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Decathlon/Kipsta unveils new official match balls for UEFA Europa and conference leagues
Mumbai: KIPSTA teams up with UEFA and becomes its official match ball supplier for the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Conference League. This partnership will start with the 2024 2025 season and run until the end of the 2026 2027 season.
Answering the most technical standards required to play football at the highest level and being awarded with the FIFA quality pro label, the KIPSTA ball has been chosen for the comfort of control given to the player, its great landing zone precision, as well as its outstanding grip, which facilitates the use of the ball in all weather conditions. The thermobonding technology used for its conception also guarantees better durability of the ball, ensuring its premium quality from the beginning to the end of the match.
Decathlonglobal chief sports and products officer Fabien Brosse said, “Decathlon is delighted to embark on this wonderful partnership with UEFA as the official match ball supplier of the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League. Our ball being selected, supports and confirms our continuous efforts to produce quality and highly technical products, which have the capacity to be used at the highest level of the sporting game.”
UEFA marketing director Guy-Laurent Epstein added, “We look forward to seeing the new Kipsta UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League balls in action across Europe as a new, exciting season of UEFA’s men’s club competitions kicks off. In addition, we are delighted to see the ambitious plans that have been put in place by Decathlonto to promote and sell the balls through their extensive retail and online networks.”
While many people have never played with a professional ball, KIPSTA and UEFA are uniting to change this dynamic. By teaming up, they are proving that a ball at an accessible price can be of great quality and meet the highest professional standards.
This quality level has been achieved by KIPSTA via a fruitful collaboration with multiple players of different levels, resulting in having the most tested ball in the world. The tests of the ball’s prototypes were also conducted with more than 10 professional football teams in France.
However, the quality of the ball doesn’t compromise its accessibility, following KIPSTA’s business model: to reach more footballers around the world with excellent and sustainable products that meet professional standards and are accessible to everyone.
The ball is now available online and in all Decathlon stores.
Decathlon federated sports director Frédéric Boistard added, “Football is a sport that completely embodies Decathlon’s Ready-To-Play motto. It can be played anywhere, by anyone, as long as you have a group of people and a ball. KIPSTA aims at providing a crucial element to each match, therefore enhancing every player’s experience on a field, whether it is for professional ones during a UEFA match, or in a school playground for young beginners.
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.
