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Tag: Commonwealth Games

  • Religare Enterprises signs Olympian Yogeshwar Dutt as its brand ambassador

    Religare Enterprises signs Olympian Yogeshwar Dutt as its brand ambassador

    Mumbai: c (REL) has signed Indian freestyle wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt (who has been awarded the Bharat Ratna) as its brand ambassador to promote the company and all its group companies. He will be the face of Religare’s integrated brand & marketing campaigns across all mediums. The 40-year-old is an Olympic, Asian, and Commonwealth Games medalist.

    On the occasion, REL executive chairperson Dr. Rashmi Saluja said, “Sports can foster national pride and cohesion. The Religare group is a firm believer in the significance of sports in developing the character of India’s youth and its social fabric. I am confident that our association with Dutt will motivate young people to excel in sports. Also, Yogeshwar’s feisty and gutsy background and his diligent image will have a positive rub-off on REL’s brand value. We look forward to the association.”

    Dutt stated, “I am delighted to be associated with the Religare group as the brand values passion, innovation, ambition, diligence, and teamwork, and it is everything that I identify with as well. As a brand ambassador, I will strive to create a positive image for REL, which will accentuate its brand ethos of nurturing and encouraging sports in the country. I am happy to partner with a company that understands the needs of India and its youth.”

    REL group chief financial officer and RBL CEO Nitin Aggarwal said, “We welcome Dutt to the REL family. We believe that our collaboration will help raise service awareness and create a strong recall for our high-quality financial services portfolio. Our upcoming campaigns with Dutt will strengthen our image among India’s youth.”

  • Sony Sports Network announces to broadcast Commonwealth Games, launches new campaign

    Sony Sports Network announces to broadcast Commonwealth Games, launches new campaign

    Mumbai: Sony Sports Network gears up to live broadcast the XXII Commonwealth Games starting from 28 July 2022 at 11:00 pm. To celebrate the occasion, Sony Sports has also launched a campaign ‘Birmingham mein Jitega! Hindustan Hamara’.

    The campaign aims to rally support for the Indian contingent. The film features the prime minister Narendra Modi and minister of information and broadcasting Anurag Singh Thakur along with several Indian athletes with a rallying call to win medals at the games and celebrate our 75th Year of Independence in England.

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    The marquee event will mark the return of Sony Sports Network’s Live wraparound studio show ‘Sports Extraaa’ featuring eminent panelists and guests. The global event which will see participation from over 200 Indian athletes, will be telecast live across Sony Six, Sony Ten 1, Sony Ten 2, Sony Ten 3 & Sony Ten 4 channels, as well as live-streamed on its on-demand OTT platform SonyLIV.

    Sony Sports Network will telecast the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games with two-language feeds across its channels. In addition to this, they will also have their live studio show, ‘Sports Extraaa’ return for the games. Legendary Indian athletes like Viren Rasquinha, Somdev Devvarman, Trupti Murgunde, and Veda Krishnamurthy along with sports journalists Ayaz Memon and Siddharth Pandey will be part of the star-studded panel for the show and will be seen sharing their insights around the happenings throughout the games. It will also host eminent guests from the sports fraternity like Vijender Singh, Anju Bobby George, Satish Shivalingam, Kripashankar Bishnoi and more who will weigh in and analyse the performances of athletes from across the participating commonwealth nations.

    As part of the build-up, Sony Sports Network also launched an eight-episode show titled ‘The Torchbearers’. The first episode of the show featured the Minister of Youth Affair and Sports, and Minister of Information and Broadcasting along with Olympians Lovlina Borgohain, Nikhat Zareen, Hima Das, Lakshya Sen, Dutee Chand, Noah Nirmal Tom, Srabani Nanda, and Lakshya Sen, among others. And three episodes of the show will be telecast again on 28 July leading up to the opening ceremony which will witness the proud Indian contingent of over 200 athletes. The grand ceremony will have a live audience of over 30,000 at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham.

    The quadrennial event will mark the debut of the Indian Women’s cricket team led by Harmanpreet Kaur for the Women’s Cricket T20 event. Banking on the likes of Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, and Jemimah Rodrigues, team India will play against Pakistan, Australia, and Barbados to qualify for the play-offs. While Indian women cricketers will look to exert their dominance in Birmingham, the heroes of Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games – Lovlina Borgohain, PV Sindhu, Ravi Kumar Dahiya, Bajrang Punia, Mirabai Chanu, and the Indian hockey team will enter the marquee event with high expectations from the nation. After impressing viewers with their brilliant performances across various events, new athletes like DP Manu, Annu Rani, and Manpreet Kaur, among others will also look to increase the medal count of India.

    Sony Pictures Networks India chief revenue officer, distribution and head – sports business Rajesh Kaul said, “After the huge success of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, it gives us immense pleasure to broadcast the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. The broadcast rights for the Birmingham 2022 positions Sony Sports Network as the home for international multi-sporting events in India. Armed with a single goal to put our country on the global sporting map, our athletes have been training incessantly and it is our endeavor to showcase the stories of these national heroes. Keeping this goal in mind and to rally our support for the Indian contingent, we have also launched the ‘Birmingham Mein Jeetega Hindustan Hamara’ campaign. In addition to this, to provide a holistic viewing experience, our studio show, sports extraaa will feature stellar panelists who will provide real-time insights into various games.”

  • Sony Pictures Networks India acquires exclusive broadcast rights of Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games

    Sony Pictures Networks India acquires exclusive broadcast rights of Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games

    Mumbai: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) has acquired the exclusive TV and digital rights for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. The 22nd iteration of the multi-sporting event will take place between 28 July and 8 August, 2022. The deal provides SPN with exclusive rights to broadcast the games in India and the subcontinent, including countries such as Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Afghanistan, Bhutan, and Maldives, and will also be available to livestream on its premium OTT platform, SonyLIV.

    The quadrennial event will witness participation from 72 nations and will feature 19 sports along with eight para-sports across 11 days of the event. Competitions will be facilitated across athletics, badminton, swimming, basketball, boxing, wrestling, hockey, judo, and others. The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will witness sports like basketball, 3×3, wheelchair basketball, 3×3, beach volleyball, and para table tennis. Additionally, to promote women’s cricket, the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Birmingham Organising Committee announced the inclusion of women’s cricket in the T20 format. The ICC has fully sanctioned the Birmingham 2022 competition.

    Over the past two decades, India has seen a steady growth in the medal tally at the Commonwealth Games, with the Indian contingent marking the 2010 Commonwealth Games as their most successful campaign with 101 medals. India’s next feat arrived when the nation secured the third position on the points table at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, where they showcased their best-ever performance as a non-host nation with a 66-medal haul.

    Sony Pictures Networks India chief revenue officer, distribution & head – sports business Rajesh Kaul said, “The acquisition of Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games’ media rights is a proud moment for us, as our nation will get to watch the country’s biggest sporting heroes reach new milestones of success on our network.  After the record-breaking Olympic Games, our journey will now move ahead with the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, and we are certain that our Indian contingent will win big. The 2022 edition of the games is of great significance to Indian viewers as women’s cricket makes its debut at the quadrennial event in the T20 format and will see India’s finest women cricketers representing team India. “

    Commonwealth Games Federation Partnerships CEO David Leather added, “We are delighted that Sony Pictures Networks India will exclusively broadcast the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games across the country. India’s top athletes will be competing in Birmingham 2022, including the likes of Neeraj Chopra and Harmanpreet Kaur, so it is fantastic that Sony will be taking world-class sport into the homes of millions of people across the country.”

    “This partnership is particularly important because India is the largest and most populous country in the Commonwealth and a real leader across the Commonwealth Sport Movement. This deal represents a huge vote of confidence in Birmingham 2022 and the future direction of the Commonwealth Sport Movement, so we are pleased to be working together on this exciting venture,” he said.

    The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will be available on Sony SIX, Sony TEN1, Sony TEN2, Sony TEN3, and Sony TEN4 channels starting from 28 July, 2022 at 11:30 p.m.

  • Adidas becomes official footwear partner for the India CWG contingent

    Adidas becomes official footwear partner for the India CWG contingent

    Mumbai: Sportswear giant Adidas comes on board as the official performance footwear partner for the Indian contingent at the 22nd Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2022 in Birmingham, England scheduled from 28 July to 8 August 2022.

    Interestingly, Adidas unveiled Supernova (its latest performance footwear), along with a customised backpack and duffle bag for the athletes as part of the official CWG kitting during their send-off ceremony. The brand has always been at the forefront of supporting and empowering athletes with the best-in-class performance enhancing gear.

    This year’s CWG contingent includes some of Adidas’ leading athletes like Mirabai Chanu, Lovlina Borgohain, Hima Das, Nikhat Zareen, Manpreet Singh, Jeremy Lalrinnunga and Manika Batra, who will be gunning for Gold in their respective sports.

    Speaking on this partnership with the IOA, Adidas senior director-brand Sunil Gupta said, “We are incredibly proud of this partnership with the Indian Olympic Association for the CWG. Our endeavour is to support our athletes with the best performance gear to enhance their sporting experience and setting them up for success.”

  • Indian Olympic Association onboards Borosil as associate sponsor

    Indian Olympic Association onboards Borosil as associate sponsor

    Mumbai: Consumer ware brand Borosil Ltd on Tuesday announced that it has renewed and expanded its sponsorship with The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and has become their official associate sponsor for the Indian contingent. Under this sponsorship, Borosil will provide support for Indian athletes leading up to the upcoming Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, and the 2024 Olympics.

    This extended collaboration will grow Borosil’s reach and have a positive impact on the Indian sporting ecosystem, the company said in a statement.

    “We are extremely pleased to strengthen our partnership with Borosil Ltd which has been beneficial for all our Indian athletes,” said IOA secretary general Rajeev Mehta. “Borosil is a trusted homegrown brand that has touched all our lives with healthy nutrition and hydration.  I would like to thank Borosil for showing their continued support for team India.”

    In 2018, Borosil was associated with IOA as its official ‘hydration partner’ for national athletes who represented India at the 18th Asian Games and Summer Youth Olympics. Borosil provided Indian athletes and officials with their Hydra range of bottles to ensure that the contingent used the best and safest products to stay hydrated during their training and competitions.

    “This is a very proud moment for us to be associated with Indian Olympic Association. As an Indian company, it is our honour to support our great nation’s sporting endeavours,” said Borosil Ltd MD Shreevar Kheruka. “We are glad to be part of the enabling process to support Indian athletes in their endeavours and look forward to them bringing laurels to India in the world of sports.”

  • Diktat on coverage of anti-terrorism efforts & sharing sports feed with DD reiterated

    NEW DELHI: In an effort to remind television news channels about avoiding incorrect or provoking news, the Government repeated notifications issued by it earlier in regard to coverage of anti-terrorist activities, depiction of cruelty to animals, and coverage of sports events.

    The most recent notification of 17 January this year is a change under the Mandatory Sharing of Sporting signals by private channels with Doordarshan relating to sports of national importance.

    It seeks to cover other sports like Summer Olympics, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, Special Olympics, Paralympics and events relating to tennis, Davis Cup-All matches featuring India; Grand Slam Tournaments (Finals of Men’s Singles, Women’s Singles and all matches featuring Indian player from quarter-finals onwards); and Grand Slam Tournaments (All such matches featuring Indian Player in men’s doubles, Women’s doubles or Mixed doubles from quarter-finals onwards), Hockey, World Cup (All matches featuring India and semi-finals and finals), Champions Trophy (All matches featuring India and finals); and Indira Gandhi Gold Cup for Women-Semi-finals and finals; Football; World Cup – Opening match, semi-finals and finals; Asia Cup – All matches featuring India and semi-finals and finals; and Santosh Trophy – Semi-finals and finals.

    http://mib.nic.in/writereaddata/documents/Notification_dated_27.1.2017.pdf

    The notification about depiction of cruelty to animals is dated 19 August last year: http://mib.nic.in/writereaddata/documents/Notification_dated_19.8.2016.pdf

    The recent events in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka relating to traditional folk sports relating to animals has made this repetition necessary, a Ministry source told indiantelevision.com.

    The third is about coverage of anti-terrorist activities and is dated 21 March 2015: http://mib.nic.in/writereaddata/documents/Notification_dated_21.03.2015.pdf

    After the Mumbai terrorist attacks of 25 November 2008, both the government and self-regulatory bodies had issued guidelines about coverage of anti-terrorist activities in the wake of public outcry.

    The recent events in Kashmir with stoning of police forces have led to further outcry in other parts of the country.

  • Yoga becomes a sports discipline, fencing promoted to general category

    Yoga becomes a sports discipline, fencing promoted to general category

    NEW DELHI: ‘Yoga’ is to be recognized as a sports discipline and placed in the ‘Priority’ category of sports recognized by the Sports Ministry.

     

    Similarly, based on the past performance in major international events, it has been decided to upgrade the sport of Fencing from ‘Others’ to ‘General’ category; and place ‘University Sports’ in the ‘Priority’ category. 

    Sports disciplines included in the multi-discipline mega events like Olympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games etc and which have obtained a ranking upto 8th in individual events and upto 10th in team events in Olympics/Asian Games/CWG or their respective Asian and World Championships will be placed in ‘General’ category.

     

    The Sports Ministry said the categorisation of various Sports disciplines was reviewed and the revised categories of sports disciplines and the scale of financial assistance admissible to each category was conveyed to the Indian Olympic Committee and all recognised National Sports Federations on 23 March, 2015. It was also conveyed that ‘General’ category of sports disciplines will be retained. Criteria for inclusion in this category and financial assistance to be provided will be separately issued. The financial assistance for this category is: 

    i) National Championships are to be funded. 

    ii) One international event in India in a year can be funded. 

    iii) Maximum of one foreign exposure each in Senior and Junior categories can also be funded during a year.

  • Sony Six acquires rights of Yonex Sunrise India Open 2015

    Sony Six acquires rights of Yonex Sunrise India Open 2015

    MUMBAI: Multi Screen Media’s (MSM) sports and entertainment channel Sony Six has acquired the rights to the Yonex Sunrise India Open 2015.

    The championship will be aired from 24 – 29 March. The tournament will be held at the Siri Fort Indoor Sports Complex in New Delhi and will witness some of India’s finest players including Srikanth Kadambi – the reigning Swiss Open champion, the world number two Saina Nehwal, Padma Shri winner P V Sindhu and the Commonwealth Games gold medallist Parupalli Kashyap take part in the proceedings.

    Apart from the top crop of Indian talent, the tournament will also feature the best of international badminton talent including Jan O Jorgensen, Lin Dan and the All England Open Championships winner Carolina Marin. The Open is set to see a series of nail-biting matches between players, who will battle it out to win the illustrious title and a total prize money of $275,000. 

    With badminton increasingly gaining a strong foothold in India, the current season of the Super Series tournament should add to the ever-growing fan base in the country.

    Sony Six EVP and business head Prasana Krishnan said, “The India Open is undoubtedly the biggest major played in India every year and we are thrilled to come on board as the broadcasting partner for this marque tournament which attracts the best of Indian and international talent year on year. The viewer base for badminton in India has got stronger with every tournament in which our players feature. We expect the viewership to only grow manifold for this tournament considering its iconic status and the conducive telecast hours.”

    The tournament currently boasts of the BWF Super Series status, which was given to it in 2011. Super Series is a series of 12 prestigious tournaments played around the world, which also includes the highly coveted All England Open.

    Sony Six, as a part of its agreement with the Badminton Association of India (BAI), holds the rights to telecast the tournaments, which are played in the country. Earlier this year, the channel also broadcast one of the premier Indian badminton tournaments in the Syed Modi International Grand Prix along with its sister channel, Sony Pal.

    The schedule for the Yonex Sunrise India Open is as follows:

  • DD awaits Prasar Bharati’s nod for a HD channel

    DD awaits Prasar Bharati’s nod for a HD channel

    NEW DELHI: In the era of high definition, Doordarshan, proved its mettle in telecasting in HD mode as early as 2010.

     

    The pubcaster had then shown the Commonwealth Games held in the national capital in HD feed, even before the other private channels entered the segment.

     

    Doordarshan is ready to launch a national channel in a parallel HD mode, as per the sources within the pubcaster, but is awaiting a nod from the  Prasar Bharati board.

     

    Prasar Bharati sources however told indiantelevision.com that the issue of a separate HD channel had not been put up before the board.

     

    Currently, DD News is telecasting the Commonwealth Games from Glasgow in high definition on its terrestrial transmitters while covering more of the games/events where Indians are participating.

     

    It is learnt that DD Sports and Ten Sports failed to reach an agreement on the issue, and the Ministry had issued a showcause notice to Ten Sports, last week, for declining to share the feed with DD Sports. Under the The Sports Broadcasting Signals (Mandatory Sharing with Prasar Bharati) Act 2007 as it is considered a sports event of national importance, it is mandatory for the rights holder (Ten Sports, in this case) to share the broadcast with Prasar Bharati.

     

    The sports event is mandated to be carried on the terrestrial network to ensure that viewers who do not have access to cable or DTH services can also view the games. 

  • DD News to broadcast opening and closing of Commonwealth Games as Ten Sports remains unrelenting

    DD News to broadcast opening and closing of Commonwealth Games as Ten Sports remains unrelenting

    NEW DELHI: Doordarshan News will telecast live the opening of the Commonwealth Games from Glasgow.

     

    The telecast of the Games being held from 24 July to 4 August will commence at 1.00 am India time.

     

    Programmes (Live/Highlights) will also be telecast during the Games on DD News.  That apart, All India Radio will carry the live commentary of the opening and closing and events involving Indians.

     

    Regular Highlight Capsules will be telecast daily by DD News. All events where Indians are taking part will be highlighted with live coverage.

     

    I&B Ministry secretary Bimal Julka told indiantelevision.com that the Ministry wanted the telecasts on DD News.

     

    It is learnt that DD Sports and Ten Sports failed to reach an agreement on the issue, and the Ministry issued a show cause notice to Ten Sports on Tuesday evening for declining to share the feed with DD Sports.

     

    Julka said, “We have recommended to Prasar Bharati to show the games on DD News. The Board was of the opinion that it would be a loss of revenue if sports is telecast on DD National.” 

     

    He said that the primary news bulletins in the mornings, afternoons and evenings will not be disturbed, unless there is some sporting event involving Indians.

    The Commonwealth Games being held in Glasgow is considered a sports event of national importance, making it mandatory for the rights holder (Ten Sports in this case) to share the broadcast with Prasar Bharati under the Prasar Bharati (Mandatory Sharing of Signals) Act. The sports event is mandated to be carried on the terrestrial network to ensure that viewers who do not have access to cable or DTH services can also view the games. Usually, DD telecasts such events on DD National (which is a terrestrial network) and on DD Sports (available on cable and DTH) after working out an agreement with the rights holder with regard to marketing and revenue sharing. Under the Act, DD gets 25 per cent of the commercial revenue, the rest going to the rights holder. 

    Julka described as an exaggeration estimates by DD revealed that it would incur a loss of Rs 2.5 crore every day, totaling to a loss of Rs 27.50 crore in 11 days if it shifted its regular programming for the Games telecast.

    Giving reasons for not shifting the Games to DD National, sources said around 2.8 million viewers may be affected by shifting DD News from the terrestrial mode for the period of CWG as compared to 115.3 million viewers if the games are shown on DD National. Similarly, DD National earns advertising revenue of about Rs 350 crore compared to Rs 5 crore by DD News which would be adversely affected.