Former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar "ventured into the world of badminton" on Thursday when he was announced as co-owner of Premier Badminton League franchise Bengaluru Blasters alongside Tollywood actors including Chiranjeevi, according to the PTI. Bengaluru Blasters co-Owner Nimmagadda Prasad said, "Sachin Tendulkar, Chiranjeevi, Akkineni Nagarjuna and Allu Aravind, besides myself -- we all of us have formed a consortium and invested in Bengaluru Blasters." This is the second venture of the consortium that owns Indian Super League side Kerala Blasters. Asked about "the stakes picked up by the consortium members, Prasad denied to share details on it," but said he would disclose the details at an "opportune time." Asked whether it is "a riskier affair to enter into badminton league which has not taken off as expected compared to Pro-Kabbadi," Prasad said that the investors bought the team "considering the risk factors involved and with a desire to raise the standards of the sport in India." Tendulkar said that given "the recent wave of success for India in badminton globally," it is the right time to help "grow the sport exponentially" (PTI, 12/8).
