Ambani and Roy in race for Liverpool

[Balbirsingh]

New Delhi: Mukesh Ambani and Subrata Roy are said to have tabled their bids for the English Premier League club, Liverpool. But the Indian business tycoons face competition from the Chinese Government.

Businessman Kenny Huang, backed by the £209bn Chinese Investment Corporation (CIC), is also in the fray as American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett put the club on sale.

According to British media reports, as many as six potential parties are looking to buy the 18-times English champions.

A source close to Huang said on Monday that talks to buy Liverpool’s £237 million ($374.7 million) debt with major creditor Royal Bank of Scotland were underway..

However, RBS denied any talks on a sale and said all approaches would be forwarded to Barclays Capital, which has been instructed to find a buyer for the club.

The Times newspaper said on Thursday that China’s sovereign wealth fund, China Investment Corporation (CIC), would back a Huang bid.

However, the Financial Times has since reported CIC as saying it had never heard of a plan to buy Liverpool or of Huang. Huang would not comment on Thursday.

While speculation is on for who will sponsor the Chinese bid, according to reports in the Guardian, Ambani and Roy have reached a decision to pay the club’s £237m debt and in bargain hold a 51% stake.

Mukesh Ambani, the richest Indian and managing director of the Reliance Industries owns the IPL cricket team, Mumbai Indians. And Subrata Roy, chairman of the Sahara Group is a longtime supporter of Indian sports. His group sponsors the Indian cricket and hockey teams.

 

[Iggy]

Why cant these guys invested in Indian football ..there is one coming like IPL in football too..

Bhutia for IPL-like football league

Taking a cue from the highly successful Indian Premier League, India football captain Bhaichung Bhutia has proposed introducing a similar tournament for football.

It is learnt that Bhutia prepared a ‘project report’ of the Indian Football League and held a discussion with AIFF boss Praful Patel a month ago.

Actor John Abraham is said to be lending a helping hand to Bhutia, though the India captain has no intention of buying a team if it materialises.

A discussion between the two on an IPL-like tournament in football was said to have had taken place during the opening of a football academy here.

According to a source in the AIFF, they were not sure of the IFL, which has been proposed in a six-week period after the end of I-League.

“We are not sure whether there has been a presentation on this ... But we hear Bhutia had a talk with Patel on this.

A lot of modalities need to be worked out,” the source said.

Bhutia was said to have proposed an iconic player that would cost the team approximately Rs 1.5 crore.

AIFF vice-president, Subrata Dutta, said, “There has been a proposal. But we need to see whether it can be fit into the football season. It’s still early to say.”

Bhutia was not available for comment.

http://www.thehindu.com/sport/football/article547992.ece

 

[Iggy]

Hope the tycoons invested in domestic league and make it a huge sucess

 

[Torbutton]

OH MY!
So the Indian entrepreneurs aren't even leaving UK?

 

[Balbirsingh]

Hope the tycoons invested in domestic league and make it a huge sucess

No cant be, unless its TATA the buisness is money minded, love for nation is excluded from it.

 

[COLDHEARTED AVIATOR]

Has anyone of you watched Indian footballers play???

I seriously wont waste my time watching IFL....and not many people i know would watch this IFL instead of watching EPL or spanish league.

People want to watch highly skilled atheletes performing 100%...Indian footballers lack skills...and hockey India has already tried this and wasnt very successful and i highly doubt how successful this IFL will be except in North East.

 

[Sliver]

Has anyone of you watched Indian footballers play???

I seriously wont waste my time watching IFL....and not many people i know would watch this IFL instead of watching EPL or spanish league.

People want to watch highly skilled atheletes performing 100%...Indian footballers lack skills...and hockey India has already tried this and wasnt very successful and i highly doubt how successful this IFL will be except in North East.

To develop those skills you need dedicated players. You get dedicated players if there is an incetive for them to perform. The incentive is a good tournament and money. They are humans too... they need to make a living!!

A 3rd grade cricketer can make lots of money through IPL but a first class Football or Hockey player is sidelined because of sheer "no entertainment value" of the sport.

Unless people back the sports persons (players) with some sound encouragement, why will the people dedicate themselves to the game and improve the skills?

 

[COLDHEARTED AVIATOR]

To develop those skills you need dedicated players. You get dedicated players if there is an incetive for them to perform. The incentive is a good tournament and money. They are humans too... they need to make a living!!

A 3rd grade cricketer can make lots of money through IPL but a first class Football or Hockey player is sidelined because of sheer "no entertainment value" of the sport.

Unless people back the sports persons (players) with some sound encouragement, why will the people dedicate themselves to the game and improve the skills?

and what do you have to say about countries like trinidad and tobago qualifying for the world cup and India cant...T&T would have a population smaller than any big Indian city.

Talking of money..can you please tell me how much footballers of countries like Ghana and Nigeria earn??

 

[sunny001]

and what do you have to say about countries like trinidad and tobago qualifying for the world cup and India cant...T&T would have a population smaller than any big Indian city.

Talking of money..can you please tell me how much footballers of countries like Ghana and Nigeria earn??

Sure, but for Ghana and Nigeria its their main sport apart from olympic runners. If they cannot put money into their sport, what will be the fate of their secondary sport. For India, football is a secondary sport.

Coming back to supporting other sports, Reliance mukesh and IMG sports agency have recently signed a contract with Basketball Federation of India for 30 years to develop basketball in India.

I have even heard he is looking into developing the football too. Who knows we might see a football league in India too in 10 years time. But we need talent to develop sports. They cannot invest in something hoping that it will give them returns. Without a feasible business plan, why would a businessman invest in that sport?

Also I think, they are interested in buying liverpool because they want to learn how to run a foot ball league. May be as a precursor to Indian football league. who knows!

 

[Super Falcon]

for me ambani going to get the liverpool if he intent to

 

[Peshwa]

and what do you have to say about countries like trinidad and tobago qualifying for the world cup and India cant...T&T would have a population smaller than any big Indian city.

Talking of money..can you please tell me how much footballers of countries like Ghana and Nigeria earn??

Its a matter or generating interest....

Indian parents never encourage kids to play soccer....or for that matter any other sport....
Cricket is all that rules....And maybe boxing is gaining popularity slowly....

I think its important to invest in other sports like soccer....

Skill is no bar...

There is nothing called an athletic race.....just as the concept of martial race is debunk.....since it seems thats what you're implying....

 

[Iggy]

Also bringing some players from out side will help increase the popularity of foot ball here in India..i mean not the one who just know how to play football like the one now in India but bringing talented players..it wil also increase the efficency of Indian player playing with and against them..

I read somewhere that football become hit in Japan after one of the clubs bring the Brazilian superstar Zico ..