MUMBAI: When sport meets state ambition, a familiar opener is walking out to the crease. Shikhar Dhawan has been appointed Brand Ambassador of the inaugural Delhi Khel Mahakumbh, a flagship grassroots initiative of the directorate of education and sports under the Government of NCT of Delhi.

Conceived as a city-wide sporting carnival with serious intent, the Delhi Khel Mahakumbh aims to widen participation, spot early talent and build structured pathways for young athletes across the capital. By bringing school and community-level sport under one competitive umbrella, the programme positions sport as a key pillar of youth development rather than an extracurricular afterthought.

Dhawan’s association adds instant visibility and resonance. One of India’s most recognisable sporting figures and an Arjuna Awardee, he has increasingly focused on nurturing talent beyond his playing career through his venture Da One Sports. His involvement aligns with the event’s ambition to give young athletes the exposure many careers hinge on.

Ashish Sood, Minister of Education and Sports, Government of Delhi, described the Mahakumbh as a “transformative platform” for sports development, noting that Dhawan’s presence brings credibility and inspiration while reinforcing the focus on grassroots participation and talent identification.

For Dhawan, the role strikes a personal chord. He said the initiative responds to a city “brimming with talent and seeking the right opportunity and exposure”, adding that his own journey underlines how decisive early platforms can be. He also linked the effort to a broader vision of strengthening Delhi’s sporting legacy and aspirations.

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That ecosystem thinking is echoed by Da One Group CEO Anshita Gupta who said the Mahakumbh fills a crucial gap by offering structured development and high-performance avenues, creating clearer routes for aspiring athletes to progress.

The scale of the ambition is sizeable. The inaugural Delhi Khel Mahakumbh begins on 13 February, spanning 16 venues across the capital and drawing participation from all 12 districts of Delhi. Thousands of young athletes are set to compete across basketball, football, athletics, kabaddi, wrestling, squash and volleyball.

If the idea is to make sport feel accessible, aspirational and city-wide, Delhi has chosen a brand ambassador who knows a thing or two about seizing an opening and turning it into something bigger.

MUMBAI: India’s blind women’s cricket team emerged as the standout honouree at the fourth edition of the Zee Samvad with Real Heroes 2026, held on 6 February at the Fairmont in Mumbai.

Organised by Zee Media Corporation Limited, the event sought to recognise sporting excellence rooted in resilience rather than medals alone. The blind women’s team was honoured for its contribution to grassroots sport and its role in pushing inclusion into corners of Indian athletics that often go unnoticed.

The recognition was presented by yoga guru and social reformer Baba Ramdev, who acknowledged the team’s perseverance and growing influence in advancing inclusive sport. The honour underlined how women-led initiatives from outside India’s sporting mainstream are quietly reshaping participation and confidence at the community level.

Team members honoured included Simu Das, Anu Kumari, Jamuna Rani Tudu, Anekha Devi, Basanti Hansdah, Simranjeet Kour, Sunita Sarathe, Parbati Marndi, Deepika T C, Phula Soren, Ganga S Kadam, Kavya N R, Sushma Patel, Durga Yevle and Shika Shetty. Several players spoke about navigating disability, limited resources and social constraints and how cricket became a route to independence, discipline and collective strength.

The evening also widened its lens beyond the pitch. Mountaineer Saanvi Sood was recognised for her endurance-led achievements, symbolising India’s growing appetite for adventure sport. Judoka Yogita Mandavi was honoured for her consistency and competitive excellence, reflecting the grind behind elite-level performance.
 

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Haryana: Ajay Adlakha, a long-time player in India’s advertising and rural marketing circuit, has added a new title to his portfolio, co-founder of the Kickboxing Super League, signalling a move from boardrooms and brand strategy into the business of sport.

The league marks Adlakha’s latest entrepreneurial bet after more than two decades in advertising, media and market development, where he built a reputation for rural outreach and niche brand building.

Adlakha continues to serve as managing director at Infinity Advertising Network, the agency he founded in the mid-1990s, and remains the force behind Rural Marketing, described as India’s first magazine and portal dedicated to rural and agricultural markets through RuralMarketing.in. The platform focuses on agriculture marketing, rural innovation, development, policy and the evolving links between urban and rural demand.

Over the years, Adlakha has positioned himself as a specialist across broadcast television, print, research, digital and emerging technology, arguing that brand-building is about speaking smartly rather than loudly. He has also been active in pro-bono consulting and startup mentoring.

Industry bodies have taken note. Adlakha has been counted among India’s 50 most influential rural marketing professionals and received a gold standing recognition as a most admired rural marketing professional by ACEF.

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His media footprint extends through earlier leadership at i9 Media, a rural-focused knowledge and media outfit launched in 2012 to build what it called a large rural knowledge repository. The group also rolled out Rural & Marketing, a monthly English magazine aimed at corporates, administrators, NGOs and business schools, with a focus on analytical and data-led insights on rural India.

Adlakha is also an author, with the Amazon bestseller “Why Nobody Cares for Your Brand”, a blunt take on the gap between marketing noise and consumer attention.

The Kickboxing Super League now becomes the newest arena for that branding instinct. India’s sports leagues have multiplied in recent years, chasing media rights, sponsorship and regional fan bases. Combat sports, once fringe, are drawing younger audiences and digital viewers.

For Adlakha, the move fits a pattern: spot an underdeveloped market, build a platform and sell a story around it. From rural India to the fight game, the playbook looks familiar.

Brands, villages or fight cards, the pitch is the same. Find attention, build trust, scale fast. This time, the contest just happens to come with gloves.

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