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PUMA enlists Kareena Kapoor Khan, Vineeta Singh, and Mary Kom as Women Leaders for WPL Season
Mumbai: Continuing its mission to develop the sports ecosystem in India, especially women’s sports, global sports brand PUMA has brought together a unique and dynamic lineup of female icons – celebrated actor & entrepreneur Kareena Kapoor Khan, India’s accomplished businesswoman and cofounder of SUGAR Cosmetics Vineeta Singh, boxing great MC Mary Kom, fashion designer Masaba Gupta and renowned news anchor Faye D’Souza, to join hands and champion the cause of women’s cricket in the country.
Under this one-of-a-kind association, the selected women leaders as voices of change will be jointly attending a Women’s Premier League (WPL) match in New Delhi on March 10 for a unique Ladies’ Night to support and celebrate our women athletes.
One of the world’s biggest sports brands, PUMA took to social media on Thursday to announce this association and launch the mammoth campaign with a digital film featuring the five women. Narrated by the iconic leaders, the film conceptualised by PUMA revealed that women’s cricket receives only 1/8th the viewership of men’s cricket (as per official digital viewership data of 2023), reflecting the staggering gender bias in the sports ecosystem. Despite huge potential, women’s cricket in India is yet to achieve the desired numbers when it comes to viewership, as only 18 per cent of the women who watch men’s cricket, watch women’s games.
In the digital film, the stars pledged to not only come together to watch the WPL match between Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore at the stadium but also welcome women from all walks of life to join them and enjoy watching the game as a collective over this unique Ladies‘ Night.
Commenting on the occasion, PUMA India managing director Karthik Balagopalan said, “As the country’s leading sports brand, PUMA has been a long-standing driver of change in shattering gender biases and championing women’s sports. Traditionally, women in the country have not been encouraged to watch and embrace sports as men have. Now that is the need of the hour. We are at the turning point to create an equitable sporting landscape and women need to watch women’s sport in order to drive change.”
Karthik added, “As we launch this campaign today, it is heartwarming to have India’s leading women such as Kareena Kapoor Khan, Vineeta Singh, MC Mary Kom, Masaba Gupta and Faye D’Souza, use the power of their voice and platforms to address this cause. Cricket is Everyone’s Game and as a brand, we have been advocating it from the time we onboarded Harmanpreet Kaur with an award-winning social experiment. We are confident now that this remarkable collaboration will further the narrative, level the playing field, increase fandom and create inspiration for the future generation of women athletes.”
PUMA ambassador Kareena Kapoor Khan has been contributing immensely to the world of cinema and is now leveraging her influential voice to make a change in the sports industry.
Commenting on the occasion, Kareena Kapoor Khan said,“ India has seen some significant performances by our female athletes recently but there is so much more scope for it to be brought out with more glory. While cricket is a religion in our country – the spotlight, the viewership, the fanfare – is markedly lesser in women’s cricket when compared to men’s cricket. Personally, cricket as a sport has always been close to my heart, it runs in our family and now we own a team as well so it’s even more special.”
Kareena added, “I’m glad that a brand like PUMA has identified this need and come forward with this stand-out campaign to increase the participation of female viewers in women’s cricket. Let’s come together and join PUMA to bring the much-needed change.”
While WPL fever is beginning to grip the country, PUMA’s attempt to create awareness around the number of female viewers of the game and ignite fandom conversation and mindset change by bringing together women from across industries in a nation-wide movement is a historic move.
“I am honoured to stand alongside formidable women in supporting PUMA’s groundbreaking #CricketIsEveryonesGame campaign at the Women’s Premier League. Being an entrepreneur, I have faced barriers and I understand the power of breaking them. It’s disheartening to witness the vast viewership gap between men’s and women’s cricket, and we are committed to changing that narrative which goes beyond the boundaries of the sports arena; it’s about empowering women, fostering entrepreneurship, and boosting the sports economy,” commented SUGAR Cosmetics cofounder Vineeta Singh.
Masaba Gupta, fashion designer, added, “Female athletes serve as powerful role models for girls and young women. Supporting women’s sports fosters a sense of community and inclusion by bringing people together to celebrate athletic achievements, regardless of gender. Through this campaign with PUMA, we aim to revolutionise women’s cricket and I hope to see many women to be a part of this historic movement.“
The official kit partner of Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Capitals, PUMA actively promotes sporting culture in India and boasts a star-studded lineup of brand ambassadors featuring batting icon Virat Kohli, football star Sunil Chhetri, celebrated boxer MC Mary Kom, and cricketers Harmanpreet Kaur and Mohammed Shami.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
