Sporty Drive

London 2012 Summer Olympic Games are officially on and YouTube India is all set to take it to every nook and corner of the country with the initiative,“It’s Time You Cheer”. As part of its drive to encourage youngsters to step up and support the Indian athletes,the online portal has rolled out a special theme song composed by Shantanu Moitra and lyricist Swanand Kirkire titled Aap agar saath hain,tou jeet bhi saath hai. Also,to popularise the viewership of the Games and gather support for the athletes from their hometowns,YouTube has flagged off a YouTube Bus for Olympics,which will travel across nine key cities including hometowns of the athletes from Punjab and Haryana. The bus will offer an opportunity to watch Olympic Games live on YouTube and learn more about the history of Indian athletes at the Olympics. YouTube has partnered with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to bring live coverage of the London 2012 Olympic Games to India and 63 other countries and territories across Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa on the IOC’s channel http://www.youtube.com/olympic. One can catch 10 high-definition live-streams of the London games on their desktop,tablet,or mobile device free of cost. Users will also be able to watch content and highlights.

“The Internet is a powerful and democratic medium which transcends boundaries. It appeals to the youth,and this initiative will go a long way in creating awareness and appreciation for our athletes in the country,” remarked Tarlochan Singh,Vice President,Indian Olympic Association (IOA). About the anthem,music director Moitra was inspired by the perseverance of athletes,sportspersons,who hail from faraway places with meagre earnings. “With such challenging backgrounds,to reach this far in sports is an Olympian effort. I salute each and everyone and hope the song does that too,” said Moitra. The anthem has been launched along with a series of specially shot “Know your stars” and “Know your sport” videos featuring Indian athletes such as hockey player Sandeep Singh,boxer Mary Kom and shooter Heena Sidhu.