GECs
The WTA tour tournament to air LIVE and Exclusive on ESPN STAR Sports
Bangalore, February 10, 2006: ESPN STAR Sports, Asia’s number one sports broadcaster, will telecast LIVE & exclusive the Bangalore Open, the WTA tour tier III tournament to be played at the Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association Signature-Kingfisher Stadium from February 13, 2006. Sania Mirza, the World number 32, will be leading the Indian contingent at the tournament.
R C Venkateish, Managing Director, ESPN Software India Pvt Ltd, said, “Bangalore Open will see some of the best in Women’s tennis battle for supremacy. India will witness 14 of the top 100 tennis stars exhibiting their talent in one of the biggest tennis tournaments of the country.”
“After showcasing the Chennai Open and Australian Open in January, this certainly adds to our bouquet offering top tournaments and series in the world of international sports. We aim to deliver international quality production and package for all tennis enthusiasts in India. The following for the sport is on the rise with the likes of Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi and more recently Sania Mirza doing India proud in world Tennis. ” Added Venkateish.
Touted to be Asia’s largest tennis spectacle, Bangalore Open 2006, a Tier III tennis tournament, is organised by Globosport, the sports management company set up by Mahesh Bhupathi under the auspices of the Government of Karnataka. With the explosion of talent in women’s tennis in India, the Bangalore Open 2006 will allow Indians to see a new generation of Indian women take on the best in the world in their own backyard.
Mahesh Bhupathi, Managing Director, Globosport, said, “We are extremely pleased to be associated with ESPN STAR Sports for Bangalore Open 2006. Being a premier tournament, we are indeed delighted that the leader in international sport will be showing the tournament live, providing India’s tennis fans a chance to see some of the game’s best in action. We are certain that the international quality of production and telecast will bring in more viewers across the country.”
Bhupathi added, “It has been our continuous effort to create a platform for India to witness high-voltage tennis. Looking at the acceptance list, the Bangalore Open is sure to create an atmosphere of healthy competition for the players. Sania Mirza leading the Indian contingent will set the pace for the
greatest tennis Bangalore will witness. The unrelenting support of The
Government of Karnataka will make this tournament one of the biggest India will ever see.”
The tennis courts of Bangalore will be a battlefield for the best of talents from around the world during the tournament, the fourth WTA tour tournament in the country. The Bangalore Open 2006 is sure to witness flaring passions, with old scores to settle. Melinda Czinks who defeated India’s Sania Mirza at the Sunfeast Open in September is back. Mirza will also be renewing rivalry with old time opponent, the former World Junior No 1, Shahar Peer. Sybille Bammer (ranked No 77), Kaia Kanepi (ranked No 98) will be returning to India, after the Sunfeast Open. With over 16 countries in the main draw, the Bangalore Open is most definitely going to be the largest ever showcase of international tennis talent in the county.
GECs
Sahara One reports financial results, notes director exit and business realignment
Muted revenues, steady expenses and strategic adjustments shape company’s current phase
MUMBAI: In a tale where the sands seem to be slipping faster than they can be gathered, Sahara One Media and Entertainment Limited has reported another quarter of wafer-thin income and widening losses, even as a boardroom exit adds to the unease.
The company informed the Bombay Stock Exchange that its board, in a meeting held on April 4, approved its unaudited financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2025. The numbers paint a stark picture. Total income for the quarter stood at just Rs 0.13 lakh, unchanged sequentially and sharply down from Rs 0.26 lakh a year earlier.
Losses, meanwhile, deepened. The company posted a net loss of Rs 24.16 lakh for the quarter, compared to Rs 18.81 lakh in the June quarter and Rs 39.69 lakh in the same period last year. For the six months ended September 2025, the cumulative loss stood at Rs 39.69 lakh, while the full-year loss for FY25 was reported at Rs 60.72 lakh.
Expenses continued to outweigh income by a wide margin. Total expenses for the quarter came in at Rs 24.30 lakh, led by employee benefit costs of Rs 6.51 lakh and other expenses of Rs 17.78 lakh. Earnings per share remained in the red at Rs (0.11) for the quarter.
The balance sheet reflects a company with significant assets on paper but limited operational momentum. Total assets stood at Rs 23,065.57 lakh as of September 30, 2025, broadly unchanged from March 2025. Equity share capital remained steady at Rs 2,152.50 lakh, while total equity was reported at Rs 18,004.85 lakh.
Cash and cash equivalents saw a modest uptick to Rs 6.75 lakh from Rs 4.68 lakh earlier, supported by a positive operating cash flow of Rs 180.01 lakh for the period.
Yet, beneath these numbers lies a more complex narrative. The company’s auditors flagged their inability to obtain sufficient evidence to form a conclusion on the financial statements, citing lack of access to records. They also raised concerns over the company’s ability to continue as a going concern, pointing to insufficient funds, delayed recoveries, and stalled content investments.
Adding to the governance overhang, the company disclosed that Rana Zia has resigned as whole-time director, effective October 16, 2025, citing other professional commitments. The resignation, noted and accepted by the board, also brings an end to her role across company committees.
Regulatory pressures continue to loom large. The Securities and Exchange Board of India has already initiated penal actions for non-compliance with listing norms, with trading in the company’s shares remaining suspended. There is also a risk of promoter demat accounts being frozen.
Legacy legal issues remain unresolved. A substantial deposit of Rs 694,027.88 thousand linked to the long-running OFCD dispute involving Sahara group entities is still under the purview of the Supreme Court of India. Restrictions on asset disposal continue to weigh on the company’s financial flexibility.
Operationally, challenges persist across multiple fronts. Advances worth Rs 1,92,916 thousand given for film content remain stuck, with delays in project completion and uncertain recoverability. The company’s YouTube channel, despite being operational, has generated no revenue for over three years due to compliance lapses. In a further twist, management has indicated that revenues may have been fraudulently diverted through unauthorised changes to its AdSense account, with a police complaint in the works.
There are also missed revenue opportunities. Television content rights continue to be used by a related party despite the expiry of the licence agreement, with fresh negotiations still underway.
For now, Sahara One Media and Entertainment Limited appears caught between legacy disputes and present-day operational hurdles. As losses linger and governance questions mount, the road to recovery looks less like a sprint and more like a slow trudge through shifting sands.
