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Hero MotoCorp ISL player draft on 21 July
MUMBAI: Monday 21 July is a big day for Indian soccer. The excitement associated with the Indian Premier League player selection process by the various team owners annually is all set to hit Indian football, as the first player draft for the Star India and IMG-Reliance promoted Hero MotoCorp Indian Super League (ISL) gets underway. Up for grabs will be domestic footballers and the various teams will be putting up their bids to acquire them until Wednesday.
While the draft will be done along the lines of Major League Soccer of US, two franchises – Videocon Group owned Goa team and Bollywood actor John Abraham’s Guwahati team – will not be participating in it. Reason: the two have already selected their players from their respective I-League teams namely Dempo, Salgoancars and Shillong Lajong.
According to a PTI report, a total of 92 players will be available to the franchises at the draft. The list includes 32 players from the I-League clubs (on loan) and the rest are players who have been directly signed for the central pool by IMG-Reliance. Among those are players like internationals Gourmangi Singh and Nirmal Chetri.
Sources expect close Rs 25 crore to be spent during the three day player draft. The I-League clubs which have released their players to take part in the first edition of the tournament are Kolkata’s glamour outfits East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, Mumbai FC, United SC and Rangdajied United FC.
Each team will have a minimum squad strength of 22 footballers, including one marquee player, seven internationals and 14 Indian ones. The players can be selected at a fixed price only.
The eight participating franchises in the inaugural edition of Hero MotoCorp ISL are Atletico de Kolkata, Delhi Dynamos FC, NorthEast United FC, Kerala Blasters FC, Team Goa, Team Pune, Team Mumbai and Team Bangalore.
The tournament is being backed by the All India Football Federation, which has created a window – between 18 September and 7 December – for the event.
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.
