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Total Sports Asia plans football, fashion events
MUMBAI: Sports marketing firm Total Sports Asia (TSA), which launched in India last year, is planning to organise a diverse slew of events this year. These range from bringing the WWE down to fashion and football.
Says Total Sports Entertainment India MD Navneet Sharma, “As an integrated sports and entertainment marketing and management company, we are looking at a cross section of properties.”
One of these is the first Futsal event which will take place next month in West Bengal. Futsal is a version of football that has received Fifa’s approval. There are five players a side and each period lasts for 15 minutes.
Apart from sports, TSA is looking at conducting fashion and lifestyle events in Pune and Banglore.
TSA is also the licensing and marketing agent for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Phoney Tunes has been awarded the rights for mobile content from WWE in India and the deal will kick in next month. The rights are for image downloads, ring tones and text. Sharma is hopeful about WWE coming down to India this year. ” We are working with Ten Sports and are looking to bring in WWE talent potentially in the October- December period for both live events and appearance.”
As far as Formula One is concerned, TSA works with Team Jordan in some parts of Asia. According to Sharma, “The cost of acquiring F1 for television is bound to get a premium keeping in mind the advent of Narain in the elite circle. With sponsors like Tata and Speed associating itself with F1 in a major way, motorsports itself will get a major boost in India and I see this sport gaining tremendously in the next two-three years.”
abhi khul gaya
aap upar the tab se khola tha
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.
