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Dsport to telecast Poker Sports League’s season 2
MUMBAI: Dsport, Discovery Communications India’s sports TV channel, has acquired the exclusive rights to broadcast season two of the Poker Sports League (PSL), the world’s first franchise-based poker league. The tournament will be covered in English to begin with. This will be the first-ever broadcast of the globally popular sport of poker in India. PSL’s choice of broadcast partner was made after careful evaluation involving multiple bids.
PSL co-founder Amit Burman said, “PSL’s biggest challenge has been to overcome preconceived notions and change people’s perception with regards to poker. Hence, our positioning has been clear from the very start and this will get established further by getting the league broadcasted on a sports channel. Dsport’s wide coverage of international sporting properties made it the natural choice.
With this partnership announcement, PSL has clearly distinguished itself from other leagues in India. For Season two, PSL has franchised 12 teams with each team committing close to INR 15 crore over the next eight years. For the season, the organisers have announced a prize pool of INR 3.6 crores, which is a significant increase from the previous edition.
TS Panesar, head of business at Dsport, said, “Poker is broadcast on sports channels across the globe since 1978. In India, this will be a first and considering that PSL is the world’s first franchise-based poker league, we are excited to partner with them. The PSL team is committed to creating an excellent broadcast-friendly show to reach out to sport lovers across the subcontinent and make this an exceptional experience for them.”
The teams this year will consist of a total of 10 players each, comprising one mentor/playing captain, two pro-players, two from free live qualifiers, three from free online qualifiers and two wild-card entries. While the first season saw 140 players getting drafted, this year the drafts will see close to 170 players, who can be eligible for participation.
Based on the design, PSL is eliminating the factor of luck by ensuring the players get to prove their poker skills over multiple events. For instance, players who want to make it to the online draft need to play 24 out of 72 deep-stack online events and need to perform well across all the events in order to stand a chance of getting drafted.
“We are very excited to have DSport as our broadcasting channel partner this season. Season 1 was a proof of the concept year as we wanted to test the potential of converting an individual sport into a team sport. Season 2 requires us to multiply PSL’s reach much beyond the online platform in order to connect with every possible poker enthusiast out there,” PSL co-founder Pranav Bagai said. “Anybody who knows the ‘p’ of poker can prove his/her skill by qualifying through free live qualifiers or free online qualifiers, which began last month and will continue until March 2018.”
When asked about this association, Viswanathan Anand, chess maestro and brand ambassador of PSL, said, “Poker as a sport has ample potential and it is about time that we Indians realise it and give the sport the kind of attention that it deserves. PSL joining hands with DSport sure looks like a step in the right direction.”
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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.
