iWorld
Ayaz Memon Joins 1 Play Sports
MUMBAI: Sports media narrowcasting startup in the Asia Pacific 1 Play Sports has brought sports journalist Ayaz Memon onboard as consulting editor-in-chief, India from May 2020.
Memon, a media veteran with over 40 years’ experience, will lead the thrust for 1 Play Sports to deepen its roots and expand its operations in the Indian sports media market. He and his team will develop sports-related content to maximize audience reach and optimise strategic benefit to the company.
Memon has worked as a sports writer, editor and columnist with several newspapers such as Mid-Day, Bombay Times, DNA, Times of India, Hindustan Times, and Deccan Chronicle. He has also been a TV commentator/analyst at various times with Star Sports and Sony Sports, apart from news channels Times Now, NewsX, and Network18. Memon has reported live ten Cricket World Cups, over 250 test matches and 400 ODIs One Day Internationals, the 1988 and 2012 Olympics, 1998 and 2010 Commonwealth Games, 1990 Asian Games, the 2006 FIFA World Cup, the 1991 and 1993 Wimbledon Championships among several international events.
He has also authored four books on cricket and co-authored one on independent India's golden jubilee, India 50 – The Making of a Nation.
1 Play Sports CEO-founder Mohit Lalvani expressed delight at this association with Memon. “Ayaz’s contribution to Indian sports is gigantic, his depth of knowledge is only matched by his breadth of content understanding and I take great pleasure in welcoming him to the 1 Play Sports team. We are confident this will enable us to scale into India as we have done in Southeast Asian countries”, said Lalvani.
1 Play Sports began its operations in India roping in Neha S Warrier (ex-Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific) as country manager and since then has successfully streamed LIVE national and Asian tournaments expanding its footprint in the region.
“As we expand our viewer base in India, we are delighted to welcome aboard a veteran like Memon to 1 Play Sports and gain from his vast knowledge and experience”, said Neha Warrier.
1 Play Sports Pte Ltd, a Singapore-based sports media narrowcasting start-up, was founded in December 2018, that produces and streams community, grassroots level, school, special needs, and private events at national and international levels. Within a year since its inception, 1 Play Sports has streamed more than 2100 hours of sports content from events held in Southeast Asia and India.
In addition to international events such as World Pencak Silat Championships 2018, Netball Nation’s Cup 2019, Merlion Cup 2019, ASEAN Schools Games 2019, SEA Games 2019, and Dubai Intercontinental Cup 2020, 1 Play Sports has also produced and streamed India-centric events such as Track Asia Cup 2019, National Open Athletics Championship 2019, Weightlifting Championship 2019, Bodog Roots Premier League, National Inter-District Junior Athletics Meet 2019, Mountain Bike Challenge 2019 and many more. 1 Play Sports has over 500,000 followers and operates in Singapore, the Philippines, India, and Africa with further expansion plans in the Asian market in 2020.
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iWorld
Why Peaky Blinders is one of television’s biggest hits that still deserves more attention
Six seasons, multiple awards and the release of Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man bring the Shelby saga back into the spotlight
In the crowded universe of streaming content, only a handful of shows manage to leave a lasting cultural footprint. Peaky Blinders is overwhelmingly considered one of the biggest global hits of the past decade. Yet many viewers still haven’t fully explored the dark, gripping world of the Shelby family.
Originally produced for the UK’s BBC and later finding a massive global audience through Netflix, the series quietly grew from a British period drama into a worldwide streaming phenomenon.
Created by Steven Knight, the show follows the rise of the Shelby crime family in post-First World War Birmingham. What begins as a gritty street-gang story gradually expands into a sweeping narrative about ambition, politics, power and survival.
At the centre of the saga is Thomas Shelby, portrayed with extraordinary depth by Cillian Murphy. The casting of Murphy is widely regarded as perfect for the role. With piercing eyes, restrained dialogue and an almost hypnotic screen presence, he transforms Shelby into one of the most unforgettable characters in modern screen storytelling.
Murphy’s brilliance lies in his restraint. He rarely shouts or performs theatrically. Instead, a quiet stare, a calculated pause or a subtle shift in expression conveys the emotional storms within the character. Beneath the ruthless gang leader is a war veteran carrying trauma, guilt and loneliness. Murphy captures this complexity with remarkable precision, making Thomas Shelby both terrifying and deeply human.
Beyond its central performance, Peaky Blinders stands out for its unfiltered portrayal of reality. The show does not romanticise crime. Instead, it exposes the harsh social conditions of early 20th-century Britain, from poverty and class struggle to political extremism and the psychological scars left by war.
The series also presents powerful female characters who hold their own within the Shelby empire. Polly Gray, played by Helen McCrory, is the strategic backbone of the family and one of the most formidable figures in the story. Women in the series shape decisions, influence power structures and challenge the rigid social norms of the time.
Across six seasons, the narrative grows dramatically in scale. What begins in the smoky streets of Birmingham evolves into a story involving political conspiracies, fascism and international criminal networks.
The series has also earned significant critical acclaim. It won the BAFTA Television Award for Best Drama Series in 2018 and multiple National Television Awards for Best Drama, cementing its reputation as one of Britain’s most celebrated modern shows.
Another defining feature of the series is its iconic music. The show’s opening theme, Red Right Hand by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, became instantly recognisable and widely associated with the Shelby universe. Combined with a powerful soundtrack featuring artists such as Arctic Monkeys and Radiohead, the music helped shape the show’s dark, stylish identity and became hugely popular among fans.
And the Shelby story is not over yet.
In fact, its legacy is unfolding right now. The long-awaited feature-length continuation, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, was released on March 6, 2026, bringing the Shelby universe from streaming screens to cinemas and giving fans a new chapter in the saga.
For viewers who have not yet stepped into this world, the timing could not be better.
Six gripping seasons are ready to binge on Netflix. A new film has just arrived in theatres. And at the heart of it all stands one of the most magnetic performances in modern drama by Cillian Murphy.
So if Peaky Blinders has been sitting on your watchlist for years, this weekend is your moment.
So, by order of the Peaky fookin’ Blinders, consider this your cue to finally step into the ruthless world of Thomas Shelby. Pour yourself a drink, clear your schedule and press the play button. Because when the Peaky Blinders give an order, you listen.
