News Headline
BBC unveils technological innovations around the Fifa World Cup
MUMBAI: Innovation is at the heart of UK pubcaster BBC’s sporting coverage and the Fifa football World Cup will be the first football tournament to be broadcast in the UK on High Definition (HD).
The overall BBC HD trial will kick off with the BBC’s share of World Cup matches up to and including the 9 July final in Germany.
The site – bbc.co.uk/worldcup – will offer an in-depth guide to the tournament both during and ahead of kick-off.
New for this tournament will be Player Ratings where website and TV viewers can rate players in-match, while the very popular Mini Motty, the desktop news pop-up of John Motson, returns.
Also returning, but improved, is Virtual Replay, the 3D-style recreations of key moments from every match.
Virtual Replay will offer bbc.co.uk/sport users the chance to watch 3D animations of all shots and goals from each of the World Cup matches after they happen.
Users will be able to view the action from different camera angles and enjoy an ‘as live’ experience as the match is being played.
Football fans can also add themselves to the website – a new feature called ‘The Beautiful Frame’ will allow users to send in their World Cup-related photos from around the world.
Public participation also extends to a World Cup Blog which will invite users to live the tournament through the eyes of two BBC journalists.
As they drive around Germany in a camper van, the bloggers will take direction and advice from readers, regularly relating back their adventures on the long and winding road to Berlin.
Viewers with digital TV will have access to a number of extra interactive options.
The BBC Sport Interactive service will be available on all Digital TV platforms with coverage divided into two applications, Live Match and Replay. Interactive will be available 24/7 during the tournament.
Viewers will have the audio choice of BBC match commentary, Five Live’s commentary or the real-time noise from the stadium.
Additionally the BBC live match coverage will be extended on interactive beyond its BBC ONE transmission window to allow for extra post-match analysis. Viewers will also be able to replay in full earlier matches via the red button.
Also on interactive, between BBC match broadcasts, are a number of special streams: three x 15 minute edits of every World Cup match; an England channel, with interviews pre and post-match press conferences; and a round up of the best goals of the tournament.
Big Screen : The BBC will operate four fixed big screens in Birmingham (not all games), Hull, Leeds and Manchester with more venues to be announced, showing all of the BBC’s games.
Five Live will also operate a number of mobile, truck-mounted screens travelling all around the UK to a wide range of locations and communities.
On air World Cup Stories on BBC Two showcases six one hour documentaries on different countries’ World Cup histories from 7 May.
World Cup Goals on BBC Three is a countdown of the best 100 goals. When Lineker met Maradona is a BBC One documentary with Gary Lineker and Maradona.
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.
