The Hindu Business Line : Total Sports Asia sets up shop in India

Mr Marcus Luer, Group CEO, Total Sports Asia Ltd, with Mr Navneet Sharma, Managing Director, Indian Subcontinent & Middle East, at the launch of its India operations, in Mumbai on Friday. — Paul Noronha

Mumbai , Sept. 17

ASIA's leading integrated sports marketing company Total Sports Asia (TSA), with offices in Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai and Tokyo, today announced the launch of its Indian subcontinent operations, Total Sports & Entertainment India Pvt Ltd (TSEI).

TSEI a wholly owned subsidiary of TSA, will be operating from Mumbai developing business further in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Announcing the launch, Mr Marcus Luer, TSA Group CEO, said, "India is among the fastest growing economies in the world with highly evolved marketing practices in terms of concepts and executions. Our endeavour is to create customised sports marketing solutions, which deliver impact and results for our clients." He added, "We see a lot of scope to build on our previous success in the Indian market place with many global and domestic organisations here ready to enhance their brands through sport and entertainment."

Mr Navneet Sharma, Managing Director, Indian Subcontinent and Middle East, who will head TSEI's efforts, commented, "We are in existence to exponentially impact the lives of individuals by interweaving key brands with their passion for entertainment through sports, music, films and all other activities."

Internationally, TSA has developed an integrated sports marketing business model, which maximises revenue streams and builds communications channels through all its core avenues, TV rights, event management, sponsorship, licensing, merchandising, mobile content and online marketing. TSA represents clients across a variety of sports and corporate sectors including the exclusive Asian representation of television, sponsorship, licensing and merchandising rights for the world's leading sports entertainment brand - WWE.

The successful TV distribution of the recent Copa America football tournament in Asia, the event management of the Hyundai 2004 Football World Championships (Asian Finals) and the WWE live event in 2002 in India provide recent examples of the company's continued ability to perform at the forefront of Asian sports marketing.

Mr Marcus Luer said, "The TSA's team has a wealth of experience developing sports marketing opportunities for our clients, ranging from sporting events to licensing/merchandise, TV programme and mobile content. We are in the sports content business and with 40 plus staff dedicated to sports marketing across the region, India is a natural next step for our planned growth. We look forward to serving our Indian subcontinent clients with exciting and rewarding results."