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India’s first ever sports marketing forum tomorrow
MUMBAI: Some of the biggest names in sports, sports marketing and management, advertising and television will converge at India’s first sports marketing forum Sportzbiz 2003 tomorrow at the ITC Grand Maratha in Mumbai.
The half day forum, presented by ESPN-Star Sports, will discuss the status of various issues facing the business of sport in the country. It will be addressed by industry stalwarts like Percept CEO Rajesh Pant, Broadmind-WPP national director M Suku, BCCI vice president Kamal Morarka, ESPN MD Manu Sawhney and Starcom India general manager Ravi Kiran. The event assumes greater significance with World Cup cricket just round the corner, as it aims to tackle the several issues that face the evolving sports marketing scenario in India and lay out a path for future development of the field.
Organised jointly by indiantelevision.com and SportzPR, India’s first sports communication consultancy, the theme of the seminar is Sports Marketing : The New Frontier. The forum will discuss in depth issues like the management of sports events, harnessing the power of TV, why marketers are investing huge amount of money in sports, and the level of corporate involvement in sports. Also on the agenda is a debate on the phenomenon called cricket that takes up a large share of the sports marketing buck, the realities and the road ahead.
The first session of the day will dwell on ‘Business of Sports… Is Sports giving you the right bang for your marketing buck?’, with panelists including Fosters MD Pradeep Gidwani, former Star India ad sales VP Raj Nayak, former world Billiards champion Michael Fereira, Starcom India General Manager Ravi Kiran, and ESPN Star Sports presenter Harsha Bhogle.
The second session will deal with ‘Cricket and beyond cricket’ and will have as panelists Kamal Morarka, Vice President, Board of Control for Cricket in India, Autocar India editor Hormazd Sorabjee, Indian Hockey Federation president KPS Gill, President, All India Tennis Association secretary general Anil Khanna, All England badminton champion Pullela Gopichand and Procam International MD Anil Singh. ‘Sports and TV… Harnessing the power of television’, the third session, will be debated by panelists Ayaz Memon, Sports Editor, The Times of India, ESPN MD Manu Sawhney, TEN Sports CEO Chris McDonald, Broadmind-WPP Marketing Communications national director M Suku and Percept CEO Rajesh Pant.
The last session of the day ‘The Future – Can we realize the full potential of sports marketing in India?’ will be discussed by panelists who include Nimbus Communications chairman Harish Thawani, Motorsports Association of India president Nazir Hoosein, Formula Three Ace Karun Chandhok, Sony Entertainment Television CEO Kunal Dasgupta, Sports Authority of India Director General Shekhar Dutt and IMG director sales, Jamie Stewart.
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.
