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Tag: Mary Kom

  • Zomato’s ‘Fuel Your Hustle’ campaign serves a hot tribute to India’s silent strivers

    Zomato’s ‘Fuel Your Hustle’ campaign serves a hot tribute to India’s silent strivers

    MUMBAI: Zomato is dishing out a power-packed ode to perseverance with its latest campaign, ‘Fuel Your Hustle’, starring a heavyweight cast of Indian icons: Shah Rukh Khan, Mary Kom, AR Rahman, and Jasprit Bumrah.

    The emotionally charged campaign spotlights the sweat behind the stardom, tracing each personality’s journey through rare archival footage — some of it never seen before — and gritty behind-the-scenes moments from iconic matches, studios, and film sets. The film is underscored by a stirring track from Kalmi (Nikhil Kalimireddy), the voice behind the viral anthem “Big Dawgs”.

    In a world chasing instant wins, ‘Fuel Your Hustle’ flips the script. It’s a celebration of those long, unglamorous hours of hustle — whether it’s SRK’s early theatre days, Mary Kom’s fight against the odds as a mother and champion, Rahman’s studio grind, or Bumrah’s rise from the nets to global cricketing glory.

     

     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

    A post shared by Zomato (@zomato)

     

     

     

    Commenting on the campaign, Zomato marketing Sahibjeet Singh Sawhney said, “This campaign is for a new generation of doers, a reminder that even the stars they look up to started small, stumbled, and kept going. It’s a cheer for the millions of Indians building something, following dreams, caring for loved ones and for themselves, even when it’s hard and no one’s clapping.”

    “We’re rooting for those chasing what they care deeply about and showing up for it consistently. Food is just their fuel and we’re glad to be a small part of their journey,” he added.

    Posted by Deepinder Goyal, Zomato’s CEO, and live across YouTube, Instagram, and outdoor touchpoints, the campaign rolls out as a full-throttle 360-degree blitz across digital, print, and social media.

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  • Zomato serves up a motivational feast with Fuel Your Hustle campaign

    Zomato serves up a motivational feast with Fuel Your Hustle campaign

    MUMBAI: Food delivery and experiences company Zomato has dished out a high-octane, monochrome television commercial, “Fuel Your Hustle”, drawing comparisons to Nike’s iconic “Just Do It” ethos. The star-studded TVC features Hindi cinema’s Shah Rukh Khan, cricketing ace Jasprit Bumrah, boxing legend Mary Kom, and musical maestro AR Rahman, all united in a quest to uncover the “secret ingredient” of greatness.  

    The film is tied together by a compelling music track from Kalmi (Nikhil Kalimireddy), best known for his hit “Big Dawgs”. The background score features a dynamic blend of Indian and western sounds, characterised by a prominent use of percussion and drums that amplify the motivational fervour. 

    The advert kicks off with an intriguing question: “What’s their secret ingredient? Their secret sauce for greatness? What do they know that others don’t?”. What follows is a compelling visual narrative of each icon’s relentless dedication to their craft. Khan is seen meticulously re-taking scenes, Rahman passionately wrestling with his keyboards to perfect a tune, Kom relentlessly skipping and sparring in the boxing ring, and Bumrah unleashing thunderous deliveries that send stumps cartwheeling. 

    A montage of candid shots interspersed with their rigorous routines is accompanied by a haunting voiceover. It declares, “They know the taste of sweat. The salt of tears. They wake up when it’s dark. They show up when it’s hard. They know what it takes, retakes, mistakes. The truth is they are just like you and me. There’s no secret recipe. They JUST WANT IT MORE. THE SECRET INGREDIENT IS HUSTLE. FUEL YOUR HUSTLE. Zomato.” 

    The TVC, with its powerful personalities, stirring message, and driving soundtrack, undoubtedly commands attention. It not only positions Zomato as a brand that embodies its own “hustle,” but also aims to inspire the common person to fuel their ambitions. This ad suggests that Zomato is hungry for more, and wants its customers to feel the same zest for life.

     

  • News18 India rolls out OOH Campaign for Amrit Ratna 2023

    News18 India rolls out OOH Campaign for Amrit Ratna 2023

    Mumbai: India’s number one Hindi news channel, News18 India, rolled out a high impact OOH campaign to promote the second edition of the prestigious Amrit Ratna 2023. As part of promotions for the mega event, the channel deployed an outdoor campaign across Delhi-NCR and Mumbai to raise awareness among the public and gain maximum visibility.  

    The OOH campaign targeted high visibility locations such as NH8 Delhi, Yamuna Expressway Noida, DND Flyover that links Noida to Delhi, Cyber Hub & Cyber City Gurgaon, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and Mahim Junction in Mumbai, among others. The campaign spread across prominent roads, national highways, office spaces, and included unipoles, gantries, LED screens, metro pillars and bridge panels.

    Speaking on the OOH campaign, Network18 CEO – Hindi Karan Abhishek Singh said, “With this outdoor campaign, our aim was to ignite curiosity among our audience, inspiring them to learn about the remarkable stories of our nation’s achievers. The response to this campaign has been nothing short of phenomenal, as the audiences have wholeheartedly embraced the tales of our nation’s pride.”

    Through Amrit Ratna, News18 India recognises and honours individuals who have raised India’s stature globally through their passion, exceptional talent and path-breaking achievements. In this edition, notable honourees such as Indian actor Amir Khan, World Champion boxer MC Mary Kom, Indian actress & film director Asha Parikh and many more were bestowed with the Amrit Ratna Samman.

  • DreamSetGo unveils “Experience The Exclusive” campaign with Sourav Ganguly and Mary Kom

    DreamSetGo unveils “Experience The Exclusive” campaign with Sourav Ganguly and Mary Kom

    Mumbai: DreamSetGo, India’s premium sports experiences and travel platform launched ‘Experience The Exclusive’, a first-of-its-kind digital ad campaign, featuring Indian cricketer – Sourav Ganguly and Olympic Gold Medalist – Mary Kom.

    At the heart of the film is DreamSetGo’s ability to offer exclusive sports experiences for India’s emerging sports travellers. Conceptualised and produced by Jio Creative Labs, the film highlights the sports experiences that go beyond just viewing. With a positive play on the tagline ‘Now this is exclusive’, Sourav Ganguly highlights the brand’s offerings, right from watching a game from prime seats with VIP hospitality, legend meet and greets, locker room visits, among others. The film aims to reiterate DreamSetGo as every Indian sports fan’s ultimate travel partner.

    The first film, featuring Ganguly aims to drive awareness and recall for its exclusive offerings, including Matchday Experiences, Behind-the-scenes Access, Legend Meet & Greet, Exclusively Signed Merchandise, Elite Accommodation, Visa Services & Exclusive destination experiences. This includes access to team training sessions, locker rooms, team meetings, among others.

    Speaking about the campaign, DreamSetGo co-founder & chief business officer Monish Shah said, “The world has been witness to India’s passion for international sporting events. Understanding the pulse of the discerning Indian sports traveller, we curate experiences that go way beyond the bleachers. Right from exclusive hospitality experiences, prime seating, stadium tours, legend meet and greets, travel & accommodation, we offer just about everything that’s exclusive. This campaign is a sneak-peak into what sports travel looks like with DreamSetGo. We are honoured to have our Super Captain Sourav Ganguly join us in this journey since last year. His unparalleled passion to deliver the best on and off the field perfectly aligns with our commitment to make sports travel truly extraordinary.”

    Ganguly said, “Sports engagement and travel experiences have significantly evolved. Sports fans are looking for access to sporting events, within and outside India. DreamSetGo is the ideal partner committed to bridging this gap between sports and fans. Over the past year, I have witnessed DreamSetGo go above and beyond to deliver elevated and exclusive experiences. DreamSetGo’s commitment to delivering money-can’t-buy sports travel experiences has struck a chord with me and I am super delighted to be a part of this incredible journey.”

    The campaign, endorsed by two iconic sports personalities, Sourav Ganguly and Mary Kom, embodies the spirit of excellence and exclusivity. The film is live across DreamSetGo’s digital channels like YouTube, Instagram, Linkedin and X (erstwhile Twitter). It will also be promoted across various digital advertising platforms.

    Ganguly and Kom are iconic figures synonymous with dedication, passion, and the pursuit of greatness, mirroring the values that the “Experience The Exclusive” campaign embodies.

    Backed by India’s leading sports technology company – Dream Sports, DreamSetGo’s on a mission to bridge the accessibility gap between Indian sports fans and global sporting events. It aims to serve India’s emerging outbound sports travellers and play the role of an enabler in India’s journey to becoming a leading sporting nation. Over the past 12 months, DreamSetGo has enabled 5000 travellers to various sporting events, including Cricket, Tennis, Motorsports, Football, Golf, and Rugby, among others. 

  • GiveIndia’s ‘Team for Humanity’ fundraiser supports COVID-19 aid in India

    GiveIndia’s ‘Team for Humanity’ fundraiser supports COVID-19 aid in India

    MUMBAI: Online giving platform, GiveIndia has launched the ‘Team for Humanity’ fundraiser to provide financial support to low-income families who have lost an earning member to COVID-19. This immediate financial aid can help ease the loss of grieving families who are at greater risk of falling further into poverty. 

    With 250,000+ families losing earning members to COVID-19, this aid will help them tide through this difficult time, as only 30 per cent of bereaved families can sustain for over a month in their current financial state. Through this fundraiser, low-income families of COVID deceased will receive a one-time cash support of Rs.30,000 (approximately $ 400/family), said the platform in a statement.

    Through one of the largest collaborative efforts towards COVID relief, the initiative has already seen support from the likes of Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Mary Kom, Dua Lipa, Lilly Singh, Pep Guardiola, Robert Pires, Yuvraj Singh, Sunil Chettri, Washington Sundar, Devdutt Padikkal and Kareena Kapoor among others. Companies including PUMA, Facebook, Myntra and Miss Malini have also joined the cause. DDB Worldwide is the communication partner for the fundraiser.  

    https://www.facebook.com/virat.kohli/posts/350035306488903

    GiveIndia founder 2.0 & CEO Atul Satija said, “COVID’s impact has pushed many families into poverty, especially those who have lost their only breadwinner and are facing hardships for everyday survival. It is heartening to see members of the sports fraternity coming together to help vulnerable communities – sports is a great way to unite people. We are grateful to Puma, DDB and others for supporting families of the COVID deceased through their Team for Humanity fundraiser.” 

    “PUMA is happy to partner with GiveIndia and DDB for the Team for Humanity fundraiser to support relief initiatives to help those impacted by COVID-19. Losing a loved one is heartbreaking and there are so many families dealing with all kinds of losses due to the ongoing pandemic. We hope this initiative helps vulnerable families across the country mitigate the impact of the pandemic as they take the first step to stability. Each donation- no matter the amount- will help families adjust to their new reality and come out stronger. Together, we can win the battle against COVID-19,” said PUMA India & Southeast Asia managing director Abhishek Ganguly. 

    Facebook India director and head of partnerships Manish Chopra said, “We’ve all seen the impact the pandemic has had across communities, and we are happy to partner with GiveIndia in their efforts to help affected families move forward.  Facebook’s SocialForGood initiative is focused on supporting large community causes by bringing together public figures and creators to raise awareness and funding and it is heartening to see the sports and entertainment community coming together to help those in need.”

  • PUMA India signs 18 athletes ahead of Tokyo Olympics

    PUMA India signs 18 athletes ahead of Tokyo Olympics

    MUMBAI: In a move signifying its substantial investment in Indian sports, global sportswear Puma announced that it has signed 15 Indian athletes and three para-athletes, who will represent the country in national and international events at the upcoming Tokyo Olympics.

    In addition to ace boxer Mary Kom and national sprinter, Dutee Chand, the brand has signed boxer Pooja Rani, track and field athlete Tejinder Singh, shooter Manu Bhaker, and swimmer Srihari Nataraj among others, as a part of its latest brand campaign ‘Only See Great’.  The athletes ranging from multiple sporting disciplines like hockey, table tennis, discus throw, and badminton are set to participate in the much-awaited international multi-sport event that begins on 23 July.

    Through the  ‘Only See Great’ campaign, the sportswear giant sheds light on how these athletes have strived to achieve greatness during these extraordinary times. With this, the sportswear giant aims to push boundaries and celebrate diversity in sports in order to bring about a mindset transformation towards equality in sports. In its bid to support diverse talent, the brand has also tied up with para-athletes like shooter Avani Lekhara, table tennis champ Bhavina Patel, discus throw athlete Ekta Bhayan.

    The brand’s roster of athletes includes hockey players Rupinder Pal Singh, Harmanpreet Singh, Mandeep Singh, Gurjant Singh, Savita Punia, Sushila Chanu, Navneet Kaur, Navjot Kaur, Vandana Katariya, Gurjit Kaur, and Udita Duhan.

    “We are thrilled and honored to sign some of the country’s finest athletes. As they continue to lead the way with their strength and athleticism, it’s equally important to work with them to break down barriers on the field of play. As a brand, we strongly believe that being unique is a great strength and our unwavering commitment to inclusivity in sports is testament to this,” said PUMA India & Southeast Asia managing director Abhishek Ganguly.

    “Our athletes have time and again proven their mettle. I am sure with their grit and determination they will continue to outperform themselves. I wish them good luck in their pursuit to achieve greatness and make our country proud,” he added.

    With their eyes set on the challenge, each athlete will be showcasing their prowess as they set out to achieve their own moment of greatness in the sport. The ‘Only See Great’ campaign puts the spotlight on them as they strive for greatness, listening to their hearts, and finding a vision that no one else can see.

    Commenting on the association, Mary Kom said, “I have been associated with PUMA for over two years now and I am proud of the fact that the brand has always been at the forefront of encouraging the spirit of sports. For any athlete, grit, passion, and hard work are the key ingredients to success. My boxing journey has not been that easy, but with years of practice, hard work, and determination, I achieved the improbable. I am glad to represent India in the international sports circuit after such a long time.”

    Dutee Chand shared, “PUMA was my very first brand association and will always be very close to my heart. I’m thrilled and proud to see the brand encourage athletes across sporting fields and support them in their journey to achieve greatness. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, I believe that my hard work has brought me closer to my goal. My single focused aim is to win more laurels for the country in national and international sporting events.”

    Para-athlete Ekta Bhayan said, “Everybody has the right to dream, don’t let disability define you. I hope my sporting journey sets an example for others that nothing can stop them. I am so thrilled to be associated with PUMA at this juncture in my sporting career. It’s great to see the brand continuing to break stereotypes and champion inclusivity in sports.”

  • Krishna Desai, Joy Bhattacharya and Amber Lall, come together to announce the launch of a creative content powerhouse

    Krishna Desai, Joy Bhattacharya and Amber Lall, come together to announce the launch of a creative content powerhouse

    Mumbai: Former Turner International executive director and head kids vertical for south asia Krishna Desai (KD),  former vice president Endemol Shine India  Joy Bhattacharya, and second unit director for Padmaavat Amber Lall ,recently announced the launch of their newventure, 369 Media & Entertainment is a content powerhouse designed to target the potential of unexplored and compelling storytelling in the burgeoning digital medium.Leveraging their diverse industry expertise, KD, Amber and Joy bring a deep consumer centric content creation ethos coupled with strategic business insights to the venture.

    Speaking about this new venture and its vision, KD said, “During my long stint at across kids and English entertainment brands in various roles, I was fascinated by the nature of massive adoption on-demand video consumption and realised the magnitude of the supply gap of relatable content for a growing number of discerning consumerswho have an ever-increasing choice of content. It all pointed to this time which is a great one to fully explore the potential of newer and better ways of storytelling. I spent the last several months exploring and researching the best way to address the potential that this gap represented and met with many people from the M&E industry. This journey found culmination in an exciting collaboration with Joy and Amber to launch 369 Media & Entertainment which I am confident will deliver unique, compelling and authentic content.’’

    Speaking about this collaboration Joy Bhattacharya said, “We are truly excited to introduce our new venture. It focuses on creating meaningful and relatable content for the fastest-growing consumer segment. We use analytical insights into our development process rather than just a gut feeling and this helps us offer differentiating content. We will also focus on nurturing a content partner ecosystem that would not only understand the gap but also drive the narrative. The creative art of storytelling that can connect and resonate with the viewers is the key ingredient and that is precisely what we aim to offer.’’

    Speaking about this new venture, Amber Lall, a seasoned film industry professional, said “Storytelling really is the exploration of the human mind. The digital revolution has just opened up many new shores to explore, allowing the storyteller an opportunity to think more candidly. 369 is an attempt to give the greatly under-served population honest, engaging and appealing content.’’

    Based on Nicola Tesla’s theory of the mysterious triangle of 3, 6 and 9, that hold the key to unlocking the mysteries of the universe, the 369 Media and Entertainment aims to unlock the entertainment universe and leave its audiences mind blown! 369 Media and Engagement LLP is set to achieve its goals of unlocking powerful content that is enjoyable and relatable to audiences in India and overseas and will be in the delivered in the form of fiction and non-fiction shows, short films, documentaries, feature films, live events, etc.

    For more details, please log on to: www.369-media.com

  • Biopics & sports-based films help popularise sporting culture in India

    Biopics & sports-based films help popularise sporting culture in India

    MUMBAI: “Sattar minute, sattar minute hai tumhare paas … shayad tumhari zindagi ke sabse khaas sattar minute … (Seventy minutes, seventy minutes is what you have … may be the most important seventy minutes of your life..)”.

    These famous lines spoken in true Shah Rukh Khan style and many other such nuggets woven into a drama with various twists and turns, and ups and downs went on to make the 2007 Hindi film Chak De India — loosely based on real life incidents highlighting the Indian women’s hockey team’s journey from outcasts to gold and glory having being coached by a disgraced goalkeeper — one of the biggest hits of that decade. It also gave India an iconic phrase: ‘chak de India’, denoting winning against odds.

    Though India is primarily a cricket-crazy nation and success of sports theme based films like Chak De and later Pan Singh Tomar (a national athlete’s life story from the sports tracks to that of an outlaw ultimately shot down by police) notwithstanding, the local film industry put more faith in action and romantic flicks. Unlike Hollywood that always turned to the sports field to get inspiration for gut-wrenching and raw drama. Remember Raging Bull, the Rocky series or flicks based on boxing legend Muhammad Ali’s life and footballer Pele? Or, for that matter, Escape to Victory?

    However, India has witnessed a trend of late: movies being made on both popular and not-so-popular sports and sports personalities. The rationale being viewers convert into fans boosting the popularity of non-cricket sports desperately needed in India. 

    Bollywood suddenly discovered that biopics of sports personalities do get the cash registers ringing in theatres and, later, when the rights were sold to TV channels. Stars who won medals to empty stands or forgotten are now getting the glory they deserve.

    If Chak De India pitchforked the much-neglected-in-need-of-a-boost hockey into limelight and also conceiving of fast-paced hockey leagues with foreign and domestic players, films like MS Dhoni, Sachin: A Billion Dreams,Azhar and Jannat capitalised on popular cricketers and the darker side of betting and match-fixing, respectively. Dangal and Sultan (wrestling), Mary Kom (boxing), Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (athletics) not only turned out to be box-office hits, but also did a lot of good to lesser followed sports, creating newer fan bases.

    “Sports biopics have played an important role in inspiring generations of youth not just in India, but globally. They help in channelising youth’s energies positively and in a way that contributes towards society building. It also drives home a deeper message on life and showcases the pain and toil that go behind the achievement of fame, popularity and, above all, respect,” says Sportscomm Co-Founder Abhoy Chattopadhyay.

    In recent years Dangal, undoubtedly, is the most popular sports films, highlighting the travails and glory of Haryana’s Phogat sisters, trained by their former national champ wrestler-father for the big stage and medals. Launched in December 2017 with a budget of Rs 70 crore, the box office collection went to clock Rs 2,122 crore worldwide, out of which more than Rs 1,300 crore was made only from the Chinese market where most viewers saw sub-titled versions to experience the true flavour and energy of the local language. The film has also been watched over 345 million times on Chinese streaming platforms.

    The Broadcast Audience Research Council viewership of some of the top sports biopics premiered on TV includes Dangal (16.2 million impressions) followed by MS Dhoni (8 million impressions).

    The movie Mary Kom helped boxing increase its reach and popularity in India as people started watching and following the game more fervently as they connected with players like Mary Kom and now-turned pro boxer Vijender Singh.

    According to Chattopadhyay, by reproducing the life journey of a successful athlete on the silver screen, the target audience is “taught to appreciate the years of dedication and hard-work behind all that glitz and glamour” and the fact that there are no short-cuts to success – and in life.

    Said a sports executive: “In a country bereft of a sports culture, sports biopics help in creating an ecosystem for the future where parents encourage children to take up a particular sport as a career option — a support system so vital to producing sporting champions — simply because movies play a huge influencing role in society.”

    Chak De, for example, gave women’s hockey a new lease of life as well as contributed towards the growth of women sports in the country. Dangal too played a very critical role in helping wrestling reach out to various corners of the country and encourage many more girls to take up the sport in what is still a patriarchal society. Movies like MSD may not have boosted the popularity of cricket, already a craze, but, according to the sports executive, it helped many youngsters from smaller towns gather the courage to take up sports as a career option, including cricket that was earlier looked upon as an urban game with most cricketers coming from big cities and metros.

    Speaking to Hindustan Times newspaper in September last, the 43-year-old actor Farhan Akhtar, who essayed the role of the Flying Sikh Milkha Singh in  Bhaag Milkha Bhaag admitted that the film was a “turning point” for him with the rigorous training and strict diet for the shoot having positive side effects. “I have not been able to go back to the way I used to eat or drink before I started training for the film,” Akhtar explained, adding, “Working on the movie made me realise the true meaning of fitness and the value of getting enough rest.”

    More biopics and sports-based films in the pipeline include Gold and Soorma on some now-forgotten Indian hockey stars, flicks based on the life and times of Indian badminton stars Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu, and the country’s lone individual Olympics gold-finger shooter Abhinav Bindra.

    A three-language biopic is also being readied on former badminton champ P Gopichand, the mentor of quite a few current sensations like Sindhu, Nehwal and K. Srikanth, in Telugu, Hindi and English. Another movie is dedicated to the great all-rounder and India’s first cricket World Cup lifting captain Kapil Dev.

    Viacom18 Motion Pictures last year announced that it had acquired the rights of a film on the life and times of Indian woman cricket team captain and legend Mithila Raj, who also happens to be the highest run-getter in the world. It was under her captaincy that India went to reach the final in the women’s cricket World Cup 2017.

    While Viacom18 Motion Pictures COO Ajit Andhare said the studio had always showcased content with strong women characters and was proud to be collaborating with the “young and inspirational” Raj, Varun Chopra, Director, Medallin Sports, who facilitated the Raj-Viacom association, went a step further to opine the proposed film would inspire and motivate future generations [of young girls]. 

    Sports biopics nudge people’s interest in newer sports in a cricket-crazy nation. However, the sport on which no biopic has been made yet, but the game itself is a hit on TV (Pro Kabbadi League on Star Sports) is kabbadi. We hope that too will happen soon.

    Also Read :

    The year of big switch in sports broadcasting

    PKL season 6 and 7 dates announced

    Star ushers in IPL’s new era with a bang

    Launch of 1st indian sports radio channel – sports flashes 

  • Viacom18 showcases strong women characters content: Ajit Andhare, buys Mithali biopic rights

    Viacom18 showcases strong women characters content: Ajit Andhare, buys Mithali biopic rights

    MUMBAI: With a phenomenal record of being the highest run scorer in one-day internationals averaging above 51, the captain of the Indian women’s cricket team, Mithali Raj, has had a remarkable journey on field. An inspiration to billions of young girls in the country, her life is now all set to be documented on the silver screen. The rights of the film have been acquired by Viacom18 Motion Pictures, the studio that backed content driven films like Queen, Manjhi, Drishyam, Mary Kom, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and the recent hit, Toilet Ek Prem Katha. Viacom18 Motion Pictures COO Ajit Andhare says, “Viacom18 Motion Pictures has always been the pioneer in showcasing content with portrayal of strong women characters right from Queen to Kahani to Mary Kom. We are proud to be collaborating with the young and inspirational Mithali Dorai Raj, a name single-handedly responsible in bringing about a shift in the way women’s cricket team was perceived in our country.” Raj is the highest run-scorer in women’s international cricket and the only woman cricketer to surpass the 6,000 run mark in ODIs. She is also the first player to score seven consecutive 50s in ODIs. Raj is the first Indian to have lead the national team to an ICC ODI World Cup final twice – 2005 and 2017. An Arjuna awardee, Mithali was also awarded the Padma Shri in 2015, India’s fourth highest civilian award for her contribution towards the sport of cricket. Raj says, “I am extremely happy on this association with Viacom18 Motion Pictures. Hoping that this movie inspires more people especially young girls to take up sports as a career.” The association between Viacom18 Motion Pictures and Mithali Raj has been facilitated by Medallin Sports director Varun Chopra, who says: “Mithali remains to be an inspiration for multitudes for many years now and her story on the silver screen will keep motivating generations.”

  • Largest-ever contigent for Rio Olympics, Steel Ministry, Reliance Jio, Tata Salt among sponsors

    Largest-ever contigent for Rio Olympics, Steel Ministry, Reliance Jio, Tata Salt among sponsors

    NEW DELHI: In its highest ever contingent, India is sending a total of 119 sportspersons who have qualified for participation in Rio Olympics 2016 to be held from 5 to 21 August 2016.

    A total of 57 sportspersons qualified for participation in Beijing Olympics 2008 and 81 sportspersons qualified for participation in London Olympics 2012.

    Minister Vijay Goel told Parliament today that the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has informed that sponsors already committed are Reliance Jio and Edelweiss Financial Services as the Principal Sponsors, Amul, Tata Salt and Herbalife as Associate Sponsor, Li Ning and SBJ as apparel sponsors.

    Preparation for Olympic Games is an ongoing process. Training and competitive exposure to sportspersons preparing for international sports events including Olympic Games are provided under the Scheme of Assistance to National Sports Federations (NSFs) and National Sports Development Fund (NSDF).

    (Two sportspersons – sprinter Dharambir Singh and wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt – are being sponsored for the Rio Olympics by the Steel Authority of India Ltd. Steel Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh conferred the SAIL logo and felicitated the atheletes recently. Minister of State for Steel Vishnu Deo Sai, Secretary Steel Ms. Aruna Sundararajan and SAIL Chairman P K Singh and senior officers of the Ministry were also present on the occasion.)

    The Youth Affairs & Sports Ministry does not maintain data about the sponsorship given by private sector and public sector companies directly to the sportspersons and sports bodies for preparation and training of the sportspersons for their participation in international event including Rio Olympics 2016.

    The Ministry has formulated a programme “Target Olympic Podium Scheme” (TOP Scheme) within the overall ambit of the National Sports Development Fund (NSDF) with the objective of identifying and supporting potential medal prospects for 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games.

    An Elite Athletes Identification Committee has been set up with Ms. Anju Bobby George, renowned athlete as its chairperson, Pullella Gopichand and Ms. M C Mary Kom as members among others to evaluate and select potential medal prospects for 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games for support under the Target Olympic Podium (TOP) Scheme. Identified medal prospects are being provided financial assistance for their customized training at Institutes having world class facilities and other necessary support under Target Olympic Podium (TOP) Scheme.

    Further, in order to enhance the number of participants in the next Tokyo Olympics, the Government has set up a Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) in Sports Authority of India.