iWorld
La Liga onboards Khelraja as its official Asian igaming partner
Mumbai: Highlighting its commitment to the igaming experience, Khelraja, Asia’s real-money gaming brand that offers sports betting, casino, and esports among other categories, has partnered with La Liga team Sevilla FC. It is its official Asian igaming partner. Through the association, which will run until 30 June 2024, Khelraja will provide its users the opportunity to engage with all La Liga and Copa del Rey matches featuring Sevilla FC and win rewards.
Sevilla FC president José Castro said, “We are very pleased to have signed this agreement which will allow us to continue growing in our process of internationalising our brand, both globally and in Southeast Asia, a market that we consider strategic in our expansion process. Sevilla is going to become an ambassador of LaLiga with this sponsorship agreement, and we are undoubtedly taking an important step in this region.”
The Spanish First Division, known as La Liga, has, over the last two decades, featured global superstars such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldinho, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The partnership between Sevilla and Khelraja provides these fans with an opportunity to further elevate their engagement and experience sports immersion.
Khelraja CEO Viren Modi said, “The passion for football in India is on the rise, as can be seen in the growing popularity of overseas football leagues. Partnering with Sevilla FC, one of the biggest and most illustrious clubs in Spanish football, is a moment of great pride for us. The association will provide football fans on the Khelraja platform with yet another avenue to not only engage with Sevilla FC’s games online but also win lucrative rewards while doing so. We are looking forward to the partnership and will be exploring more such engagement opportunities with other football clubs, both in India and overseas.”
Sevilla FC has a history spanning more than 130 years. It is the oldest club in Spain dedicated to football and has, since its founding in 1890, won one league title, five Spanish Cups, one Spanish Super Cup, and one Uefa Super Cup. Sevilla FC also holds the distinction of winning the Uefa Europa League (previously called the Uefa Cup) a record six times, with the most recent victory coming in the 2019-20 season.
Gaming
Formula 1 and Mumbai Falcons launch India’s first official F1 sim racing championship
Nationwide competition creates pathway from virtual racing to pro motorsport
MUMBAI: Formula 1 has teamed up with Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited to launch India’s first officially sanctioned F1 sim racing competition, marking a new step in the country’s growing motorsport ecosystem.
The championship, titled F1 Sim Racing India Open 2026, will offer a structured national platform for sim racers, with participants competing on the official F1 25 across multiple stages. The competition will begin with online qualifiers, followed by city-based simulator rounds, before culminating in a national final in Mumbai this November.
Open to players across PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox, registrations for the event will begin on 30 April via the Mumbai Falcons app. The format mirrors real-world racing, featuring official circuits, team liveries and competitive structures aligned with the global series.
Formula 1 driver Narain Karthikeyan said the initiative arrives at a time when interest in the sport is surging in India, adding that a structured sim racing platform could help identify and nurture the next generation of talent.
Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited managing director Ameet Gadhoke noted that the championship aligns with the team’s long-term goal of building a strong motorsport pipeline in the country and placing Indian talent on the global stage.
The launch also reflects broader momentum in esports, especially after its recognition under India’s Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025. By bridging gaming and real-world racing, the initiative aims to offer aspiring drivers a credible entry point into professional motorsport.
With interest in Formula 1 steadily rising and conversations around its return to India gaining pace, the new championship could become a proving ground for future racing stars.
