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Football fans gear up for Serie A, the top-tier Italian football league on Sony Pictures Sports Network
MUMBAI: The upcoming season of Serie A will be the 118th season of top-tier Italian football and fans can expect nothing less than non-stop nail-biting action from August 24, 2019 to May 24, 2020 live and exclusive on SONY TEN 2 and SONY TEN 2 HD channels.
Serie A is amongst the premier football leagues in the world and hosts some of the most famous football clubs like Juventus FC, AC Milan, AS Roma, Napoli SSC and Inter Milan among others. The league is ranked third among European leagues according to UEFA's league coefficient and is home to some of the world’s best footballers like Cristiano Ronaldo, Gianluigi Buffon, Gonzalo Higuain, Lorenzo Insigne, Romelu Lukaku and Matthis De Ligt to name a few.
It’s well-known that football is interwoven in the Italian fabric and club rivalries run beyond just teams and there is a lot to look forward to in Serie A this season.
· “The Phenomenon” – Cristiano Ronaldo’s move from Real Madrid to Juventus FC did send reverberations across the footballing world. However, Juventus has hugely benefitted from his presence and is all set for his second season with them. Stay tuned to see if he can be the messiah in raising Juventus FC to domestic and European grandeurs this season.
· Playground of Success – Serie A has been the playground in which many of the greatest managers in history cut their teeth before achieving success elsewhere. The tactical rigor of Serie A has produced some of the finest innovators in the game such as Maurizio Sarri, who returns to the Italian league but this time managing his previous nemesis, Juventus FC.
· Key Transfers – Change is the only constant, but in football, it makes and breaks the teams. This season, there have been some major shifts as Juventus made a big statement by signing the teenage defender, Matthis De Ligt, for a fee of $84.3 million and Romelu Lukaku made his move from Manchester United FC to FC Inter Milan.
· Fiercest Rivalries – With many Serie A clubs hailing from Italy’s major cities, there are a plethora of derbies – Juventus and Fiorentina share Serie A’s most bitter rivalry followed by The Milan Derby which is the most awaited fixture in the Italian football calendar and finally Lazio Vs. Roma which is billed as the battle of Rome, a fixture where the fans take center stage.
The Italian league has been gaining in popularity in India over the past few years and became the most sampled international football league in the 2018/19 season. Fans in India can catch Serie A live on SPSN channels, along with a vast bouquet of premier football properties like UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, FA Cup, FIFA U-17 World Cup Brazil 2019, FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Paraguay 2019 and many more.
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.
