Brands
Kabaddi Champions League fixes December 28 player auction
SONIPAT: The Kabaddi Champions League (KCL) has set December 28 for its first-ever player auction, marking a decisive step towards the launch of its inaugural season. Eight franchises will compete to assemble squads from a deep domestic talent pool, backed by a total purse of Rs 4 crore.
The announcement follows the completion of the league’s Zone 4 and central trials in Sonipat, which drew strong interest from across the country. More than 3,500 players registered for the trials, with over 1,500 athletes turning up for the central rounds. After a rigorous screening process, more than 110 players have been shortlisted, while the final auction pool is expected to comprise 200 to 250 players across categories.
Alongside emerging and grassroots talent, the auction will feature several established kabaddi professionals, including players with experience in national tournaments and leading professional leagues. Their presence is expected to lift the competitive intensity and sharpen the league’s on-court quality.
The trials were held across Sonipat and neighbouring regions under a structured and transparent evaluation framework. Selection panels included former international players and senior kabaddi figures, lending credibility and technical depth to the scouting process.
With trials concluded, focus now shifts to the live auction, where franchises will build balanced squads of raiders, defenders and all-rounders within defined purse limits and squad composition norms. The league said detailed auction guidelines will be shared ahead of the event.
Positioned as a bridge between grassroots and professional kabaddi, the Kabaddi Champions League aims to create a clear progression pathway for players. The December auction is expected to shape the competitive contours of the league ahead of its debut season, with further details on venue and logistics to be announced shortly.
Brands
Faber-Castell India appoints Sunaina Haldar as director – marketing
With stints at Tata, SleepyCat and ADF Foods under her belt, Haldar is primed to redraw Faber-Castell’s brand story
MUMBAI: Faber-Castell India has poached Sunaina Haldar from ADF Foods, appointing her director – marketing as the German stationery brand looks to muscle up in a category that is rapidly reinventing itself around creativity and self-expression.
Haldar hit the ground running. “My first couple of weeks have been incredibly energising, understanding consumers, visiting markets, engaging with retailers and immersing myself into the world of Faber-Castell Group,” she said.
She arrives with considerable firepower. At ADF Foods, Haldar ran marketing across India and international markets for a portfolio spanning Ashoka, Aeroplane, Camel and ADF Soul. Before that, she was vice-president – marketing at direct-to-consumer mattress brand SleepyCat, where she helmed brand, content and performance marketing. Her résumé also includes a stint leading marketing, new product development and CRM for Tata SmartFoodz at Tata Consumer Products, no small proving ground.
Between corporate roles, Haldar also operated as a fractional CMO for early-stage startups, building marketing strategy and operational structures from scratch, a signal that she knows how to move fast with limited resources.
With 18 years straddling FMCG, D2C and the startup world, Haldar now takes the reins at a brand that has long owned the classroom but is clearly hungry for the living room. In a stationery market where the pencil has become a lifestyle statement, Faber-Castell has picked someone who knows exactly how to sell that story.
