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NGC to air ‘A different ball game’ from 7 July
MUMBAI: It might seem like the world can’t get enough of the cricket celebrities or the football studs but there are certain pockets of the world where these big games take a back seat. Starting 7 July, every Monday at 10 pm National Geographic Channel will be talking a peek at these ‘different’ games in A different ball game.
Starting of the first series of the season with a tour of Asia, anchor-presenter Emma Levine will trek from Turkey to Southern India in search of the world’s most incredible and bizarre traditional sports. During her stay in Bombay, a British sports journalist and adventurer, Levine wrote and photographed a broad range of ancient traditional sports. Later she presented entire study as a book A Game of Polo with a Headless Goat. The six-part series, A Different Ball Game, is based on that book.
According to the company site, Levine will be investigating some fascinating and unusual sports like the camel racing in Iran, polo with a headless goat in Kyrgyzstan, archery in northeastern India, donkey racing in Pakistan, bull racing in South India and oil wrestling in Turkey.
She will be bringing her lifelong love of sport and international travel to her role as personal guide to some of the most fascinating traditional sports on the planet in some of the world’s more remote regions. Whether or not the audience is keen on watching sports, bits about leather-clad wrestlers dripping in olive oil, polo players scrapping over a headless goat and camel racers armed with guns should be an interesting watch.
After the six-part series on queer sports in Asia, Peruvian and British anthropologist, Dr Luisa Elvira will be presenting the second series on unusual sports in Latin America.
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.
