Mangaluru: Cricket fever is all set to hit the coastal city in the form of ‘Mangalore Premier League 2016’ from December 17 to 31. MPL 2016 is the biggest T-20 cricket festival of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Kodagu leaving the cricket enthusiasts waiting for the 12 participating teams to lock horns at NMPT Stadium, Panambur.
After the players were auctioned in October for the city’s own cricket tournament on the lines of Indian Premier League and Karnataka Premier League, Mangalore Premier League was official launched on Sunday, 27 November at Panambur Beach. The launch was literally kickstarted with a motor parade from Nehru Maidan through the city and straight to the beach.
Cavalcade to promote MPL in Mangaluru
Youth affiliated to the 12 MPL teams gathered at Nehru Maidan in the afternoon with their cars, bikes or jeeps to take part in the procession. During the flag off ceremony of this parade, Mangaluru South MLA Moideen Bawa and former Mayor of Mangaluru City as well as President of Dakshina Kannada Cricket Association Mahabala Marla spoke to the gathering about how MPL can provide as being a platform for budding Mangalorean cricketers.
“Better opportunities can be made for cricketers from Mangaluru to be recognized in their talent by participating in MPL”, Bawa said. Speaking about the road mannerisms during the cavalcade, Bawa said that every rider and driver must maintain discipline on the road. During the procession however, a handful of riders and drivers were seen conveniently defying Bawa’s suggestion by flouting certain traffic rules.
Mahabala Marla congratulated organizers of MPL, Sirajuddin and Imthiyaz for getting this event going. “Wishes from Dakshina Kannada Cricket Association are ever with the MPL cricketers. This is just the beginning for Mangalorean cricket players and soon they will be playing for bigger teams”, he added.
Moideen Bawa, Mahabala Marla and well-wisher Dr. U T Ifthikar Ali flagged off the cavalcade. Three different models of Harley Davidsons roped in by Team Maestro Titans, an Aprilia scooter from Team United Ullal, a two-seater Mercedez Benz sportscar and a plethora of Royal Enfield Bullets managed to catch the eye of most of the public. Thus, creating awareness about MPL in the city.
The cavalcade started at Nehru Maidan and took Hampankatta-K S Rao Road-PVS-Lalbagh-Ladyhill-Kottara Chowki route before exiting the city to take the highway to Panambur. A group of cyclists rode all the way from Udupi to reach Panambur for the event as well.
Introduction of 12 MPL teams in Panambur
Panambur on Sunday, 27 November was home to the launching ceremony of MPL by unveiling the trophy and introducing the 12 participating teams to the public. A lot of beach games, mini kite festival, dance performances, traditional percussion instrument (chende and thaase) performance and fireworks marked the launch of MPL.
Former President of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi Co-Operative Fish Marketing Federation, Yashpal Suvarna spoke to the gathering on the occasion as an enthusiast of cricket and mentioned that MPL 2016 can be used as a platform for local cricketers to reach the top in their sporting careers.
Actor Arjun Kapikad addressed the gathering in Tulu language and expressed his love for cricket. “Cricket is a sport that almost all Indians love. It gives me immense pleasure to witness a new era of cricketing on a local level where the players are exposed to real time IPL conditions on a smaller scale”, he added while giving his best wishes to the teams and owners of the teams.
A dedicated anthem and music video of MPL 2016 was also launched at the venue.
Among the 12 teams, Maestro Titans is one of the top contenders for the MPL 2016 trophy and the squad is full of zest to experience the brunt of T-20 games this season. Akshay Ballal is leading the Titans with Sinan Abdul Khader as the vice-captain. Abhijith Kotian, Abhilash Shetty, Ashmar Abdul, Ashwin Shetty, Asjath Hyder, Dhananjaya, Karthik Shetty, Lokesh, Nidhish, Rajat Hegde, Shripoorna, Shriraj, Srikanth Jogi, Sureen and Vishwanathan will play for Maestro Titans.
Team Maestro Titans with the Harleys
Rithesh Mendon and Santhosh Kamath will coach the players while Manohar Anchan is the team manager. Model and Actress Pooja Shetty of ‘Dombarata’ fame has been signed as the brand ambassador Maestro Titans.
Dakshina Kannada’s famous multi-business house Maestro Corporation is the driving force behind the team ‘Maestro Titans’. Team owner Canyut Fernandes and Team Director Alphonse Fernandes are leaving no stone unturned to make ‘Maestro Titans’ a great success.
‘Maestro Titans’ is a result of the hard work of the Maestro Corporation which is putting its foot forward to promote local cricketing talent for national and international stages. The team is a part of the cricket extravaganza for the second season straight after competing in MPL 2015.
About Maestro Corporation
Maestro Corporation is a household name from the past 15 years in four verticals. The business house is one of the top recommended places for clients looking for service in real estate, interior designers, entertainment and sports.
Maestro Productions has been a pioneer in quality production of serial and short films for local TV channels, serials for satellite channels and movies. Maestro Productions is the team behind super hit TV shows like ‘Namma Super Family’, ‘Dare 2 Dance’ and others.
Maestro Real Estate is bringing up a holiday home concept in Coorg ‘Bhoomi Villas’. Exclusive luxury villas in the serene surroundings of Coorg are their pet projects. Maestro Real Estate’s Web portal, PropHippo.com is a solution for all real estate needs in Karnataka and Goa.
Maestro Interiors has been making the world more beautiful one room at a time throughout the city. Whether the project involves a living room, family room, dining room or bedroom, Maestro Interiors has the products and ideas to suit every need. Maestro Interiors pride themselves on working collaboratively with clients to find the perfect products that satisfy their design style and budget.
Maestro Corporation has been closely involved in promoting sports, especially cricket. The formation of ‘Maestro Titans’ team was to provide a platform for the youngsters of the coastal city to display their cricketing skills and give them opportunity to make name, fame and money for themselves.
