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Premier League broadcast to be supported by Bangla and Malayalam feeds
Mumbai: The English broadcast of the Premier League will be supported by regional feeds of Bangla and Malayalam on Star Sports network. The new season of the international football tournament begins on 14 August.
The tournament is scheduled to be broadcast on Star Sports Select, Star Sports 1 Bangla, Star Sports 3 and streamed on the OTT platform, Disney+ Hotstar behind the paywall.
Apart from the English broadcast on Star Sports Select, regional feeds for key weekend matches of the tournament will be aired on Star Sports 3 (geo-tagged for West Bengal and Kerala) and Star Sports 1 Bangla.
The Bangla commentary panel will consist of Sanjeeb Mukherjee, RR Varun Kaushik, Rajat Ghoshdastidar, and Soumitra Chakraborty, while Malayalam commentators include Vishnu Hariharan, Shiyas Mohammed, Shyjumon D, Jiju Jacob, and Jo Paul Anchery.
“Our mission has been to grow following viewership and fandom for sports. Customising our broadcasts for regional audiences has been a pivotal lever in growing affinity for properties such as IPL, PKL & ISL,” said Star and Disney India, head – sports, Sanjog Gupta. “We believe the time is right to extend this effort to the biggest football league in the world. We piloted this approach last year with ‘Sunday Night Football’, which powered a 3x growth in television reach for the Premier League and now expect a tremendous response to the expanded coverage of weekend matches in Bangla and Malayalam.”
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.
