, with the winner of each match being decided in a best-of-six board scoring system.

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Maisour Partners with IIFA Awards 2024; Meteora Developers Joins IIFA Utsavam

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Maisour, a leading crowdfunding platform specialising in fractional ownership of Dubai real estate, Thursday announced a landmark collaboration with the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards as the investment partners for the highly anticipated IIFA Weekend & Awards 2024. This agreement, a first-of-its-kind in the 23-year history of the annual film awards ceremony, marks a significant milestone for Maisour and Meteora Group as they align themselves with one of the most prestigious global celebrations of Indian cinema. As part of the understanding, while Maisour will partner with both IIFA Utsavam and IIFA Awards this year, Meteora Developers, one of Dubai’s leading real estate developers will partner with IIFA Utsavam, the South India focused chapter of the annual IIFA Festival.

Praveen Sharma, Group CEO & Partner of Maisour & Meteora Group, expressed his excitement about the association, by saying: “This collaboration marks the start of a monumental chapter, especially for Maisour. As a crowdfunding platform for fractional ownership in Real Estate in Dubai, we are absolutely thrilled to have partnered with a global platform like IIFA that unites and celebrates the best of Indian cinema in what is a dazzling showcase of stardom. This highly anticipated cinematic extravaganza in Abu Dhabi sets the perfect stage for this partnership.”

The IIFA Festival 2024, taking place from September 27 to 29 at Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, promises to be a spectacular event. This year’s festival, held under the patronage of Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, and in partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and Miral, will feature a dazzling line-up of events that includes the NEXA IIFA Utsavam Awards, the NEXA IIFA Awards, and Sobha IIFA Rocks.

“At Maisour, we champion creativity and innovation while making Real Estate investment in Dubai affordable in helping create a lasting legacy for millions, starting from AED 500, thus seamlessly resonating with the iconic positioning of the IIFA Awards. Together, we aim to elevate the fan engagement and offer them opportunities for investment and excellent returns,” added Sharma, who co-founded Meteora Developers with his Jordanian partner, Omar Al Amour, early last year before going on to carve a niche for themselves in the real estate market, selling out their first four projects – The East Crest, 7 Park Central, Vita Grande and Park Boulevard.  “This collaboration represents a new chapter in Maisour’s mission to make real estate investment in Dubai more accessible and impactful through cutting-edge technology and a global platform,” Sharma added.

With Maisour’s involvement, the partnership highlights the intersection of cinematic brilliance and innovative real estate investment opportunities, allowing fans and investors to experience and engage with both worlds.

This year’s IIFA Awards are happening on September 28 and will see superstar Shah Rukh Khan and filmmaker-producer Karan Johar share the stage as hosts. The awards night will see the who’s who of Indian cinema including Rekha, Shahid Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, Prabhu Deva, Rana Daggubati, Raashi Khanna,  Janhvi Kapoor and others, lighting up the stage with their electric performances.

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American pop diva Anastacia to perform at World Tennis League 2024

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The World Tennis League has announced the addition of American singer-songwriter Anastacia Lyn Newkirk to its lineup for the third season, scheduled to be held at the iconic Etihad Arena from December 19 to 22, 2024.

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The American pop diva will join legendary rock musician Bryan Adams, who is set to perform on the opening night of WTL 2024, creating a stellar lineup that will dazzle audiences on and off the court. She will take the stage on the second day (December 20) of the third edition of the World Tennis League.

Anastacia, renowned for her powerful voice and chart-topping hits like ‘I’m Outta Love’, ‘Not That Kind’, ‘Freak of Nature’, ‘Paid My Dues’, and ‘One Day in Your Life’, have captivated millions worldwide.

With over 30 million records sold globally, Anastacia has earned more than 225 awards across 31 countries and #1 hits in 19 countries. She became the World’s Best Selling New Female Pop Artist at the 2001 World Music Awards.

Having established itself as a premier event that combines elite tennis with electrifying musical performances, the World Tennis League season 3 is shaping up to be one of the biggest events of 2024.

Concert ticket holders can upgrade their WTL experience by securing a discounted add-on Tennis ticket for the Tennis matches for the day.

Tickets are available at etihadarena.ae   

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Zim Afro T10 Season 2: Munro’s Durban Wolves Face Lynn’s Jo’burg Tigers in Opening Match

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Preparations for the second season of Zim Afro T10 are well and truly on. The franchises have got their squads in place and the Harare Sports Club is all set for the tournament which begins on September 21 and will finish with the grand finale on 29 September.

Season 2 of the Zim Afro T10 will see the teams battle it out over the course of 9 days for the top prize. Each day will comprise three games, with the first scheduled for 3pm local time and 630pm IST. The second game of the day will be at 515pm local time and 845pm IST, while the third game of the day will see the players take the field at 730pm local time and 11pm IST.

A glittering opening ceremony is also scheduled for the opening day, and that is set to commence from 1pm local time. On September 29, after the final, which is scheduled to begin at 530pm local time, there will be a grand closing ceremony to round off the tournament.

The opening game of the tournament will see the Durban Wolves take on the Jo’Burg Bangla Tigers, after which, Cape Town Samp Army and the Harare Bolts will take centre stage. The final game for the day will pit the two remaining franchises, Bulawayo Brave Jaguars and the NYS Lagos.

The second match-day will see the Durban Wolves take on the Harare Bolts in the first game, after which NYS Lagos and Jo’Burg Bangla Tigers will play the second game. The final game of the day will pit the Bulawayo Brave Jaguars against Cape Town Samp Army.
Day 3 will kick off with Harare Bolts playing Jo’Burg Bangla Tigers, followed by the Bulawayo Brave Jaguars taking on Durban Wolves. The final game of the day will see Cape Town Samp Army play NYS Lagos.

NYS Lagos and Durban Wolves will commence the fourth day’s activities, with Harare Bolts and Bulawayo Brave Jaguars taking over the baton after that, and finally handing it over to Jo’Burg Bangla Tigers and Cape Town Samp Army for the final game of the day on the fourth day.

The Harare Bolts and the NYS Lagos will commence Day 5, before Durban Wolves and Cape Town Samp Army play the second game of the day. The final game of the day will see Jo’Burg Bangla Tigers play the Bulawayo Brave Jaguars.

The penultimate day of the league stage will kick off with Durban Wolves playing the Harare Bolts first, and then Jo’Burg Bangla Tigers take on Bulawayo Brave Jaguars, before Cape Town Samp Army and NYS Lagos play the third game of the day.

The final day of the league phase will see Bulawayo Brave Jaguars play Cape Town Samp Army first, and then NYS Lagos takes on Durban Wolves. The final league stage game will be between Harare Bolts and the Jo’Burg Bangla Tigers.

A total of 21 games will be played in the league stage for the Zim Afro T10, and after that the knockout phase will commence. The top 2 teams will square off in Qualifier 1, with the winner going through to the final. The third and fourth placed teams will then play the Eliminator, where the winner goes through to Qualifier 2, to face the runner-up of Qualifier 1. The team that wins Qualifier 2 will eventually play the winner of Qualifier 1 in the final.

Nawab Shaji Ul Mulk, T Ten Global Sports Founder and Chairman, said, “Season 2 of the Zim Afro T10 is definitely going to be bigger and better. The players and teams are all preparing very hard for the tournament, and it promises to be nothing less than a celebration of the sport. Each day has the potential for some great contests, and we hope the fans will also enjoy watching their favourite players go head-to-head.”

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