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DD Sports to telecast the World University Games
NEW DELHI: The World University Games – Gwangju Summer Universiade – in South Korea are being covered live and extensively by the country’s only free-to-air sports channel, DD Sports.
DD Sports will cover the Games, held every second year, for more than 180 hours of coverage starting from 3 – 14 July.
The event is a multi-sport event with international participation from University students, is the largest sporting event after the Olympics.
The telecast will commence at 6 am and will continue till 9:30 pm, which will include live action from ground zero, commentary from the scene of action and analyses and discussion on the game by panel of experts. The channel’s social media team will complement the coverage of the games with latest updates on Twitter, Facebook and analysis by experts in the blog space.
The Gwangju Summer Universiade will see the participation of more than 25,000 athletes from leading 170 universities of the world. Importantly, 48 per cent of Olympic medalists are also Universiade medalists and its records in most sports, including track and field and swimming, surpass those of the Asian Games. In most countries, university athletes are nurtured as the next-generation leaders in sports.
Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, DD Sports deputy director Rafeeq Masoodi said that though sportspersons earned their laurels in the biggest sporting platforms like the Olympics and Asian Games, they took their first decisive steps in this direction at the School, University and the National games.
He said DD Sports had in the recent months initiated the process of enrichment of its content to present holistic coverage of global sports for the sports lovers of the country. The channel had lined up exciting and meaningful sporting action in the coming months.
After the Asian Racing Championship, the World University Games is the second major big-ticket event lined up for its viewers.
Many more national and international sporting properties are being lined up in the coming months. This ranges from National Sports Quiz show to the Tribal, Indigenous and innovative Games, for the genuine sports lovers spread all across the country.
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.
