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UEFA chooses Decathlon’s Kipsta for the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa conference league
Mumbai: KIPSTA continues its rise in professional football. From the 2024-2025 season onwards and for a period of three years until the end of the 2026-2027 season), Decathlon will supply official match balls for the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Europa Conference League. From Portugal to Azerbaijan, from the Faroe Islands to Türkiye, all matches in these competitions will be played using Official Match balls designed and produced by Decathlon’s sub-label Kipsta.
Kipsta, whose global headquarters are situated at the Kipstadium in Tourcoing, France, has been producing, for several years, official match balls that meet the highest technical requirements of the Ligue one Uber Eats and Ligue 2 BKT in France, as well as the Jupiler Pro League in Belgium.
Thanks to the thermo-bonding of its match ball panels (seamless ball), Kipsta official match balls offer superior sphericity and durability. It also provides a heightened playing sensation thanks to the textured microfiber foam component and debossing. Kipsta official match balls are characterised by their highly stable flight trajectory. Designed, tested and created in France, Kipsta official match balls are FIFA Quality Pro certified.
Decathlon chief products and sports officer Fabien Brosse said: “UEFA’s decision recognises KIPSTA’s expertise and ability to offer a high-level technical product that meets the highest standards. It also reinforces the commitment of the KIPSTA teams to the practice of football, whether amateur or professional, throughout the world.”
UEFA marketing director Guy-Laurent Epstein said: “We are thrilled to announce KIPSTA as the official match ball supplier for the first time as we join forces with a brand that shares our passion for innovation, quality and the love of the game. KIPSTA’s experience in providing top-quality balls and commitment to the sport will be tremendous assets as the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League enter into new eras”
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.
