~A hunt for next big voice in cricket~
· Contest to recognise the most passionate and almost professional cricket jockey in India
· Top three finalists will be selected by a special jury through the multi-phased contest
· The winner gets a chance to feature on the post-match show of ESPNcricinfo during the upcoming India vs New Zealand ODI – Match day
Mumbai, October 7, 2016: Hyundai Motor India Ltd, the country’s leading car manufacturer and the largest passenger car exporter, in partnership with ESPNcricinfo has made the upcoming India vs New Zealand ODI series even more special by giving this lifetime opportunity to all true cricket fans to showcase their expertise in cricket: “The Hyundai Cricjockey 2 Powered by ESPNcricinfo, a talent hunt to discover India’s most passionate cricket fan”.
The first season of Hyundai Cricjockey gave the cricket fans of the country a platform to showcase their expertise in the game and their ability to comprehend the nuances of the sport in front of a Jury made up of the ESPNcricinfo editorial. The 2013 edition saw more than 8000 entries from across India where the best of the talent fought it out to claim the title.
Season 2 of Hyundai CricJockey will be a multi-phased contest open for fans to submit their entries on the CricJockey website - www.hyundaicricjockey.com by submitting an analysis/commentary on a match scenario identified by the ESPNcricinfo editorial. The best entries from the contestants stand to win goodies every day and will be featured on the CricJockey website. Apart from the online edition, the contest will also see an on-ground element with a 4 city ground event at Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai and Pune where cricket fanatics will submit their entries along with the extensive digital promotion.
The eminent jury includes Ajit Agarkar, former Indian cricketer, Sambit Bal (ESPNcricinfo Editor in chief), Gaurav Kalra (Senior Editor) & other prominent members from ESPNcricinfo editorial team. They will identify the top eight who will proceed to the semi-finals. These eight contestants will battle it out to reach the Finale where one among the Top 3 win the coveted title at the ESPNcricinfo studios.
The top three finalists will be tested on their cricket analysis skill by participating on the special post-match review segment for the ODI played between India and New Zealand on ESPNcricinfo MatchDay. They will be acquainted with the entire cricket reporting process (text & Video) and will go through the grinds of covering cricket matches alongside the ESPNcricinfo editorial team.
On the launch of season 2 of Hyundai CricJockey, Mr. Puneet Anand, General Manager & Group Head – Marketing, Hyundai Motor India Ltd. said: “Sports is a vital part of our lives especially cricket. Cricket is something everyone in India has grown up with - playing it, watching it and admiring it. It’s a game that families and friends experience together, much like the cars Hyundai makes. Hyundai is proud to be the ‘Official Partner’ of BCCI for the next four years across the three formats- Test, One day and T20. As a consumer centric brand, our focus is on offering best-in-class experience to customers across all touch points to ‘Experience Hyundai’ and we are proud to announce the CricJockey Season 2, giving all ardent cricket fans a chance to exhibit their commentary skills.”
Speaking on the occasion Mr. Akshaya Kolhe Head of Sales, ESPN Digital Media India said, “We know that cricket fans in India are among the most passionate and vocal in the world. CricJockey is a platform that gives a chance to cricket fans to transition beyond an ultimate fan and become a potential professional talent. With season 2 our association with Hyundai Motor India has gone further ahead, bringing one of the most existing and entertaining contest to our Fans. This only further reinforces our commitment to our fans by providing the best of “Game around the Game” content.
The Winner will be declared on October 29, 2016 when the grand winner will also get an opportunity to feature on the ESPNcricinfo match day show. The winner will then go on to write an entire cricketing blog on ESPNcricinfo website. Apart from this, the top 8 will take home prizes worth more than 2 Lakhs over the course of the contest.
Thousands of ardent cricket fans participated in the previous edition of Hyundai CricJockey and made this contest a huge success in 2013. Mr. Kartik Kannan was the winner of the first season and received an opportunity to associate with the ESPNcricinfo Video show in the following years. He was featured with his contributory writing on "The Inbox" - a very popular fan blog on the site that features some of the best sports writers.
ESPN IN INDIA
India is a key part of ESPN’s growth – in the Asia-Pacific region and globally – and its presence in the country is powered by the potent combination of ESPN’s leadership in digital sports and its long-term collaboration with Sony Pictures Networks India.
Serving the massive and vibrant sports fan community with entertaining, insightful and high-quality products and content, across digital devices and television, is at the core of ESPN’s strategic in India and the subcontinent. With offices in Bangalore and Mumbai, it boasts a world-class team that includes technologists, developers, editors, journalists and more that make up ESPN’s largest technology and digital editorial teams outside the United States.
ESPNcricinfo, already the ultimate destination for authentic, unbiased cricket news, analysis, statistics and scores, continues serving Indian cricket fans as it has for over 23 years.