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Super Fight League will have niche audience: SPNI
MUMBAI: India’s first mixed martial arts promotion, Super Fight League, is being promoted by the British business magnate and sports enthusiast Bill Dosanjh and the British professional boxing sensation and two-time world champion Amir Khan.
SFL announced Sony Pictures Network India (SPNI) as the official broadcast partner for the first-ever MMA league to be hosted in India from 20 January – 25 February 2017. The fights will be broadcast live on Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD channels while the opening ceremony will be shown live on Sony MAX.
Dosanjh said, “Sony ESPN is the channel that is synonymous for bringing MMA to the television sets of the Indian audience. We at Super Fight League are really excited about Sony Pictures Networks India coming on board as the broadcast partners for the inaugural edition of the league. Having Sony as the broadcast partner will help us in our endeavor to reach the maximum variety of audience and make Super Fight League a household name for MMA in India.”
Talking to indiantelevision.com, a high-placed source said that marketing strategies were being worked out, and would be in place soon. It’s an experiment which needs time and space to make its presence felt in the niche.
About Sony Pictures’ views on the Super Fight League, the source added, “We’ve seen how WWE and Wrestling leagues have done well, how Vijender and his boxing bouts are getting good traction and we’ve also seen how MMA on our channels have been working well and there seems to be a good niche for it.”
SPNI president, distribution and sports business Rajesh Kaul said, “Having been a forerunner in popularizing MMA, the sports cluster of Sony Pictures Networks India is the premier destination for viewing mixed martial arts. We are pleased to announce the expansion of our MMA portfolio with the addition of the Super Fight League which is India’s first mixed martial arts league on our network.”
As to whether we will see pay-per-view mode of payment in the Super Fight League, on OTT or broadcasting platform, the source added, “We’ve set up a new product and need to make it successful before we get into the various payment modes. The league is still at the embryonic stage and it needs time to grow to have a dedicated audience.”
The franchisee-based league will feature eight teams, and is being organised in association with the All-India Martial Arts Association (AIMMAA). It will commence with the opening ceremony on 20 January 2017 which will be broadcast on Sony MAX. SPN also has the broadcast rights for the league across Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Maldives.
The fights in the league will be held over Friday, Saturday and Sunday and will be broadcast from 7-9 PM over the weekend and can also be streamed live on SonyLIV.
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.
