MAM
RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group & Virat Kohli announce the date of the second edition of the Indian Sports Honours (ISH)
MUMBAI: The second edition of the Indian Sports Honours, an initiative by Sanjiv Goenka, Chairman, RP-SG Group and Virat Kohli, will be held on 27th September 2019 at Dome, NSCI, SVP Stadium, Mumbai. The annual ceremony, which was supposed to be held in February, was postponed as a mark of respect to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans who were martyred in Pulwama in a terrorist attack.
Indian Sports Honours aim to recognize and honour Indian athletes for their exceptional performances, sportsmanship and spirit of sport through a felicitation ceremony. This year, 17 Honours will be given to athletes who have high achievements in their respective sport for the period of January – December 2018.
The winners of 11 categories (Jury Honours) were decided by ISH Jury members, which comprised of eminent leaders and sporting champions including the likes of Mr. Sanjiv Goenka, Pullela Gopichand, Abhinav Bindra, Sardar Singh, Mahesh Bhupathi, PT Usha and Anjali Bhagwat. Apart from the Jury Honours, there are six ‘Popular Choice Honours’ and winners were decided through an online voting process on Twitter. The nominations in all the categories were shortlisted by 200 journalists from Sports Journalists Federation of India (SJFI).
The ceremony will be a black-tie red-carpet event, with members of India’s sporting fraternity, celebrities and guests in attendance.
Mr. Sanjiv Goenka, Chairman, RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, said, “We are thrilled to host the second edition of the Indian Sports Honours. Indian athletes showcase hard work and perseverance consistently to put India on the world map for their sport. It is very important for us to recognize and celebrate these athletes in order to motivate them to continue their excellent performances.”
Mr. Bunty Sajdeh, CEO, Cornerstone Sport said, “In February Virat, Mr. Goenka and myself took a unanimous decision as a mark of respect to indefinitely postpone the Indian Sports Honours due to the horrific and tragic Pulwama attack that had just occurred. 7 months later we are proud to bring together again the second edition of the ISH to duly recognize our country’s top athletes on a global scale.”
Virat Kohli said, “Indian Sports Honours is a platform for multi-disciplinary sportspersons where sporting talent and achievements are recognized, promoted and celebrated in an unprecedented manner. I always believe that sports is an integral part of every individual’s life starting from school and eventually translating to supporting their favourite athletes on TV and during sporting events. I am confident that these awards are a stepping stone which will further encourage talent to excel in their own category of sports.”
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Indian Sports Honours Categories |
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Jury Honours |
Popular Choice Honours |
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Emerging Sportswoman |
Team of the Year |
Breakthrough Performance of the Year – Female |
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Emerging Sportsman |
Sportswoman of the Year (Team) |
Breakthrough Performance of the Year – Male |
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Differently Abled Sportswoman |
Sportsman of the Year (Team) |
Comeback of the Year |
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Differently Abled Sportsman |
Sportswoman of the Year (Individual) |
Spirit of Sport |
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Lifetime Achievement |
Sportsman of the Year (Individual) |
Fan Club of the Year |
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Coach of the Year |
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Club of the Year |
Brands
Abhinav Rastogi named global marketing director for YouTube Shopping
Google veteran to scale creator commerce and expand shopping across global markets
SINGAPORE: Abhinav Rastogi has stepped into a new role as global marketing director for YouTube Shopping, marking the latest chapter in a more than decade-long career at Google.
Rastogi, who took on the position in February and is based in Singapore, will lead global marketing for YouTube Shopping, a platform designed to connect creators, viewers and merchants in a single ecosystem. His remit includes expanding the service into new markets and strengthening its positioning as a growth channel for both creators and brands.
In a reflective note on the transition, Rastogi pointed to a simple but powerful idea driving the role. For years, creators have quietly built trust with audiences through consistent and authentic content, and that trust often shapes purchasing decisions. What is changing now, he said, is the infrastructure around that behaviour. YouTube Shopping aims to make it easier for viewers to discover and buy products recommended by creators they already follow.
The scale is already significant. More than half a million creators have joined the programme, with recent expansion into Japan through a partnership with Rakuten signalling further global ambitions.
Rastogi believes the future of shopping on YouTube will be driven by a blend of creators, content and communities. In his view, it is the human voice behind the screen, not just the product, that ultimately builds trust and drives discovery.
Prior to this role, he served as director of marketing, YouTube Asia Pacific, where he led regional marketing across creator engagement, brand building and reputation. During that time, he played a key role in launching and scaling YouTube Shopping across eight markets in the region.
Earlier stints at Google include group product marketing manager, consumer apps, overseeing growth for products such as Search, Maps and Assistant across India and Southeast Asia, and product marketing manager roles spanning consumer apps and YouTube, where he contributed to launches including YouTube Music, YouTube Originals and YouTube Shorts.
Rastogi began his career in consulting with Boston Consulting Group and A.T. Kearney, before moving into the technology sector. He is an alumnus of Indian Institute of Management Calcutta and Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur.
Alongside his corporate role, he is also an active angel investor, backing early-stage startups in consumer technology and electric mobility across India and Southeast Asia.
As he settles into the new role, Rastogi is betting on a future where every video can double up as a storefront, and where commerce feels less like a transaction and more like a recommendation from a trusted voice.
