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Ten Sports airs live horse racing for first time
MUMBAI: The Mumbai horse racing season has come alive for the first time for Indian viewers courtesy Ten Sports. The event has been made possible due to a tie up between the channel and the Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC).
The programme premiered on the channel on I5 December 2002 with the Kingfisher 1000 Guineas and will continue to enthrall racing enthusiasts with live action every Sunday at 4:30 pm.
For nearly 20 weeks, every Sunday afternoon, the channel will telecast 50 major races live including The McDowell’s Indian Derby, The McDonalds Indian Oaks and The Poonawalla Breeders Multi-Million. Leading international jockeys from England and Ireland are competing against prominent Indian ones during this racing season at Mahalaxmi. This programme will add to Mumbai’s allure as a glamorous and heritage tourist destination in India.
The channel has also started an SMS based contest in which viewers have to predict the winning horse in a major race. The winner gets to see the racing action live at the Mahalaxmi Race Course. The UB group, is the presenting sponsor for the programme on Ten Sports. The associate sponsor is Procter and Gamble.
Meanwhile, in the US, passion for the sport of horse racing has spawned HorseRacing TV (HRTV), a 24-hour cable television network providing exclusive live thoroughbred, harness and quarter horse racing action from racetracks in the United States and Canada.
The network claims to provide a new guaranteed revenue option for cable system operators. It delivers wire-to-wire coverage of live horse racing from more than 70 racetracks, along with post parades, odds and race results for up to 15 hours per day. The remainder of the programme schedule includes replays and educational programming related to the sport of horse racing. The announcement has been made by Magna Entertainment Corp (MEC) which claims to be North America’s number one owner and operator of thoroughbred racetracks.
All live racing content on HRTV is available for wagering, where permitted by law, via the phone or Internet through XpressBet (http://www.xpressbet.com), MEC’s l account wagering system.HRTV will be available to cable operators as a free basic service. The network offers guaranteed per-subscriber carriage fees to operators in 34 states across the US where XpressBet accepts in-home wagers, MEC owns, operates or manages racetracks, and/or horse racing television coverage is strategically important.
Ten Sports however will not be venturing into such uncharted territory in India. A channel spokesperson says the channel will not be providing a betting or a wager service for fans of the sport. Channel concentration will rest on delivering quality coverage.
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.
