The <keyword id="11932" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Olympic" source="Orion">Olympic</keyword>s, a grand stage for timeless rituals and traditions, embodies humanity's enduring pursuit of greatness and togetherness. From the ceremonial lighting of the Olympic flame to the grandeur of the opening ceremonies, each tradition tells its own unique story. Yet, amidst these historic customs, one curious practice stands out as a quirky relic from the past: athletes biting their medals. It's a sight as iconic as the Games themselves: athletes, beaming with pride on the podium, their medals catching the light. But as they pose for photographers, many can't resist the impulse to bite their hard-earned honours. Why do they do it? <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="From a historical tradition to a modern-day money shot" comment="subhead" text="From a historical tradition to a modern-day money shot">From a historical tradition to a modern-day money shot</cmsannotation> The tradition of <keyword id="22584047" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="biting-medals" source="Orion">biting medals</keyword> has its roots in history, tracing back to an era when gold was used as currency. Merchants would chomp down on gold coins to test their authenticity, as pure gold is soft and would leave a mark if bitten. Fast forward to today, and Olympic medals are a far cry from solid gold. They consist of only about 6 grams of gold, with the remainder being silver and other metals. So, the athletes aren’t actually verifying the gold content when they give their medals a nibble. And yet, this quirky tradition has become so entrenched in Olympic culture that it’s almost expected. What began as a method to test the authenticity of medals has morphed into a celebratory gesture. Today, athletes bite their medals not to check for gold, but as part of the euphoria of their victory and, at times, to comply with photographers’ demands. Photographers often insist on this medal-biting pose, sometimes coaxing or even pressuring athletes to comply. David Wallechinsky, President of the International Society of Olympic Historians, has pointed out that the medal-biting pose is a coveted “money shot” for photographers. “It's become an obsession with the photographers. I think they look at it as an iconic shot, as something that you can probably sell. I don't think it's something the athletes would probably do on their own,” Wallechinsky told CNN back in 2012. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112009818" title="From sunbeams to Olympic dreams: How a simple mirror creates the legendary Olympic flame" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>Some athletes have even suffered unpleasant consequences from this pose, like German luger David Moeller, who broke his tooth while biting his silver medal in 2010. Despite the risks, the medal-biting tradition shows no signs of slowing down. It's become an iconic part of the Olympic experience, capturing the thrill of victory in a single, unforgettable image. And as long as photographers keep asking for the shot, athletes will likely keep biting — even if they're not actually checking for real gold.

Bite-sized tradition: Why do Olympic winners bite their medals?

It took just two rounds of throws on Thursday night, and the fate of the men’s <keyword id="19934351" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="javelin-throw" source="keywords">javelin throw</keyword> final at the <keyword id="20201477" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Paris-2024-Olympics" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Paris 2024 Olympics" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Paris 2024 Olympics">Paris 2024 Olympics</keyword> seemed to have been sealed. As crores of Indians brimmed with anticipation for a historic gold repeat, a shiny silver landed on <keyword id="19968766" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Neeraj-Chopra" source="keywords">Neeraj Chopra</keyword>’s lap despite an incredibly gritty effort. On day 13 of the ongoing <keyword id="19933819" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Olympics" source="keywords">Olympics</keyword>, India's golden boy had to settle for silver with a throw of 89.45m, which was very close to his personal best. However, Pakistan's <keyword id="20865533" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Arshad-Nadeem" source="keywords">Arshad Nadeem</keyword> stole the show, setting a new Olympic record and clinching the coveted <keyword id="20342188" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gold-medal" source="keywords">gold medal</keyword>. He came up with a sensational throw of 92.97 metres in his second attempt that not only dethroned defending champion Neeraj but also created a new Olympic record. The earlier Olympic record stood at 90.57m in the name of Andreas Thorkildsen of Norway, set during the 2008 Beijing Games. Grenada’s Anderson Peters claimed bronze with best throw of 88.54 metres in his fourth attempt. <h2>Final moments of javelin throw in Paris 2024</h2>Chopra, the reigning Olympic champion, also displayed immense courage and determination throughout the competition. With the sliver in Paris 2024, Neeraj became the fourth Indian athlete to clinch two individual Olympic medals, after shuttler PV Sindhu (one silver, one bronze), wrestler Sushil Kumar (one silver, one bronze) and shooter Manu Bhaker (two bronze). In the finals, however, reeling under the pressure to beat the record-breaking second throw from Nadeem, Neeraj fouled five times with four consecutive breaches after his second attempt of 89.45 m. In his sixth and final attempt, Nadeem again breached the coveted 90 m mark with an impressive of 91.79m to establish his dominance. Nadeem's exceptional performance proved to be insurmountable. Despite the disappointment of not defending his title, Chopra's <keyword id="19920397" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="silver-medal" source="keywords">silver medal</keyword> remains a testament to his unwavering dedication and skill. It also marked India's first silver medal at the Paris Olympics so far. <h2>A new chapter in Indo-Pak sporting rivalry</h2>Nadeem's victory is a monumental moment in Pakistan’s sporting history, being the country’s first Olympics gold in athletics. His record-breaking throw has not only secured him Olympic glory but also marked a new chapter in the Indo-Pak sporting rivalry. Chopra and Nadeem have added a new dimension to this decades-old sporting narrative, showcasing the spirit of top-class competition and sportsmanship in athletics, which remains an underappreciated field in both countries. The 26-year-old Chopra had never lost to Nadeem in their earlier 10 clashes throughout World and Asian Athletics Championships, Commonwealth Games and Olympics. As the dust settles on this thrilling final, both Chopra and Nadeem have etched their names in the annals of Olympic history. While India celebrates Chopra's silver, the subcontinent as a whole is bowing to the extraordinary talent displayed by both athletes. (With inputs from agencies) Also Read: <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112323364" title="A father recalls: It took a village to get behind Arshad Nadeem&amp;#39;s Olympic final qualification" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"><payload><![CDATA[seealso]]></payload></div> <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112379419" title="Paris Olympics: Indian men&amp;#39;s hockey team wins bronze medal, repeat their feat from Tokyo Olympics" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"><payload><![CDATA[seealso]]></payload></div>

Neeraj Chopra settles for India’s first silver in Paris 2024 as Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem strikes gold with a new Olympic record in javelin throw

<keyword id="20292631" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Indian-mens-hockey-team" source="keywords">Indian men's hockey team</keyword> secured yet another medal, this time a bronze, for <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="india" source="keywords">India</keyword> at the ongoing <keyword id="20006192" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Paris-Olympics" source="keywords">Paris Olympics</keyword>, thrashing Spain by 2-1, and finishing at the podium for the second consecutive time since the <keyword id="20262833" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tokyo-Olympics" source="keywords">Tokyo Olympics</keyword>, where they had previously secured a bronze. For India, both goals in this match were scored by skipper Harmanpreet Singh, also popularly known as Sarpanch Sahab. For the first time in 50 years, India has won bronze medals in Olympics, back to back. India holds the distinction of being the country that holds the most number of Olympic medals in field hockey. With this, India takes its medal tally to four in this Olympics. All of them are bronze medals, won by Manu Bhaker (2), Sarabjot Singh and Swapnil Kusale in shooting. India came very close to winning medals in Paris 2024 Olympics, securing six 4th place finishes. These athletes include Arjun Babuta (shooting), Dhiraj Bommadevara/Ankita Bhakat (archery), Manu Bhaker (shooting), Anantjeet Singh Naruka/Maheshwari Chauhan (mixed team skeet shooting), Mirabai Chanu (weightlifting) and Lakshya Sen (badminton). The medal comes as a soothing salve, as India nurses a series of brunts, following Vinesh Phogat's unfortunate disqualification from wrestling finals, and Antim Panghal's three-year ban imposed by the International Olympics Association (IOA), after she was found in breach of discipline. Her sister was arrested on charges of impersonation and entering the international athlete's village on Panghal's accredition card, following which the wrestler was sent back to India. After their gold medal triumph in 1980, the <keyword id="20415656" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-hockey-team" source="keywords">Indian hockey team</keyword> had to go through a long, 41-year drought, where the team won no medals, till Tokyo Olympics 2020, where we secured a bronze. To date, India has won 8 gold medals in hockey in Olympics, with the country's last gold medal in this sport coming in 1980. India did qualify for semi-finals in this Olympics and also came a step closer to winning silver or gold medal, but were defeated by Germany 3-2. Previously, India has also won a silver medal in 1960, alongside 3 bronze medals in 1968, 1972 and 2020. This is the last Olympic outing for star goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, who managed to save many a crucial hits from the opposition. The team dedicated the medal to him, squaring off his fantastic career, which began in 2006. He holds 2 Asian games gold medals, 4 Olympic hats, and over 300 games to his credit.

Paris Olympics: Indian men's hockey team wins bronze medal, repeat their feat from Tokyo Olympics

<ul><li>Indian shooter <keyword id="2520212" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Swapnil-Kusale" source="Orion">Swapnil Kusale</keyword> has won the bronze medal in the men's 50m Rifle 3 Positions event.</li><li>This is India’s third medal at the Paris Olympics 2024, all of which have come in shooting</li><li>Kusale has become the first Indian to win an Olympic medal in the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions event.</li></ul> Indian shooter Swapnil Kusale clinched the bronze medal in the men's 50m Rifle 3 Positions event at the 2024 Paris Olympics. This is India’s third medal at the Paris Olympics 2024, all of which have come in shooting. Yukun Liu of China won the gold, while Serhiy Kulish of Ukraine won the silver medal. China’s Liu had created the world record with a mark of 468.9 in May 2024 in Baku. <h2>Swapnil Kusale wins bronze</h2>Kusale scored 451.4 points to secure the third position and has become the first Indian to win an Olympic medal in the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions event. In the qualification round, Kusale finished seventh with a total score of 590-38x, securing his place in the final. The 50m rifle 3 positions final includes three rounds of 15 shots each. After 15 shots in kneeling, prone, and standing positions, the elimination round is conducted to decide the winner. As mentioned earlier, all three medals that India has won have come from shooting. Manu Bhaker opened India’s tally with a bronze medal in the women’s 10m air pistol event and then Bhaker won a second bronze medal along with Sarabjot Singh in the 10m air pistol mixed team event. This is the first time India has won more than two medals in a single sport at a single Olympic Games, making it the best-ever performance from shooting for India. <h2>Who is Swapnil Kusale?</h2>Swapnil Kusale was born on February 8, 1995, in Pune, Maharashtra in an agricultural family. Initially drawn to cricket, Kusale discovered his passion for shooting in his early teens. Encouraged by his family, particularly his father, who recognised his potential, Kusale began his training in shooting. He has been a part of the Indian shooting contingent for several years and has consistently performed well in national and international competitions. Kusale works as a Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) with the Pune Railway Division. In 2015, Kusale won a gold medal in the 50m rifle prone 3 event in the junior category at the Asian Shooting Championships held in Kuwait. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/webstories/nothing-phone-2a-plus-vs-oneplus-nord-4-which-mid-range-phone-should-you-buy/slidelist/112189229.cms">Nothing Phone (2a) Plus vs OnePlus Nord 4 – which mid-range phone should you buy?</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/webstories/ola-electric-ipo-price-band-to-risk-factors-all-you-need-to-know/slidelist/112185870.cms">Ola Electric IPO – Price band to risk factors, all you need to know</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/indian-smartphone-shipments-decline-by-2-in-q2-2024-xiaomi-retakes-the-throne/articleshow/112162312.cms">Indian smartphone shipments decline by 2% in Q2 2024, Xiaomi retakes the throne</a>

Swapnil Kusale wins bronze in men's 50m rifle 3 positions event, India’s third medal at Paris Olympics 2024

India's <keyword id="4813205" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Manu-Bhaker">Manu Bhaker</keyword> fired her way to the gold medal with a junior world record in the women's <keyword id="5939595" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="10m-Air-Pistol-event">10m air pistol event</keyword> of the World Cup Finals here on Thursday. The 17-year-old Bhaker shot 244.7 to claim the top prize in the prestigious season-ending tournament of International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF). Her compatriot, Yashaswini Singh Deswal finished sixth in the final of the event. Serbia's Zorana Arunovic won the silver with 241.9, while Quian Wang of China bagged the bronze with 221.8. In the men's 10m air pistol event, Abhishek Verma and Saurabh Chaudhary qualified for the final. Verma topped the qualifications with 588 while Chaudhary was seventh with 581.

17 year old Manu Bhaker wins gold medal in women's 10m air pistol event

<keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword> added two more gold medals to their kitty at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Junior World Championship in Lima, Peru, with Manu Bhaker winning her second gold of the tournament, this time in partnership with <keyword id="211049" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sarabjot-singh" source="Orion">Sarabjot Singh</keyword> in the 10m air pistol mixed team event and the troika of Srikanth Dhanush, <keyword id="3192153" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="rajpreet" source="Orion">Rajpreet</keyword> Singh and Paarth Makhija picking up the 10m air rifle men's team title. Manu and Sarabjot led an India 1-2 in air pistol mixed team competition where they fought off the challenge of the second Indian pair of <keyword id="12230602" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="shikha-narwal" source="Orion">Shikha Narwal</keyword> and Naveen 16-12 in the gold-medal match. Earlier in the qualification round featuring eight teams, both the Indian pairs finished 1-2 as well with Manu and Sarabjot shooting 386, while Shikha and Naveen were a point behind with 385. In the junior men's 10m air rifle team event, the trio of Srikanth, Rajpreet and Paarth also made it to the gold medal match on Saturday evening by virtue of topping their six-team qualification round with a combined total of 1886.9. Each shooter shot 60-shots each in the qualification round. In the final, they beat a strong US team comprising reigning Olympic champion <keyword id="12232439" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="william-shaner" source="Orion">William Shaner</keyword>, besides Rylan Kissel and John Blanton by a margin of 16-6. India picked up another silver when the pair of Rajpreet Singh and Atmika Gupta went down fighting to USA's William Shaner and Mary Carolyn Tucker in the 10m air rifle mixed team competition by a margin of 15-17. Rajpreet and Atmika had finished second behind US pair in qualification as well with a combined 418.5 after 20-shots each. The US pair shot 419.9 to top the eight-team field. Two other Indian teams in the 10m air rifle women and 10m air pistol men's competitions had also reached the gold-medal matches after their respective qualifying rounds. India are leading the tally with four gold, five silver and two bronze medals for a total of 11 medals.

India bags two more gold medals at the Junior Shooting World Championship

Table tennis star Manika Batra and cricketer Deepti Sharma were among those who were presented the <keyword id="127507" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="National-Sports-Awards">National Sports Awards</keyword> by President <keyword id="6354561" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="ram-nath-kovind">Ram Nath Kovind</keyword> on Saturday. Commonwealth Games gold medallist Batra, alongwith Indian women's hockey captain Rani Rampal and 2016 Rio Paralympics gold medallist Mariyappan Thangavelu were presented the <keyword id="9847721" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rajiv-Gandhi-Khel-Ratna-Award-">Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award.</keyword> Deepti meanwhile was conferred the Arjuna, as were Atanu Das (archery), Chirag Shetty (badminton), Vishesh Bhriguvanshi (basketball), Manish Kaushik and Lovlina Bograhain (boxing), Sawant Ajay Anant (Equestrian), Sandesh Jhingan (football), Akashdeep Singh(hockey), Deepak (kabaddi), Kale Sarika Sudhakar (kho kho), Dattu Baban Bhokanal (rowing), Saurabh Chaudhary and Manu Bhaker (Shooting), Madhurika Suhas Patkar (table tennis), Divya Kakran and Rahul Aware (wrestling), Shiva Keshavan (luge), Suyash Narayan Jadhav (para swimming), Sandeep (para athletics) and Manish Narwal (para shooting). Shooting coach Jaspal Rana, who is credited with overseeing the careers of the likes of Saurabh and Manu and thus playing a major role in India's recent dominance in the sport, is among nine coaches who have been conferred the Dronacharya Award in the regular category. Yogesh Malviya (Mallakhamb), Jude Felix Sebastian (Hockey), Kuldeep Kumar Handoo (Wushu), and Gaurav Khanna (Para Badminton) were also conferred the Dronacharya. Meanwhile Dharmendra Tiwary (archery), Purushotham Rai (athletics), Shiv Singh (boxing), Romesh Pathania (hockey), Krishan Kumar Hooda (kabaddi) and Vijay Bhalchandra Munishwar (para powerlifting) received the Dronacharya Lifetime award. Kuldip Singh Bhullar (athletics), Jincy Philips (athletics), Pradeep Shrikrishna Gandhe (badminton), Trupti Murgunde (badminton), N Usha (boxing), Ajit Singh (hockey), Manpreet Singh (kabaddi), J Ranjith Kumar (para athletics), Satyaprakash Tiwari (para badminton), Manjeet Singh (rowing), Late Sachin Nag (swimming), Nandan P Bal (tennis) and Netarpal Hooda (wrestling) were conferred the Dhyan Chand Award. The Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Awards were conferred to Anita Devi (Land Adventure), Col Sarfraz Singh (Land Adventure), Taka Tamut (Land Adventure), Keval Hiren Kakka (Land Adventure), Satendra Singh (Water Adventure) and Late Magan Bissa (Life Time Achievement). Panjab University won the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy. Pune's Army Sport Institute, Lakshya Institute, Delhi's ONGC, Air Force Sports Control Board, and International Institute of Sports Management (IISM) in Mumbai were conferred the Rahstriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar.

National Sports Awards presented by President Ram Nath Kovind to India’s top sportspersons

New Delhi, April 13 () Teenage sensation Manu Bhaker believes India shooters were at the peak of their performances before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted their Olympic plans and created a global health crisis. The 18-year old pistol shooter, who was one of India's medal hopefuls in Tokyo Olympics, was disappointed at the Summer Games being postponed but said well-being of people comes first before anything. "I was expecting some tournaments to be affected but suddenly everything has been impacted by the pandemic, everything is getting cancelled. I feel both positive and disappointed at the same time. We were at the peak of our performance recently and would have been nice to compete at the Olympics right now," Bhaker told India Today. "But then, health is more important than anything. But when we practice with the team, there is always that competitive spirit, because we can see people doing better than us. So that''s lacking," she said. SSC SSCSSC

Indian shooters were at their peak before COVID-19: Bhaker

<ul><li>Indian sportspersons like Bajrang Punia, PV Sindhu, Sania Mirza have donated to help fight against the <keyword id="8829783" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus-pandemic">Coronavirus pandemic</keyword>.</li><li>Mary Kom donated ₹1 crore from her MPLAD funds and one-month’s salary.</li></ul>Indian sportspersons are stepping up to help the government fight the battle against the <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">Coronavirus</keyword> pandemic. Several sports associations and federations too chipped in with donations. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) through its associations and National Sports Federation has donated over ₹1 crore. Mary Kom – ₹1 crore + 1 month’s salary Mary Kom announced that she is donating one month’s salary and releasing ₹1 crore from her Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) to help fight the Coronavirus pandemic. PV Sindhu – ₹10 lakh Shuttler PV Sindhu donated ₹10 lakh to help fight the Coronavirus pandemic. She has donated ₹5 lakh to the Telangana Chief Minister’s Fund and ₹5 lakh to the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister’s Fund. <div type="twitter" handle="Pvsindhu1" handlename="Pvsindhu" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/939917888256868352/WN6fursR_normal.jpg" favoritecount="36386" retweetcount="4785" status="I hereby donate an amount of Rs 5,00,000/- each (Rs five lakhs ) towards the &quot;Chief Ministers Relief Fund&quot; for t… https://t.co/ewlZfmc2UL" createdat="1585206259000" id="1243071265356673026"></div> Anirban Lahiri – ₹7 lakh Golfer Anirban Lahiri has donated ₹7 lakh to the PM Cares Fund and also pledged to support 100 families on the Zomato Feeding India Initiative. <div type="twitter" handle="anirbangolf" handlename="Anirban Lahiri" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/966300673448038400/z4utOwNM_normal.jpg" favoritecount="63" retweetcount="8" status="#IndiaFightsCorona #PMCaresFund @FeedingIndia #TogetherWeStand #FeedTheNeedy https://t.co/jzPMyajbGR" createdat="1585983144000" id="1246329756015947781"></div> Apurvi Chandela – ₹5 lakh Shooter Apurvi Chandela donated ₹5 lakh to help control the spread of Coronavirus. She has donated ₹3 lakh to the PM Cares Fund and ₹2 lakh to the Rajasthan Chief Minister’s Fund. <div type="twitter" handle="apurvichandela" handlename="Apurvi Chandela" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1241033726303154176/9IdN0KlX_normal.jpg" favoritecount="6024" retweetcount="519" status="I pledge to contribute 3 Lakhs to PM CARE Fund and 2 Lakhs to Rajasthan Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. India can, an… https://t.co/Ts4t1GztN5" createdat="1585755960000" id="1245376880619880449"></div> Sania Mirza Tennis star Sania Mirza along with her Safa Organization has been raising money to provide food and other basic necessities for daily wage workers. In a post, she said, “Together with Safa and a few other people we hope to help as many families as possible in this difficult time and make a little bit of a difference.” Bajrang Punia – ₹4 lakh Freestyle Wrestler Bajrang Punia has donated his 6 months salary, which is ₹4 lakh to the Haryana Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. He also urged users to contribute to help fund the fight against Coronavirus. <div type="twitter" handle="BajrangPunia" handlename="Bajrang Punia 🇮🇳" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1027233780237520896/7uyNGrzI_normal.jpg" favoritecount="3280" retweetcount="580" status="माननीय मुख्यमंत्री @mlkhattar जी की पहल पर हरियाणा में कोरोना पीड़ितों की मदद के लिए बनाए गए&quot;हरियाणा कोरोना रिलीफ… https://t.co/nufDZAA9T1" createdat="1584985205000" id="1242144097755746305"></div> Neeraj Chopra – ₹3 lakh Track and field athlete Neeraj Chopra has donated ₹3 lakh to help fight against the Coronavirus pandemic. He has donated ₹2 lakh to the PM Cares Fund and ₹1 to the Haryana Coronavirus relief fund. <div type="twitter" handle="Neeraj_chopra1" handlename="Neeraj Chopra" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1087014728180875264/2du8Hm4A_normal.jpg" favoritecount="8097" retweetcount="653" status="I have donated a sum of Rs.2 Lakh to #PMCARES fund and Rs.1 Lakh to the Haryana Covid Relief Fund. I hope we all ca… https://t.co/fFLGu3haly" createdat="1585640276000" id="1244891664063164416"></div> Sathiyan Gnanasekaran – ₹1.25 lakh Paddler Sathiyan Gnanasekaran has donated ₹1.25 lakh to help fight Coronavirus. He has donated ₹1 lakh to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s Public Relief Fund and ₹25,000 to the PM Cares Fund. <div type="INSTAGRAMURL" thumbUrl="https://instagram.fhyd10-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t51.2885-15/sh0.08/e35/s640x640/91290525_2567126433546591_4221201663661606104_n.jpg?_nc_ht=instagram.fhyd10-1.fna.fbcdn.net&amp;_nc_cat=103&amp;_nc_ohc=KJoDFzXPMtYAX9beWrY&amp;oh=92f87a85db18afb06767b748345e606a&amp;oe=5E8D4683" caption="These are testing times for all of us especially for the daily wage workers &amp; migrant labourers.I hereby pledge to donate a total of Rs 1,25,000 ( Rs 1 lakh for Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s public relief fund &amp; Rs 25000 for PM Cares fund ) !! I have done my bit and I hope all of you will help the poor &amp; needy in whatever way possible.#sathiyantt #tabletennis #paybacktime #donate #helptheneedy #sports #letsdoittogether #covid_19 @kiren.rijiju @media.iccsai @narendramodi @gosportsvoices @baselineventures @ongcofficial @ramantthighperformance @raman_subramanian @ulttabletennis @thebridge_in @fastandup_india @fastandup_fitsquad @butterflyttofficial @asv_gruenwettersbach_tt @cmo.tamilnadu@ittfworld" user="sathiyantt" cmsId="1586145029280"><url><![CDATA[https://www.instagram.com/p/B-WbRFEH6oX/]]></url><permalink><![CDATA[https://www.instagram.com/p/B-WbRFEH6oX/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading]]></permalink><payload><![CDATA[]]></payload></div> Hima Das – 1 month’s salary Indian sprinter Hima Das has donated one- month’s salary to the Assam government to help fight Coronavirus. <div type="twitter" handle="HimaDas8" handlename="Hima MON JAI" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1112385942256386049/KGjlrTp8_normal.jpg" favoritecount="4197" retweetcount="489" status="Friends it’s high time to stand together &amp; support people who need us. I am contributing 1 month of my salary to As… https://t.co/u1GAM1ouT8" createdat="1585229598000" id="1243169155563446272"></div> Manu Bhaker – ₹1 lakh Indian shooter Manu Bhaker has donated ₹1 lakh to the Haryana Coronavirus Relief Fund. She also urged everyone to donate and help the country fight the Coronavirus pandemic. <div type="twitter" handle="realmanubhaker" handlename="Manu Bhaker" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1071781412070658048/-BTu3K0Z_normal.jpg" favoritecount="2264" retweetcount="150" status="यह वह समय है जब सिर्फ़ देश के लोगों का जीवन मायने रखता है और उनको बचाने के लिए हम सबको जो कर सकें करना होगा।मैं अप… https://t.co/fkWhPMt9xK" createdat="1585534944000" id="1244449868283695104"></div> Gauri Sheoran – ₹1 lakh Indian pistol shooter Gauri Sheoran has donated ₹1 lakh to the Haryana Coronavirus Relief Fund. She also urged everyone to donate to help fight the Coronavirus pandemic. <div type="twitter" handle="GauriSheoran" handlename="Gauri Sheoran" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1234417496779739136/vibPhTj-_normal.jpg" favoritecount="79" retweetcount="12" status="I'm with my nation during these trying times &amp; forever more. A small contribution of Rs. 1,00,000 (One Lakh) from m… https://t.co/Hz2x6s4SQQ" createdat="1585388047000" id="1243833738468790273"></div> Esha Singh – ₹30,000 15-year-old shooter Esha Singh has pledged to donate ₹30,000 to the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund. She has become the youngest sportsperson to contribute in the fight against the Coronavirus pandemic. <div type="twitter" handle="singhesha10" handlename="Esha Singh" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1080828665527599104/eQVrb580_normal.jpg" favoritecount="694" retweetcount="90" status="I pledge to contribute 30 thousand Rupees from my savings to P.M CARE FUND to Fight Covid 19 Desh hai to hum hai… https://t.co/IyNkYGAEPc" createdat="1585477427000" id="1244208626157277184"></div> See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sports/news/list-of-indian-cricketers-coronavirus-donation/articleshow/74893037.cms">Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli join the list of cricketers who have donated to fight Coronavirus</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/ratan-tata-donates-500-crore-for-covid-19-for-testing-kits-and-protective-gear-for-health-workers/articleshow/74862906.cms">Ratan Tata donates ₹500 crore for Covid-19 for testing kits and protective gear for health workers</a>

PV Sindhu, Mary Kom, Bajrang Punia and other sportspersons donate to help fight Coronavirus pandemic

<ul><li>Polling has crossed 22% in the <keyword id="20335634" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Haryana-assembly-polls" source="keywords">Haryana assembly polls</keyword> as of 11 am.</li><li>Chief Minister <keyword id="20928101" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nayab-Singh-Saini" source="keywords">Nayab Singh Saini</keyword>, Union Minister <keyword id="19930751" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Manohar-Lal-Khattar" source="keywords">Manohar Lal Khattar</keyword> and Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker were among the early voters.</li><li>Voting began at 7 am and will conclude at 6 pm. The counting of votes will be taken up on October 8.</li></ul>Over 22% of polling was recorded in the first four hours of voting in the Haryana <keyword id="20018991" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="assembly-election" source="keywords">assembly election</keyword> on Saturday. Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker were among the early voters. Leader of Opposition in the assembly Bhupinder Singh Hooda and <keyword id="20153163" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Congress-leaders" source="keywords">Congress leaders</keyword> Kumari Selja and Randeep Singh Surjewala also cast their votes in the early hours of polling. Saini, Hooda, Vinesh Phogat and the JJP's Dushyant Chautala are among the top names in the fray. A total of 1,027 candidates are contesting the election. Congress is hoping to return to power in the state after a gap of 10 years. Voting began at 7 am and will conclude at 6 pm. The counting of votes will be taken up on October 8. According to the Election Commission data, the overall poll percentage was 22.7% till 11 am. Among the districts, Ambala recorded a poll percentage of 25.50, Bhiwani 23.45, Charkhi Dadri 20.10, Faridabad 20.39, Fatehabad 24.73, Gurugram 17.05, Hisar 24.69, Jhajjar 23.48, Jind 27.20, Kaithal 22.21, Karnal 24.85, Kurukshetra 23.90, Mewat 25.65, Palwal 27.94, Panipat 22.62, Rewari 21.49, Rohtak 22.91 and Sonipat 18.84. Voting was comparatively slow in Panchkula at 13.46%. Saini, who is contesting from Ladwa in Kurukshetra, cast his vote in his native village Mirza in Ambala district's Naraingarh. Former Haryana chief minister Khattar cast his vote in Karnal, while Manu Bhaker and her parents cast their ballots in Jhajjar district's Goria village. Speaking to reporters later, he said: "The mood of the people of Haryana is clear, the BJP is going to form the government for the third time with a big mandate." Paris Olympic double-medallist Bhaker appealed to the people, especially the younger ones, to come out and cast their votes. The 22-year-old athlete voted for the first-ever time, her father Ram Kishan Bhaker said. Meanwhile, the Haryana Jan Sevak Party nominee from the Meham constituency Balraj Kundu accused former MLA Anand Singh Dangi of assaulting him and his assistant at a polling booth. Kundu, the sitting MLA from the seat, claimed that Dangi was "rattled" as he had sensed the impending defeat of his son and Congress candidate Balram Dangi. In a video message, Kundu claimed that Dangi ripped his clothes and pushed him at polling booth number 134. "My PA has been beaten up," he alleged. According to Haryana's Chief Electoral Officer Pankaj Agarwal, 2,03,54,350 voters, are eligible to exercise their franchise in the election. Of the total candidates, 101 are women, while 464 are Independents. A total of 20,632 polling booths have been set up across the state, Agarwal said. Besides the BJP and the Congress, the key parties are the Aam Aadmi Party, the INLD-BSP combine and the JJP-Azad Samaj Party alliance. In the last Assembly polls in 2019, the BJP had won 40 seats, the Congress 31 and the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) 10. The BJP has fielded former chief minister late Bhajan Lal's grandson Bhavya Bishnoi from Adampur in Hisar, while its nominee from Ateli in Mahendragarh is Arti Rao, whose father Rao Inderjit Singh is a Union minister. Taking on Dushyant Chautala from Uchana is the Congress's Brijendra Singh, son of former Union minister Birender Singh. A few rebels from both the Congress and the BJP are also in the fray. To ensure peaceful voting, 225 companies of Central Armed Police Forces have been deployed across the state, in addition to forces of the Haryana Police. The total number of service voters in Haryana is 1,09,217 -- 1,04,426 males and 4,791 females. The <keyword id="20108198" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="voter-turnout" source="keywords">voter turnout</keyword> recorded in the 2019 Assembly polls was around 68%. With input from agencies. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/september-auto-sales-automakers-report-a-decline-mahindra-and-mahindra-overtakes-tata-motors/articleshow/113925972.cms">September Auto sales – Automakers report a decline, Mahindra and Mahindra overtakes Tata Motors</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/ola-electric-continues-to-lose-market-share-as-bajaj-auto-and-tvs-motor-gain/articleshow/113900252.cms">Ola Electric continues to lose market share as Bajaj Auto and TVS Motor gain</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/webstories/upcoming-smartphones-launching-in-india-in-october-2024/slidelist/113804125.cms">Upcoming smartphones launching in India in October 2024</a>

Haryana polls: 22.7% polling recorded till 11 am in Haryana assembly polls

<ul><li>Making a significant investment in Indian sports, <keyword id="138873" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Puma">PUMA</keyword> signs 15 Athletes and <keyword id="11623794" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="3-para-athletes">3 Para Athletes</keyword> in India.</li><li>With an aim to spread a vision of hope, optimism and self-belief, PUMA has signed these athletes as a part of its latest brand campaign ‘Only See Great.’</li></ul>Sports brand PUMA has signed 18 Indian athletes who will represent the country in national and international events across sporting disciplines like shooting, hockey, track and field, boxing, table tennis, discus throw and badminton. It’s a major step for the brand as it continues to push boundaries and celebrate diversity in sports. Through its brand campaign ‘Only See Great’, PUMA aims to explore the very idea of achieving greatness and how these athletes have strived for it during extraordinary times. With an aim to bring about a mindset transformation towards equality in sports, the brand is focused on supporting talent across multiple sporting disciplines. In addition to ace boxing champion, <keyword id="47387" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mary-Kom">Mary Kom</keyword> and Indian national sprinter, <keyword id="1142452" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dutee-Chand">Dutee Chand</keyword>, the brand has signed a bevy of big-hitters like boxer Pooja Rani; track and field athlete Tejinder Singh; shooter Manu Bhaker; swimmer Srihari Nataraj; hockey players Rupinder Pal Singh, Harmanpreet Singh, Mandeep Singh, Gurjant Singh, Savita Punia, Sushila Chanu, Navneet Kaur, Navjot Kaur, <keyword id="809404" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vandana-Katariya">Vandana Katariya</keyword>, Gurjit Kaur and Udita Duhan. The list also includes para-athletes like shooter Avani Lekhara; table tennis champ Bhavina Patel and discus throw athlete Ekta Bhayan. “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 Abhishek Ganguly, Managing Director, <keyword id="11623792" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="puma-india-southeast-asia">PUMA India &amp; Southeast Asia</keyword>. “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 sport. PUMA’s ‘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. 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 added, “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.” Commenting on the association, 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.”

Puma signs 18 athletes to celebrate diversity in sports ahead of upcoming competitions

<ul><li><keyword id="109079" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="Thums-up">Thums Up</keyword> has announced its worldwide partnership with the Games to be held in Tokyo this year and come up with a campaign titled Toofan wahi jo sab #PalatDe.</li><li>We find out all there is to know about the association from <keyword id="169468" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Arnab-Roy">Arnab Roy</keyword>, Vice President and Head-Marketing, <keyword id="6385848" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Coca-Cola-India">Coca-Cola India</keyword> and SouthWest Asia.</li></ul>In India’s 100th year of participation at the <keyword id="6450929" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="olympic-games">Olympic Games</keyword>, home-grown cola brand Thums Up has announced its worldwide partnership with the Games to be held in Tokyo this year. For years, the Coca-Cola Company, of which Thums Up is a part, has sponsored major sporting events across the world. In fact, it has had an eight-decade long association with the Olympic Games. As a part of Thums Up’s association this year, the brand has come up with a campaign, comprising a series of videos along with marketing stories for digital and social media to help keep the audiences connected with the Olympic Games in real-time. As part of the campaign, the brand will roll out special athlete packaging. The content will bring out stories of struggle of our Olympians - Bajrang Punia (wrestler), Manu Bhaker(shooter), Vikas Krishna Yadav (boxer), Deepika Kumari (archery), Atanu Das (archery), and the Indian Shooting Team who battled everyday odds to reach where they are today. The thought behind the campaign is to show a ‘thumbs down’ to these challenges, to rid the world of the pessimism. The campaign’s tagline is Toofan wahi jo sab #PalatDe (the real storm is one that turns everything upside down). For years, Thums Up’s communications have been about machismo, we have often seen actors jump from the top of buildings or parachutes, something a lot of us might not relate to. However, with its new campaign, Thums Up has repositioned its brand message, to celebrate everyday heroes. The campaign has been conceptualized by <keyword id="531122" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ogilvy-India">Ogilvy India</keyword>. <div type="Youtube" id="7vTaeraq9HU" title="Toofan wahi jo sab #PalatDe" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7vTaeraq9HU/mqdefault.jpg"></div> We caught up with Arnab Roy, Vice President and Head-Marketing, Coca-Cola India and SouthWest Asia, to get a sense of what the brand’s partnership with Olympics Games would entail, and the thought behind this repositioning of its brand messaging. Excerpts: <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Q) Tell us a bit about Thums Up’s new brand ideology? How does it tie up with the journey of the Olympics athletes?" text="Q) Tell us a bit about Thums Up’s new brand ideology? How does it tie up with the journey of the Olympics athletes?">Q) Tell us a bit about Thums Up’s new brand ideology? How does it tie up with the journey of the Olympics athletes?</cmsannotation> For long, Thums Up has been known not only for its wide availability but also for its strong taste, association with physical strength and resilience to overcome challenges. While the core value of the brand will remain the same, we see an opportunity to evolve from the the sense of physical strength it has been associated with, to ‘real world heroism. We believe the time is now for this change – India needs to celebrate its real heroes more than ever before given all the challenges the country has been through in the last 18 months. Real heroes have emerged across – and the values of resilience, grit and determination have helped to push us through. We see a reflection of this heroism across all our Indian athletes on their way to the games and it was critical to celebrate their stories. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Q) For years, Thums Up communications, like you mentioned, have inherently been about physical strength and machismo, about an adrenaline rush. Your campaigns, even till a few months back, was primarily about jumping off buildings and parachutes. Is that line of communication/advertising still as relevant today as it was perhaps in the 80s and 90s?" text="Q) For years, Thums Up communications, like you mentioned, have inherently been about physical strength and machismo, about an adrenaline rush. Your campaigns, even till a few months back, was primarily about jumping off buildings and parachutes. Is that line of communication/advertising still as relevant today as it was perhaps in the 80s and 90s?">Q) For years, Thums Up communications, like you mentioned, have inherently been about physical strength and machismo, about an adrenaline rush. Your campaigns, even till a few months back, was primarily about jumping off buildings and parachutes. Is that line of communication/advertising still as relevant today as it was perhaps in the 80s and 90s?</cmsannotation> The Coca-Cola Company is the oldest standing partner of the Olympic Games since 1928 and has helped celebrate the core values of the Olympic Games such as respect, courage, determination, inspiration, and equality. In this particular year in India, the need to portray these values has never been more important -real people, who overcame tremendous odds to become real heroes to represent the tri-color at Tokyo 2020. The association signals a step in a new direction for the brand as it celebrates and salutes the resilience of real heroes of life. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Q) How important is mindfulness and empathy for a brand like Thums Up?" text="Q) How important is mindfulness and empathy for a brand like Thums Up?">Q) How important is mindfulness and empathy for a brand like Thums Up?</cmsannotation> We believe brands and their advertising need to be highly empathic in such challenging periods. Credible, authentic communication will help win hearts at the end of the day and hopefully drive a base of loyal consumers. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Q) What does your marketing plan for this year’s Olympic Games look like?" text="Q) What does your marketing plan for this year’s Olympic Games look like?">Q) What does your marketing plan for this year’s Olympic Games look like?</cmsannotation> As part of our strategic partnership with the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, we will be unveiling a creative and innovative marketing campaign. Apart from all the video content and the special Olympic Games-themed packaging, the campaign will include physical and virtual events, insights into the stories of these athletes along with branded and user generated content. All of these will enable fans and viewers to be connected with the Olympic Games in real time. The campaign includes multiple digital and electronic slots for amplification during the months of July and August, in key markets of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Karnataka and Orissa, among others. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Q) As a brand, are you looking at this as a long-term association, not just as a way of endorsing these athletes but also helping them, and others on their journeys, since we know so many athletes in India, while having immense talent, are not able to keep up with sports due to economic reasons?" text="Q) As a brand, are you looking at this as a long-term association, not just as a way of endorsing these athletes but also helping them, and others on their journeys, since we know so many athletes in India, while having immense talent, are not able to keep up with sports due to economic reasons?">Q) As a brand, are you looking at this as a long-term association, not just as a way of endorsing these athletes but also helping them, and others on their journeys, since we know so many athletes in India, while having immense talent, are not able to keep up with sports due to economic reasons?</cmsannotation> The Coca-Cola Company has been a partner with the Olympic Games since 1928 and we believe that it is important to keep supporting the future of the Olympic Movement. We are working on several ways to support athletes around the world and in India and hopefully should announce more detailed plans soon. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Q) As a brand, what do you want to stand for in this new world order?" text="Q) As a brand, what do you want to stand for in this new world order?">Q) As a brand, what do you want to stand for in this new world order?</cmsannotation> Thums Up wants to celebrate the resilience of ordinary and extraordinary heroes alike. In the face of challenges, disbelievers and naysayers, we believe these heroes, just like the Indian athletes, remain fueled by physical strength as well as mental resilience to turn things around, overcome roadblocks and achieve their goals. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Q) Do you think the recent incident with Ronaldo will have an impact in terms of consumption in India too, considering the younger populace is already health-conscious and players like Ronaldo are a youth icon and their actions mean a lot for young sports lovers?" text="Q) Do you think the recent incident with Ronaldo will have an impact in terms of consumption in India too, considering the younger populace is already health-conscious and players like Ronaldo are a youth icon and their actions mean a lot for young sports lovers?">Q) Do you think the recent incident with Ronaldo will have an impact in terms of consumption in India too, considering the younger populace is already health-conscious and players like Ronaldo are a youth icon and their actions mean a lot for young sports lovers?</cmsannotation> Globally, Coca-Cola offers over 500 brands in more than 200 countries and territories. In pursuit of our goal to become a Total Beverage Company, we constantly strive to offer a complete range of beverages to meet rapidly evolving consumer needs and preferences. While offering the core portfolio in all geographies, we also focus on providing nutritious, refreshing, affordable products formulated and designed for local preferences and diverse consumers. We see pick up for all benefits sought by consumers and we are there with them, all the way. We are focusing on expanding in five category clusters — Sparkling, Energy, Juice/dairy/plant-based, water/enhanced water/sports drinks and Ready-to-drink coffee and teas — to include more low- and no-sugar options and drinks in emerging categories. Our agenda is to create a ‘value’ proportion for ‘every consumer’ so that more and more Indians buy Coca-Cola products. We believe that everyone is entitled to their drink preferences as people have different tastes and needs. Players are offered water, alongside a choice of beverages during events and press conferences to cater to a variety of “tastes and needs”. A balanced lifestyle is key to successful weight-management. Food and beverages with calories, including soft drinks, can be enjoyed in moderation as part of a varied diet, so long as you don’t have too much. It’s important for us to make sure that consumers have a choice, which is why we also offer a variety of great tasting beverages with reduced, low or no sugar and calories such as Coca-Cola Zero, Coca-Cola Light or Frestea Low Calories. We know some people want to manage their portions, so we offer many of our beverages in a range of sizes.

Thums Up wants to celebrate the resilience of ordinary and extraordinary heroes alike: Arnab Roy, Coca-Cola India

<ul><li>Sony Sports has played a key role in bringing non-cricket sports to India.</li><li>This year, Sony Sports is the official broadcaster of the once-in-a-four-year global sports event, Tokyo Olympics.</li><li>Rajesh Kaul, Chief Revenue Officer, Distribution and Head – Sports Business, Sony Pictures Networks India tells us how the broadcaster is trying to popularize other sports in India, its plans to immerse consumers with innovative marketing and more.</li></ul>With the lockdown being enforced, subsequent stoppage of play on the field and IPL getting postponed, advertisers have been starved of a good sporting tournament. After the pandemic, many sports properties have either been cancelled or postponed, directly affecting India’s ad revenue and sponsorship pie. While India’s most worshipped sport, cricket, still dominates viewership and sponsorship, <keyword id="3132005" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sony-Pictures-Network">Sony Pictures Network</keyword> (SNP) has given its fans more choices between sporting events and SonyLiv has given them options in terms of what, when and how much to watch, leading to a rise in demand for subscription viewing in live sports. After a long, dry spell, millions of Indians are expected to tune into Tokyo Olympics this year. Sponsors and brands have also started seeing the Olympics as the one occasion to capitalise on the media and consumer attention. As a result, Sony Sports has seen an uptick in demand from sponsors and advertisers across categories for the summer games. To help its advertisers get the best bang for their buck, SPN launched an ‘innovative’ advertising format ‘Split-screen ads,’ which has <a href="https://twitter.com/Archit_0106/status/1418542834395729923">gained </a><a href="https://twitter.com/PrashantMUFC/status/1420988968238161920">mixed </a><a href="https://twitter.com/LifeIsAnElation/status/1418552243893116935">reviews </a>on social media. We caught up with Rajesh Kaul, Chief Revenue Officer, Distribution and Head – Sports Business, Sony Pictures Networks India to further understand what kind of response the broadcaster and streaming player has seen from advertisers and sponsors, how it is trying to increase non-sporting events’ viewership in india <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Q. This year, brands across categories have started to roll out campaigns celebrating the inspirational journey of athletes. This wasn't the case a few years ago. More and more advertisers are exploring international sports that represent India. Are advertisers open to exploring sports beyond cricket now?" text="Q. This year, brands across categories have started to roll out campaigns celebrating the inspirational journey of athletes. This wasn't the case a few years ago. More and more advertisers are exploring international sports that represent India. Are advertisers open to exploring sports beyond cricket now?">Q. This year, brands across categories have started to roll out campaigns celebrating the inspirational journey of athletes. This wasn't the case a few years ago. More and more advertisers are exploring international sports that represent India. Are advertisers open to exploring sports beyond cricket now?</cmsannotation> Indians have always been extremely supportive of the Indian athletes when they compete at a global stage. Their performances are celebrated as it is a huge thing to even get to participate, let alone winning a medal at Olympics. More and more business houses/organizations/brands have started promoting various athletes and or Indian contingent. Sports in India is growing dramatically as an entertainment option beyond just cricket. This year. Sony Sports has embarked on a mission to popularize the athletes participating in the <keyword id="7932992" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="olympic-games-tokyo-2020">Olympic Games Tokyo 2020</keyword> and to make them household names. Sony Sports launched the grandest ever campaign in the history of Indian Olympics, Hum Honge Kamyab to galvanize the whole nation to cheer for the India contingent. From the honorable Prime minister of India himself to the sports minister as well as industrialists, sports personalities, philanthropists, Bollywood Superstars, Youtube influencers joined us in our endeavor. Sony Sports has collaborated with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports as well as eminent personalities and joining the brigade are Union Minister for I&amp;B and Youth Affairs &amp; Sports, Shri Anurag Thakur, General Bipin Rawat, Chief of Defence Staff and Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee and Mr. N.P. Singh, MD &amp; CEO, Sony Pictures Networks India, along with Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Anupam Kher, Sajjan Jindal, Sudha Murty, Nita Ambani, Gautam Adani, Rana Daggubati, Yuvraj Singh, Anjali Bhagwat, Parth Jindal, Boman Irani, Farhan Akhtar, Sonakshi Sinha, Johnny Lever, Ali Fazal, Adille Sumariwala, Arshad Warsi, Pullela Gopichand, Vijender Singh, Anjali Bhagwat, Harsha Bhogle, Shankar Mahadevan, Anurag Basu, and many more to catalyze the Olympic momentum in the nation for the landmark event. This was unprecedented and Sony Sports’ efforts have pumped up the volume of Olympics in India and the #Olympicsjosh decibels have gone up to another level. <div type="Youtube" id="-bnwo0ezgQE" title="Watch PV Sindhu, Manu Bhaker, Mary Kom, Deepak Kumar, Hockey (M) &amp; others LIVE, TOM, July 25 on Sony" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/-bnwo0ezgQE/mqdefault.jpg"></div> <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Q. Can you tell us what kind of interest you have seen from advertisers and brands?" text="Q. Can you tell us what kind of interest you have seen from advertisers and brands?">Q. Can you tell us what kind of interest you have seen from advertisers and brands?</cmsannotation> We have received a phenomenal response from advertisers and we have got sponsors on board across categories like beverages, FMCG, education, automobiles, banking, finance, gaming, sports foundations amongst others. The sponsors are Coca-Cola India Pvt. Ltd., LIC, JSW, MPL, Hero MotoCorp, Amul, Reserve Bank of India, AMFI and other advertisers include Visa, Byju’s, Adani Group, Herbalife Nutrition &amp; Lenovo and more. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Q. This once-in-a-four-year sports event attracts eyeballs from across the world hosting sports such as shooting, wrestling, long jump, and hockey. Which sport do you think will perform the best in India in terms of viewership?" text="Q. This once-in-a-four-year sports event attracts eyeballs from across the world hosting sports such as shooting, wrestling, long jump, and hockey. Which sport do you think will perform the best in India in terms of viewership?">Q. This once-in-a-four-year sports event attracts eyeballs from across the world hosting sports such as shooting, wrestling, long jump, and hockey. Which sport do you think will perform the best in India in terms of viewership?</cmsannotation> We expect great Sports like Wrestling, Shooting, Archery and Hockey, which have also done extremely well on TV in the past, due to the medal winning performances by Indian Athletes. Additionally, there has been high interest to watch Athletics and Gymnastics, owing to the visually engaging nature of the sports. During the 2016 Rio Olympics, Badminton had the highest viewership owing to PV Sindhu winning a silver medal. The final match between PV Sindhu and Carolina Marin was watched by 42 million viewers across the country. This year, we have our largest contingent ever of 127 athletes travelling to Tokyo and the whole nation will want to support and watch our athletes in the various sports disciplines they are competing in like boxing, wrestling, tennis, athletics, badminton, hockey, shooting, archery, weightlifting, Equestrian, Table tennis and more. Some of the athletes that the audiences are already looking out for are Manu Bhaker and Saurabh Chaudhary in shooting, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia in wrestling, Amit Panghal and Mary Kom in boxing, Deepika Kumari and Atanu Das, PV Sindu in badminton and more. Also, for the first time, we will see participation in fencing with Bhavani Devi and Fouaad Mirza making it to the equestrian event which will also attract audiences. Additionally, to reach out to a wider audience and engage viewers across India, Sony Sports will have a Live wraparound studio show called SPORTS EXTRAAA with a distinguished panel that comprising former Olympians and legendary Indian athletes like Vijender Singh, Gagan Narang, Karnam Malleswari, Anjali Bhagwat, Anju Bobby George, Sakshi Malik, Viren Rasquinha, Somdev Devvarman, Trupti Murgunde, Rahul Banerjee, Kripa Shankar and Satish Shivalingam. We will also have the world-renowned Sprinter and four-time Olympic medalist, Yohan Blake, considered to be the second fastest man after Usain Bolt as a marquee expert on the show. The comprehensive coverage for the global event will be broadcast LIVE in four languages: SONY TEN 2 and SONY SIX channels in English, SONY TEN 3 channels in Hindi and in Tamil &amp; Telugu on the newly launched SONY TEN 4 channels. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Q. How do brands get to benefit from advertising on Olympics through Sony this year? What is your advice to brands who are advertising? How can they get the best bang for their buck?" text="Q. How do brands get to benefit from advertising on Olympics through Sony this year? What is your advice to brands who are advertising? How can they get the best bang for their buck?">Q. How do brands get to benefit from advertising on Olympics through Sony this year? What is your advice to brands who are advertising? How can they get the best bang for their buck?</cmsannotation> The Olympic Games is an extremely premium global sporting event, the greatest show on earth with 200+ countries, 11000+ athletes across 339 events in 33 different sports, encompassing a total of 50 disciplines. As I mentioned earlier, this year, we have rolled out the grandest campaign for this showcase event involving 30+ luminaries across the country. The sheer association to the Olympics for any brand will create and drive great brand perception and awareness value. We have offered value-based propositions to our clients and have ensured that we amplify their associations with athletes in the Indian contingent which they might be sponsoring. The brands have also been given the opportunity to ride on the back of the amazing build- up programming which we have locally produced adding to the brands association and visibility. Series like “Torch bearers” are resonating well with our audiences. We are also excited to offer a new breakthrough innovation “Split Screen” advertisement opportunity during the live broadcast. This will help the brands break away from the clutter and amplifies the brand’s visibility manifold without intruding into the viewing experiences of our audiences. This new technology is a game changer and will surely get the best ROI for our key sponsors. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Q. How do you think sports marketing has changed in India in the last few years? Any interesting trends that you are expecting to see as we move forward?" text="Q. How do you think sports marketing has changed in India in the last few years? Any interesting trends that you are expecting to see as we move forward?">Q. How do you think sports marketing has changed in India in the last few years? Any interesting trends that you are expecting to see as we move forward?</cmsannotation> While Indian Cricket will dominate viewership and revenues, Sony Sports has been consistently making efforts to massify and popularize other sports. Sony Sports is a global multi-sporting arena and sports marketing here, is not only talks to the purists but also focuses on attracting fence-sitters and newer audiences to join the Sony Sports community. This has paid off and every year our viewership for sports like WWE, UFC, football properties like UEFA Champions League and non-India cricket is steadily growing. Even the recently concluded UEFA EURO 2020 on our sports channels has seen massive growth compared to the last edition in 2016 by almost 70% Sports as an entertainment quotient is only going to grow.

Sony Sports has embarked on a mission to popularize the athletes participating in the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and to make them household names: Rajesh Kaul of SPN

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Indian shooters were at their peak before COVID-19: Bhaker

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PV Sindhu, Mary Kom, Bajrang Punia and other sportspersons donate to help fight Coronavirus pandemic

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Sony Sports has embarked on a mission to popularize the athletes participating in the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and to make them household names: Rajesh Kaul of SPN

Karuna Sharma