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BCCI ups cricketers’ take-home
NEW DELHI: As a first step towards resolving the cricket sponsorship row, the BCCI, one of the richest sporting bodies in the world, has decided to up the Indian cricketers’ take home for a match which will amount to 26 per cent of the total earnings of the BCCI.
“We have decided to increase the payment to Indian cricketers to 26 per cent (of the total earnings of the BCCI). It may be treated as an official announcement,” Jagmohan Dalmia, the big boss of Indian cricket and the chairman of BCCI, said during a conversation with anchors on SET Max channel yesterday after the Sri Lankan innings had come to an end and before the final got rained away.
At the moment while the Australian cricket board pays the highest amount to its cricketers which amounts to 25 per cent of the board’s earnings, Indian cricketers’ pay packets amount to about 20-22 per cent of the BCCI’s earnings.
In a bid to find a solution and bring around adamant Indian cricketers, before the Champions Trophy had started BCCI had offered to partly compensate the players for the losses which they might incur by signing on the ICC rules which has been framed to counter ambush marketing.
Sandwiched between Tony Greig and a seemingly aggressive Kapil Dev in the studio in Sri Lanka, Dalmia yesterday took the opportunity to explain BCCI’s position and the Indian cricketers’ predicament vis-?-vis ICC and the sponsorship row which, at one time, had threatened to disrupt the ICC Champions Trophy.
Dalmia also said during the course of the conversation that the payments to cricketers will amount to 26 per cent of the total annual earnings of the BCCI, but minus the interest, which the board earns from various fixed deposits, etc from banks.
According to Dalmia, last year BCCI’s earnings amounted to almost Rs 950 million.
Asked by Greig as to what were the issues relating to the advertising and sponsorship row, Dalmia, while pointing out that a solution may be in sight, said unlike other cricketers from other countries, the Indians stand to loose the most if ICC is adamant on the players signing the agreement in its current form.
Citing V. Sehwag’s example, Dalmia said that if for about eight months in a year India’s latest master blaster cannot directly endorse Coca-Cola, which has signed on Sehwag, the soft drinks major will see little reason to continue with the Indian cricketer.
“If the ICC rules are applied, then Sehwag may stand to lose (like other top cricketers too)… the sponsors will also have to take a lenient view in such a situation,” Dalmia said, hinting that in that may lie a solution.
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.
