Priyanka Chopra to be at the centre of gala ISL opening
Kicking off the ceremony will be a performance by 200 children between the age group of 12 †14 years and 100 Dance Performers, wherein over 600 illuminated footballs will be used as props. The performance by the children will culminate in a dramatic formation of the Indian Super League logo. 160 Indian musicians with 8 musical maestros will also set the stage alight.
Next up will be a video montage highlighting the International and Indian football talent on display in the inaugural season of the League. Post this taking center stage would be Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who will declare the inaugural ceremony open.
This will be followed by a brief tribute to the “Blazing Feet of Indian Football Legends”, the Golden Era of football in India 1951--â€1962 with shots from the Asian Games of 1962.
Then taking center stage at the Salt Lake Stadium will be a tribute by 8 musical maestros representing each of the eight participating teams and regions, who will be accompanied nearly a 160 musicians.
Representing Kolkata at their home venue will be percussionist and musician Bickram Ghosh, while percussionist extraordinaire Sivamani will play for Chennai. Similarly, Aslam Dafrani will represent Delhi, while Bondo and Taufiq Qureshi will represent Goa and Mumbai respectively. Adding to the atmosphere will be the Chenda players representing Kerala, the Manipuri dhol players from the North East and Puneri dhol players representing Pune.
The highlight will be a special performance by Bollywood diva Priyanka Chopra, accompanied by Salim Merchant of the Salim and Suleiman famed duo. Priyanka Chopra will then set the stage alight performing with all the 8 musical maestros and dance performers, who will also sing an original compilation later. The ceremony will come to a close amidst fireworks accompanied by special rendition of the League anthem by Salim Merchant.
Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Sarbananda Sonowal would also be present at the event along with other dignitaries including Praful Patel, President - All India Football Federation (AIFF) and Uday Shankar, CEO, Star India. Celebrity owners of the participating teams present at the event will include Abhishek Bachchan (Chennaiyin FC), Varun Dhawan (FC Goa), Salman Khan (FC Pune City) and John Abraham (NorthEast United FC) along with Saurav Ganguly (Atlético De Kolkata), Sachin Tendulkar (Kerala Blasters FC) and Ranbir Kapoor (Mumbai City FC).
Following the inauguration ceremony, the first match of the Hero Indian Super League will be played between Atlético de Kolkata and Mumbai City FC, locking horns against each other on the field.
The Hero Indian Super League is a symbol of hope and pride for Indian football and Indian football fans around the world, especially as the league marks the birth of a football nation, which is expected to culminate into a glorious new chapter for Indian football.
Tickets to the Grand Opening Ceremony and first match of Hero Indian Super League are priced between INR 200/- to 2500/-. Book your tickets online at www.indiansuperleague.com. Tickets are also available at Salt Lake Stadium box office at the Stadium.
(Reporting by Arindam Basu)
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