STAR Sports launches racquet programme

New Delhi, Feb 28 (IBNS) Asia's leading sports content provider, ESPN STAR Sports (ESS) will launch SMASH on STAR Sports this Wednesday.

SMASH will be Asia's first ever all-inclusive racquet sports magazine show featuring the best weekly coverage from the worlds of badminton, table tennis, squash and tennis.

With the tremendous popularity of racquet sports in Asia combined with the dominance of local athletes across this sports genre, including: China's tennis darling Li Na; badminton stars Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia (World No.1), Wang Yihan of China (World No.1), Lin Dan of China (World No.2), and Saina Nehwal of India (World No. 4); Malaysian squash star Nicol David (World No.1); and table tennis standouts Ma Long of China (World No.1) and Feng Tianwei of Singapore (World No. 5), SMASH will provide the ultimate destination for racquet lovers to keep track of their favourite players and all the latest action.

STAR Sports' stellar team will provide player interviews, profiles and on-site reporting from top tournaments across Asia and internationally.

As the excitement builds for the London 2012 Olympic Games, SMASH will serve as the key destination for racquet lovers to keep a close watch on the major contenders to follow in the lead-up to the Olympic Games in July in tandem with ESPN STAR Sports' extensive pre-Games programming.

Craig Dobbs, Executive Vice President, Programming and Production, said, "We're delighted to add SMASH to our diverse portfolio of original programmes and top racquet sports coverage, including Wimbledon and Australian Open.

"Given Asia's widespread passion for racquet sports combined with many top athletes of this genre being local heroes, we are pleased that we can add a new dimension of entertainment featuring the best highlights and action for racquet fans in the lead-up to Wimbledon and the 2012 Olympic Games."