News Headline
Star Sports to telecast Global T20 Canada League in India
MUMBAI: Star Sports has inked a deal with Cricket Canada to telecast the Global T20 Canada League in India, a source close to the development told Indiantelevision.com. The network will broadcast the matches on Star Sports 1 and Star Sports 1 HD. Fans can also tune in to the action on Star India’s OTT Hotstar.
The Global T20 Cricket League, which kick starts on Thursday, will be aired in Canada on Asian Television Network (ATN).
Global T20 Canada has also announced TV deals in other countries like the UK (FreeSports), Australia (Fox Sports), Pakistan (Geo Sports), Middle East (Orbit Showtime Network), Bangladesh (Ghazi TV) and the Caribbean (Sportsmax).
The 22-match tournament opens with the Toronto Nationals taking on the Vancouver Knights and runs through July 15.
Toronto and Vancouver will be joined by the Winnipeg Hawks, Edmonton Royals, Montreal Tigers and a Cricket West Indies B team. All matches will be played at the Maple Leaf Cricket Club in King City, Ont., just north of Toronto.
The Global T20 Canada is the brainchild of the Mercuri Group, an India-based media company whose affiliate Mercuri Canada has signed a 25-year deal with Cricket Canada.
The tournament has drawn 96 players from some 20 countries including Chris Gayle, Andre Russell, Shahid Afridi, Daren Sammy, Lasith Malinga, Steve Smith, Sunil Narine, David Miller and Dwayne Bravo.
In an official statement Global T20 Canada website, the league’s chairman Gurmeet Singh said, “The schedule reveal is another symbolic step towards bringing the excitement and spectacle of pro Twenty20 cricket to Canada, and making cricket and Canadian sport history. With the calibre of talent coming to Canada, fans will see top international stars in every match from the opener through to the final.”
Former Australian skipper Smith, along with vice-captain David Warner, made headlines recently for their role in a ball-tampering scandal in South Africa. They were given 12-month bans by Cricket Australia but are allowed to play abroad.
Smith will play for Toronto while Warner was drafted by Winnipeg.
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Awards
Hamdard honours changemakers at Abdul Hameed awards
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.








