'The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition' to Premiere in India tomorrow, March 20th on Republic TV

- Niraj Puran Rao to represent India in ONE's unique take on the iconic business reality show

MUMBAI, India, March 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), today announced that reality television series, 'The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition,' will premiere in India on Republic TV on 20 March 2021 with new episodes airing every Saturday.

A multi-skilled entrepreneur originally from Pune, Niraj Puran Rao, joins the show as one of 16 candidates all vying for the right to be called 'The Apprentice.'

Coming from a humble navy background, Niraj spent his childhood mostly traveling in the first few years of his life. In 2017, he won India's 'Asli Champion,' a reality TV competition for the physically and mentally fittest men and women in India. 

Niraj joined 'The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition' so he could give back to his country and ignite millennial entrepreneurship in India. He is now looking to conquer the boardroom and earn a spot alongside ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong as his protege.

"It is nothing short of surreal to be chosen among the top 16 candidates from across the world for 'The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition.' "The show was just a play of chance in what I call a game of choice. It came at a time when I was rethinking a lot of my decisions and wanted to expand my horizon of skills and learning. I feel honored to be associated with a brand that is synonymous with the now-MMA sensation Ritu Phogat in India. I hope I do justice to it and give a stellar performance through the entire season considering this is going to be the toughest 'Apprentice' in the history of the franchise," Niraj said about his participation on the show.

This brand new edition of 'The Apprentice' invites 16 candidates handpicked from around the world to compete in a high-stakes competition involving business and physical challenges. The winner will receive a US$250,000 job offer to work directly under ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong for a year as his protege in Singapore.

Fans in India will also be happy to witness a series of special guests on the show, including Indian Wrestling Champion Ritu 'The Indian Tigress' Phogat, Zilingo CEO Ankiti Bose, Everise CEO Sudhir Agarwal, and Zoom CEO Eric Yuan, among others. Also playing the role of Advisor is India's Niharika Singh, who currently serves as ONE's Senior Vice President of Corporate Development and Strategy.

While Niraj represents India on the show, the international cast of candidates represent Asia, Europe, North America, South America, and New Zealand. 

Below is the complete list of 'The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition' candidates:

• Lara Pearl Alvarez, Philippines
• Alvin Ang, Singapore
• Irina Chadsey, Russia
• Eugene Chung, United States
• Teirra Kamolvattanavith, Thailand
• Joy Koh, Singapore
• Monica Millington, United States
• Paulina Purnomowati, Indonesia
• Jessica Ramella, Venezuela
• Niraj Puran Rao, India
• Nazee Sajedi, United States
• Louie Sangalang, Philippines
• Sho Takei, Japan
• Clinton Tudor, New Zealand
• Roman Wilson, United States
• Kexin Ye, Germany

'The Apprentice' is one of the biggest non-scripted reality television programs in history, judging the business skills of candidates who are competing for a job offer under a high-profile CEO. It has aired in more than 120 countries. The first season of 'The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition' consists of 13 episodes.

Catch the 'The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition' on Republic TV every Saturday at 10 p.m.

Watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ge_NhC7nFP4 

For more information on The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition, please visit: 

http://onefc.com/the-apprentice/.

About ONE Championship™

ONE Championship (ONE) is the largest global sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE is the world's largest martial arts organization, hosting bouts across all styles of martial arts such as Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Karate, Kung Fu, Silat, Sanda, Lethwei, Mixed Martial Arts, Tae Kwon Do, Submission Grappling, and more. ONE hosts the biggest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world's best martial artists and world champions on the largest global media broadcast in Asia. ONE Esports, a subsidiary of ONE Championship, runs Asia's largest global esports Championship Series with some of the biggest blockbuster game titles in the world. With a focus on both martial arts and esports, ONE Championship is currently the largest producer of millennial live sports content in Asia. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts across 150+ countries with some of the largest global free-to-air and digital broadcasters, including Star Sports, Tencent, TV5, Astro, ClaroSports, Startimes, Fox Sports, Thairath TV, Turner Sports, Skynet, MediaCorp, Great Sports, Mediaset Italia, ProSiebenSat.1, Dubai Sports, and more.