County Businessman Buys Football Franchise in Florida

Raj Bhathal, an Orange County swimsuit manufacturer and real estate developer, has acquired majority ownership of the Orlando franchise in the new World League of American Football, league officials announced Wednesday.

Bhathal, 49, a Newport Beach resident, announced Wednesday that the team’s name will be the Orlando Thunder.

“NFL games played abroad have proven that people overseas enjoy the American style of football,” said Bhathal, who emigrated in 1962 from India to the United States. “With Orlando’s strong worldwide popularity, this will give us an opportunity to enhance the City of Orlando as an international city.

“Owning a team in this league might be better than being in the NFL. I love, love football . . . This city was the No. 1 city in the World League’s marketing. We feel this is an international league and Orlando is an international city.”

Bhathal, who founded Far Western Bank in Tustin and is a member of the Executive Round Table at UC Irvine, announced that Paul Bartelt, 30, owner of Pro Sports Management in Orange, will be a minority owner of the franchise and handle daily operations. Bartelt’s background includes negotiating NFL player contracts and commercial advertising agreements.

The league expects to have 10 franchises and begin play March 10. Unlike previous unsuccessful attempts by the World Football League and USFL to compete with the NFL, the WLAF will be governed and operated by it. The new league has a 21-country, $50-million television package.

Bhathal and his wife, Marta, reside in the Big Canyon area of Newport Beach. They have a son who attends Corona del Mar High School and a daughter at USC.

“Raj Bhathal brings an impeccable background of business success and community involvement to Orlando’s World League franchise,” said Mike Lynn, league president. “As a native of India, he also has a strong appreciation for the international dimension of this league and shares our vision of globalizing the sport of American football.”

The other U.S. franchises will be in Charlotte, N.C.; New York; Montreal; Sacramento; San Antonio, and Birmingham, Ala. London, Barcelona and Frankfurt, Germany, will be the European entries.