Nagpur: The Orange City is gearing up to host the Handball Premier League (HPL) in February 2026, a landmark sporting event set to bring national attention to the city’s sporting scene. Bollywood actor and former handball player Esha Deol, daughter of film legends Dharmendra and Hema Malini, has been announced as the Brand Ambassador for the tournament.
The event, jointly organised by the Nagpur District Handball Association, N-KASH Events, and Khel Sena Mandal, will take place at the Mankapur Indoor Stadium from February 7, 2026. A total of 12 teams — six men’s and six women’s — will compete for a cash prize of ₹52 lakh, informed organiser Rajesh Naidu during the logo unveiling ceremony held on Saturday.
The event was graced by Minister of State Pankaj Bhoyar, along with Kundatai Vijaykar, Babanrao Taywade, and Rajabhau Taksale. Speaking on the occasion, Minister Bhoyar lauded the organisers for their initiative, emphasizing the importance of such platforms in nurturing emerging talent.
“Events like the HPL give aspiring players the opportunity to showcase their skills and potentially rise to national and international levels,” Bhoyar said.
The ceremony began with the traditional lamp-lighting, followed by the felicitation of former handball stalwarts including Rajkumar Naidu, Milind Makde, Atmaram Pande, Sunil Bhotmange, Inderjeet Singh Randhawa, Lovneet Kaur Randhawa, Pawan Meshram, Mukund Sarmokaddam, and Pankaj Kothari for their contributions to the sport.
The upcoming league aims to popularize handball in India while positioning Nagpur as a key destination for major sporting events.
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