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Total Sports Asia to boost coverage of US Open tennis tourney
MUMBAI: Sports marketing firm Total Sports Asia (TSA) has signed a deal with the United States Tennis Association (USTA) to market and distribute the TV, mobile, home video, broadband and Internet archive rights in Asia (excluding Japan) over the next four years.
Speaking to Indiantelevision.com this evening about the deal, Total Sports Entertainment India MD Navneet Sharma says, “This is a sport that has huge potential for viewership growth across Asia. In India, the sport has received a tremendous boost with Sania Mirza entering the top 50. Earlier this year we signed a deal with Ten Sports for the television rights to the event. Now we have signed the mobile rights to phoneytunes.com with whom we had earlier done a deal for the WWE for ringtones and wallpaper. We have also done a deal with Solar Interactive in the Philippines and iCable Hong Kong.
“We are working with Speedcast on the different features for the mobile content. “As far as the rest of Asia is concerned, the mobile holds promise especially in the South East region. It has helped that players like Paradorn Srichapan have had made a certain amount of impact. Broadband is another new media delivery platform that is growing in that region. We are in talks with different players regarding deals.”
Sharma also says that a unique aspect of the deal is the fact that TSA has done a deal with BT Media and Broadcast for a fully managed broadcast distribution service to Asia, for the US Open tennis championships. The dedicated uplink service and satellite link will enable TSA to deliver a dedicated Asian feed.
Elaborating on further plans, Sharma says that in the near future TSA is looking to organise local tennis events in India that will be just one rung below an ATP tour event. India already has an ATP event that takes place in Chennai every year. Sharma is encouraged by the fact that more people are taking to the game now.
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.
