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Star India’s PKL 5 telecast via 12 channels in five languages starts today
MUMBAI: Star India, with 12 sports channels in its bouquet, plans to reach out to a larger audience by telecasting Vivo Pro-Kabaddi Season 5 live in five languages.
PKL season 5 will be aired on Star’s first FTA sports channel Star Sports First in Hindi, Star Sports 2 and 2HD in English, regional channels Star Sports 1 Tamil, Star Suvarna Plus in Karnataka, Star Maa Movies for Telugu.
Starting 28 July (and going up to 28 October), PKL will also be aired on its digital platform Hotstar.
The captains of all 12 VIVO Pro Kabaddi teams came together to launch the Season 5 of the league in Hyderabad. The first match, on July 28, 2017, will see new team Tamil Thalaivas, led by Ajay Thakur take on Rahul Chaudhari-led Telugu Titans in Hyderabad.
The inaugural ceremony of Season 5 is likely to be a star-studded affair, with eminent sports icons and film personalities expected to attend. Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar will sing a glorious rendition of the National Anthem before the start of the first match of the season.
Gearing up for the 138 exhilarating matches across 13 weeks, the teams have been training fastidiously to prepare for a competitive season. The battle for the league got even more intense with the announcement of a consolidated sum of Rs 80 million as the coveted prize money.
Star India MD Sanjay Gupta said, “As we stand hours away from the 5th season of Vivo Pro Kabaddi, I am transported back to the day we decided to launch the league. I am filled with immense pride to see how the league has made tremendous impact and grown continuously. It’s now constituted as the biggest domestic sports league with twelve new teams and expanding to new geographies. I look forward to a thrilling season of three months and I am confident that it will make history all over again.’’
Vivo Pro-Kabaddi league commissioner Anupam Goswami said, “I am excited and, at the same time, grateful to the fans, franchises, Star and the federations for supporting us at every step of this journey. I look forward to an engaging season of kabaddi.”
International Kabaddi Federation president, Janardan Singh Gehlot, said, “At the federation, we are eagerly waiting to see how Season 5 of VIVO Pro Kabaddi unfolds. The players and their coaches have invested grueling hours of training to put up a competitive front and give fans an action-packed sport to cheer on for 3 months. We are confident that Kabaddi will continue its upward rise in the days and years to come.”
The season will culminate with the finals slated for 28 October, 2017, in Chennai.
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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.
