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Sony Sports Network to air Bihar Women’s Asian Champions Trophy Rajgir 2024 live
Mumbai: Sony Sports Network will telecast the Bihar Women’s Asian Champions Trophy Rajgir 2024 live for hockey fans across India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. This much-anticipated continental tournament will be held from 11 to 20 November 2024 at the newly built Rajgir Hockey Stadium in Bihar.
Sony Sports Network will ensure a seamless broadcast of the tournament, where the Indian Women’s Team has an impressive record. Having won the trophy for the first time in 2016, India enters the competition as the defending champion after reclaiming the title in Ranchi in 2023. With this victory, India joined Japan as one of only two teams to have won the trophy twice. The Indian team will face strong competition from Olympic silver medallist China, as well as Japan, Korea, Malaysia, and Thailand.
Led by captain Salima Tete and vice-captain Navneet Kaur, India will play against Malaysia on the tournament’s opening day, eager to secure an early victory. After missing out on qualification for the Paris Olympics this year, the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy presents a vital opportunity for the team to start afresh.
India must achieve a top-four finish among the six participating teams to advance to the semi-finals on 19 November. The winners of the Semi-Finals will then progress to the Final, scheduled for 20 November. This tournament also marks the Indian women’s hockey team’s first Asian competition under chief coach Harendra Singh, who took charge earlier this year.
All the matches will be broadcast live on Sony Sports Ten 1 SD and HD channels and live streamed on SonyLIV, starting from 1500 hrs IST.
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.
