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Eutelsat to sponsor the XXth Winter Olympics in Torino ’06
MUMBAI: Eutelsat has announced that it’s official sponsorship of the XXth Winter Olympics to be held in Torino 2006.
In a bid to enable the Olympic community to benefit from live events coverage and to access broadcasts by leading international television channels, Eutelsat will manage an exclusive satellite network for the Olympic community.
Europe’s leading satellite operator will provide the TOROC (the Torino Organising Committee of the XXth Winter Olympics) with a package of 50 video channels that will be broadcast for the duration of the Games to competition sites, Olympic Villages and Media Villages, says a company release.
Eutelsat’s satellite coverage of the Olympics will span the Opening Ceremony on 10 February ’06 to the closing ceremony on 27 February ’06. Eutelsat will also deliver satellite services for officials, athletes, and attendees at the Paralympics, a sporting competition for disabled athletes that follow the main Olympic event, from March 10 to 19. Paralympics atheletes will compete in five disciplines, including alpine skiing, biathlon, ice sledge hockey, cross-country skiing, and wheelchair curling.
The network will provide athletes, judges and referees, members of the IOC, National Olympic Committees and Federations as well as journalists and media operators at competition, training and accommodation locations with exceptional levels of information.
Twenty Olympic Live channels will be provided by the TOBO (the Turin Olympic Broadcasting Organisation) with live coverage from each of the 13 competition sites. Another 30 television channels will enable the Olympic community to follow coverage by national and international television channels, says the release.
The package will be delivered direct to 5,000 plasma screens and monitors located at the competition sites, three Olympic Villages and seven Media Villages during the Games. Eutelsat will multiplex, encrypt and uplink these services through the facilities managed by its Italian subsidiary, Skylogic Italia, in Turin.
According to Eutelsat CEO Giuliano Berretta, “Next to human achievement, the Olympics are also the opportunity for innovative new technologies to demonstrate their new levels of performance. We are committed to mobilising our expertise in order to provide the XXth Winter Olympic Games with impeccable quality and efficiency for delivering Olympic content and all satellite broadband services required by the Olympic community.”
Says TOROC CEO Paolo Rota,”The partnership with Eutelsat is a key milestone in our objective to integrate into our team of sponsors leading companies who bring expertise and added value to our organisation. The key word for Olympic technology is reliability and the experience of Eutelsat is a guarantee for state of the art solutions for our broadcasting needs. Of course, the Olympic Games move solutions forward and drive the organising committees to find their partners among the most innovative companies, and that’s what happened between TOROC and Eutelsat”.
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.
