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Sony Sports Network announces to broadcast Commonwealth Games, launches new campaign
Mumbai: Sony Sports Network gears up to live broadcast the XXII Commonwealth Games starting from 28 July 2022 at 11:00 pm. To celebrate the occasion, Sony Sports has also launched a campaign ‘Birmingham mein Jitega! Hindustan Hamara’.
The campaign aims to rally support for the Indian contingent. The film features the prime minister Narendra Modi and minister of information and broadcasting Anurag Singh Thakur along with several Indian athletes with a rallying call to win medals at the games and celebrate our 75th Year of Independence in England.
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The marquee event will mark the return of Sony Sports Network’s Live wraparound studio show ‘Sports Extraaa’ featuring eminent panelists and guests. The global event which will see participation from over 200 Indian athletes, will be telecast live across Sony Six, Sony Ten 1, Sony Ten 2, Sony Ten 3 & Sony Ten 4 channels, as well as live-streamed on its on-demand OTT platform SonyLIV.
Sony Sports Network will telecast the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games with two-language feeds across its channels. In addition to this, they will also have their live studio show, ‘Sports Extraaa’ return for the games. Legendary Indian athletes like Viren Rasquinha, Somdev Devvarman, Trupti Murgunde, and Veda Krishnamurthy along with sports journalists Ayaz Memon and Siddharth Pandey will be part of the star-studded panel for the show and will be seen sharing their insights around the happenings throughout the games. It will also host eminent guests from the sports fraternity like Vijender Singh, Anju Bobby George, Satish Shivalingam, Kripashankar Bishnoi and more who will weigh in and analyse the performances of athletes from across the participating commonwealth nations.
As part of the build-up, Sony Sports Network also launched an eight-episode show titled ‘The Torchbearers’. The first episode of the show featured the Minister of Youth Affair and Sports, and Minister of Information and Broadcasting along with Olympians Lovlina Borgohain, Nikhat Zareen, Hima Das, Lakshya Sen, Dutee Chand, Noah Nirmal Tom, Srabani Nanda, and Lakshya Sen, among others. And three episodes of the show will be telecast again on 28 July leading up to the opening ceremony which will witness the proud Indian contingent of over 200 athletes. The grand ceremony will have a live audience of over 30,000 at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham.
The quadrennial event will mark the debut of the Indian Women’s cricket team led by Harmanpreet Kaur for the Women’s Cricket T20 event. Banking on the likes of Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, and Jemimah Rodrigues, team India will play against Pakistan, Australia, and Barbados to qualify for the play-offs. While Indian women cricketers will look to exert their dominance in Birmingham, the heroes of Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games – Lovlina Borgohain, PV Sindhu, Ravi Kumar Dahiya, Bajrang Punia, Mirabai Chanu, and the Indian hockey team will enter the marquee event with high expectations from the nation. After impressing viewers with their brilliant performances across various events, new athletes like DP Manu, Annu Rani, and Manpreet Kaur, among others will also look to increase the medal count of India.
Sony Pictures Networks India chief revenue officer, distribution and head – sports business Rajesh Kaul said, “After the huge success of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, it gives us immense pleasure to broadcast the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. The broadcast rights for the Birmingham 2022 positions Sony Sports Network as the home for international multi-sporting events in India. Armed with a single goal to put our country on the global sporting map, our athletes have been training incessantly and it is our endeavor to showcase the stories of these national heroes. Keeping this goal in mind and to rally our support for the Indian contingent, we have also launched the ‘Birmingham Mein Jeetega Hindustan Hamara’ campaign. In addition to this, to provide a holistic viewing experience, our studio show, sports extraaa will feature stellar panelists who will provide real-time insights into various games.”
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.
