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Sony Sports Network presents ‘Desh ka Cup’
Mumbai: Sony Sports Network (SPN) has continued its association with the prestigious IndianOil Durand Cup. The broadcaster had acquired the exclusive media rights to broadcast Asia’s oldest tournament in India, between 2023 and 2024 last year. Besides India, the 133rd edition of the tournament is currently also being broadcast in neighbouring Afghanistan, Maldives, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal.
The Durand Cup is the only cup in India that can truly be called ‘Desh Ka Cup’, because of its deep rooted 136-year-old legacy and more so because this legacy is intertwined with that of the Indian Armed Forces.
The 133rd IndianOil Durand Cup features 24 teams spread across six different groups in four cities, with the toppers and the best two second-placed sides maling it to the quarter-finals.
This year’s Durand Cup received a touch of grandeur, when in a rekindling of a very old tradition and in a historic moment for Indian football, no less than the Hon. President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, unveiled the three coveted winner’s trophies, the President’s Cup, the Shimla Trophy and the original prize the Durand Cup, at the Rashtrapati Bhavan’s cultural centre on 10 July, 2024, while also flagging-off this year’s Trophy Tour.
The grand finale meanwhile, is scheduled for 31 August 2024 at the iconic Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) in football-crazy Kolkata, which saw a full-house of 65,000 roaring fans last time around.
The group league games are being played in Jamshedpur, Shillong and Kokrajhar, besides Kolkata. The first two named will be hosting the tournament for the first time.
Football fans can catch all the action on the Sony Sports Ten 2 channel and the matches will also be available for livestreaming, exclusively on SPN’s premium OTT platform, Sony LIV.
The Durand Cup, first held in 1888, got its name after its founder Sir Henry Mortimer Durand, the then Foreign Secretary to the Government of India. It is the only Cup competition at the top level of Indian football which pits all Indian Super League (Indian top division) teams against top I-League (second division) and other invitational teams, as well as teams from the Armed Forces, against each other. This year a team from the Royal Nepal Army are also participating.
Football fans have already witnessed one thrilling derby this season, with NorthEast United FC securing a comfortable 2-0 victory over Bodoland FC in the Assam Derby. But the excitement doesn’t end there.
The spotlight now shifts to one of the grandest derbies in the world, the Kolkata Derby, scheduled for 18th August, where Mohun Bagan Super Giant will face off against rivals Emami East Bengal FC.
Fans can look forward to some top-quality football matches with the cream of Indian football playing in the Durand Cup including the likes of Sunil Chhetri, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Sandesh Jhinghan, Adrian Luna, Jorge Pereyra Diaz, Sahal Abdul Samad, Anirudh Thapa, Dimitrios Diamantakos, among others. With such elite talent expected to grace the pitch, the tournament promises to elevate the excitement and thrill for the fans.
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Sony Pictures Networks India Chief Revenue Officer – Distribution & International Business and Head – Sports Business Rajesh Kaul said, “It’s an honour for us to have a competition of football heritage and immense prestige as Durand Cup on our roster. It further reaffirms Sony Sports Network’s position as the Home of Football in India. This year’s edition brings a lot of promising competition to the table and fans can look forward to some top-quality games as the new football season kicks off in style.”
Durand Cup Organizing Committee (DCOC) VSM Chief of Staff, HQ, Eastern Command and Chairman Lt. Gen. RC Srikanth said, “The Durand Cup Organising Committee is extremely happy to continue their partnership with a world-class broadcaster like the Sony Sports Network for the prestigious IndianOil Durand Cup, this year into its 133rd Edition. The Durand Cup is no ordinary tournament as it provides a unique platform for budding footballers from every corner of the country to rub shoulders with world class legends. We are confident that the legacy of the Durand shall be carried forth to greater heights with a partner like Sony Sports Network standing by steadfastly.”
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.
