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Sony Sports launches campaign ahead of 19th Asian Games
Mumbai: Sony Sports Network has launched a campaign ahead of the upcoming 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 featuring former Olympians Raja Randhir Singh and Adille Sumariwalla in the two promo films.
The campaign sets a target for India to cross the 100-medal mark. The Indian contingent won 69 medals at the 2018 Asian Games. Sony Sports Network has also launched a microsite that gives fans access to the schedule and medals tally.
Olympic Council of Asia acting president Raja Randhir Singh is a former Olympic-level trap and skeet shooter. He became the first Indian shooter to win continental individual gold at the 1978 Asian Games in Bangkok. On home soil four years later, he won team silver and individual bronze at the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi. He competed at five Olympic Games from 1968 to 1984 in Mixed Trap. He is also the 1979 recipient of the Arjuna Award.
Athletics Federation of India president Adille Sumariwalla is also a recipient of the Arjuna award. Sumariwalla is a former Olympian and represented India at the 1980 Moscow Olympics as a 100m runner and bagged a medal at the Asian Track and Field Championships, Tokyo 1979. He bagged the gold medal at the South Asian Games in 1984 and held the National Record for 18 years in the 100m sprint category.
“The feeling of national pride that our Olympics campaign ‘Hum Honge Kamyab’ was able to instil in people was commendable, and we wish to replicate the same for the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022,” said Sony Pictures Networks India chief revenue officer distribution and head – sports business Rajesh Kaul.
“At the 2018 iteration of the Games, India bagged 69 medals, so to manifest India’s 100-medal mark, we have launched our campaign ‘Iss Baar Sau Paar, Phir se, Hum Honge Kamyab!’. Our campaign also commemorates the 150 days countdown and gives us a chance to inspire the audience to watch this year’s Asiad,” he added.
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.
