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Adidas signs on as presenting sponsor of ESPN’s online football World Cup coverage
Official World Cup sponsor Adidas has signed on as presenting sponsor of ESPN.com’s complete online coverage of the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
ESPN’s online resources dedicated to covering soccer’s most prestigious tournament include ESPN.com, ESPNdeportes.com, the company’s Spanish-language website, and ESPNsoccernet.com, the source for online news, information, and analysis in the world of soccer.
ESPNsoccernet.com, published out of the U.K. has unveiled its new World Cup site. It offers soccer fans comprehensive online coverage, complete with live scoring, up-to-the-minute news and information, in-depth match previews and reviews, live chats, photo galleries and video features.
Extensive 2002 FIFA World Cup coverage across ESPNsoccernet.com, ESPN.com, and ESPNdeportes.com includes
1. Live scoreboards, featuring player and team statistics;
2. Up-to-the-minute headline news and information;
3. Profiles for all 2002 World Cup players and teams; in-depth match previews and recaps;
4. ESPN.com’s exclusive World Cup GameCast, an interactive application that gives users instant visual match updates on shots, goals, bookings, substitutions and more;
5. World Cup photo galleries, past and present;
6. Live World Cup countdown clock, ticking down to kick-off of the first match; 7. “My Team” personalisation, allowing fans easy access to all the news and scores for their favourite team;
8. World Cup 2002 Challenge, a bracket-style game challenging fans to correctly predict the outcome of the tournament.
ESPNsoccernet.com will also include live text commentary for each match; exclusive interviews from some of the game’s biggest names, including France coach Roger Lemerre; comments from past World Cup winners, including England’s Nobby Stiles and Germany’s Andreas Brehme; and a World Cup Fantasy Game, allowing fans to create a fantasy team and compete against friends and other players from around the world.
ESPNsoccernet.com, which launched in 1995, has gained a reputation for providing the most complete online coverage of soccer’s biggest events. During Euro 2000, ESPNsoccernet’s traffic doubled and the number of users visiting the site trebled, claims an official release. ESPNsoccernet claims to currently generate 72 million page impressions and has 2.5 million unique visitors each month.
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.
