Viacom18 Sports has announced its roster of regional commentary panel for the upcoming FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
The prestigious global football competition will be brought to viewers in India in five languages, English, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, and Bengali on JioCinema.
The competition from November 20 through December 18 will be available to all viewers on pay-TV channels Sports18 – 1 SD and HD.
Dempo SC’s CEO and former coach Pradhyum Reddy and Brazilian footballer Jose Ramirez Barreto will form the English expert panel. India footballer Robin Singh, current Indian women’s national team goalkeeper Aditi Chauhan, Kerala Blasters FC assistant coach Ishfaq Ahmed, and former player Karan Sawhney will form the Hindi language panel.
“The panel lends to our commitment to present the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 like never before with regional customisation and fresh perspectives from seasoned as well first-time experts across five languages on JioCinema, which is now available to download across Jio, Vi, Airtel and BSNL subscribers,” said Viacom18 Sports Head of Content Siddharth Sharma. “We are pulling all stops to offer the best experience to viewers across geographies to enjoy the FIFA World Cup the way it should be.”
Former Indian men’s national team goalkeeper Subrata Paul, and former players Mehtab Hossain, Alvito D’Cunha, Shilton Paul, and Manas Bhattacharya will serve the viewers in Bengali.
Tamil viewers will be able to enjoy the voices of former India player and notable commentator Raman Vijayan along with Nallapan Mohanraj, Dharmaraj Ravanan, and Vijayakarthikeyan.
In-depth coverage in Malayalam will be headlined by former and current national team players Jo Paul Ancheri, CK Vineeth, Mohammed Rafi, Rino Anto, Sushanth Mathew, and Feroz Sherif.
The panel will be part of Visa Match Centre Live, which will give fans the ultimate experience of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, including in-depth analysis, pitch-side coverage and locker room access from the convenience of their homes.
The Visa Match Centre Live will be a fully immersive studio show customised in all five languages on JioCinema, with renowned legends like Wayne Rooney, Luis Figo, Robert Pires, Sol Campbell and Gilberto Silva, joining for the English coverage.
The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 kicks off on November 20 at 9:30 pm with hosts Qatar facing Ecuador in the opening game.