Premier Handball League (PHL) has joined hands with Dream11 as its fantasy gaming partner and multi-sport aggregator FanCode as its digital streaming partner.

With Dream11 and FanCode on board, Mrinalini Sharma, CEO of PHL, is confident about the acceptance of handball, which is also an Olympic sport.

“Dream 11 has been a visionary in the world of sports and has successfully infiltrated the Indian household, bringing families and sports enthusiasts alike together. With them as our partners and FanCode as our official live streaming partner, we at the Premier Handball League believe that the popularity of handball is secure in times to come,” Mrinalini Sharma said. 

Jagan Mohan Rao, president of Handball Federation of India - the governing body for the sport in the country, shared a similar sentiment and deemed PHL an important step towards the betterment of handball in India.

"This is going to be a significant moment in Indian handball history as the PHL will infuse fresh air to the sport which has immense potential at grassroot level," Jagan Mohan Rao said at the launch of the PHL.

"The league will bring exciting competition among the players as well as help build handball as a brand." 

The first season of PHL will be held at the Sawai Mansingh Indoor Stadium from December 24 to January 10. The 18-day men’s event will consist of 30 league matches followed by three knockout games.

The inaugural edition will have six men's teams - Telangana Tigers, UP Icons, Maharashtra Handball Hustlers, KingHawks Rajasthan, Bengal Blues, and Punjab Pitbulls - and more than 80 players taking part. Each team will consist of 14 players. 

PHL is sanctioned by the Asian Handball Federation, International Handball Federation, and Handball Federation of India and will be managed by PHL Sports India Private Limited.

The Indian men’s and women’s won the gold medal at the 2016 South Asian Games held in Guwahati, India.