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IMDR’s Journal of Management Development & Research 2023-24
sports. Among the top 11 most profitable professional leagues worldwide are five association

football leagues.

1.3 The effect of professional sports leagues on India's global standing

Professional sports worldwide have made a substantial contribution to raising the bar for several
sports over time. A few of the sports are boxing, track and field competitions in athletics,

basketball, baseball, tennis, and cricket. In addition to having a large audience, television helps

professional leagues draw sponsors who are willing to fund events in exchange for the opportunity
to promote their goods and services both inside stadiums and during commercial breaks. Large

sums of money also enable franchise owners develop scientific understanding about various sports
disciplines, hire the greatest facilities and coaches, and purchase the best athletic goods. Higher

salaries for players result from the significant revenue flow generated by the sale of advertising
rights and television programming, It in turn draws certain players from all around the world to

these professional leagues. Large financial resources also allow franchise owners to acquire the best

sporting goods, hire the best instructors and facilities, and advance scientific knowledge of a variety
of sports disciplines. We look at three sports that may be the most popular in India: kabaddi,

hockey, and cricket, to understand professional leagues impact Indian sports.

The Indian Premier League

In 2008, the 20-20 Indian Premier League (IPL) was introduced, sparking an interest in professional
sports in India. Twenty-20, 50 overs one day, and Test cricket are the three forms of contemporary

international cricket that have been played. India has not been up to par in the usually biennial 20-
20 World Cup since 2008. Even though they haven't won the 20/20 World Cup since 2007, they are

presently ranked second out of 80 countries worldwide in the ICC rankings. India won the 2011 50-
over one-day World Cup, and as a result, is currently placed third by the ICC out of 20 nations.

India was ranked sixth in Test cricket in 2008.

Hockey India League

Hockey-wise, India has also been rising rapidly in the world rankings in recent years. To put things
in perspective, Indian hockey players were the best in the world until 1964, when their ranking

began to fall. Sadly, the Hockey India competition ended in 2017. Despite this, the competition

appears to have improved India's FIH ranking. The last time India won an Olympic medal was in
Moscow in 1980, where they took home a gold medal after winning bronze in 1968 and 1972. As

was previously mentioned, the Premier Hockey League (field hockey) was created by the Indian
Hockey Federation in 2005, three years before to the start of the IPL. Following accusations of

corruption against the federation, the league was terminated in 2008. The Hockey India League was

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