Vir Das becomes first Indian to host 2024 International Emmy awards ceremony
New Delhi: Actor-comedian Vir Das has been announced as the host for the 52nd edition of the International Emmy Awards, making him the first Indian to emcee the event held annually in the US. The ceremony will be held in New York City on November 25.
It marks Das’ return to the International Emmy stage after he won the best comedy award for his ‘Netflix’ stand-up special ‘Vir Das: Landing’ in 2023. The actor-comedian, also known for films such as ‘Go Goa Gone’ and ‘Delhi Belly’, said that he looks forward to celebrating the remarkable achievements of ‘peers and bringing a touch of humour and joy to this prestigious night’.
“Returning to the International Emmy Awards, this time as the host is a deeply personal and exhilarating moment for me. The Emmys have always been a beacon of excellence and a celebration of diverse stories from around the world. Having won an ‘Emmy’ last year for ‘Landing’, I feel a profound connection to this event and am incredibly honoured to play a central role in it,” Das said.
Organised by the New York-based ‘International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences’ (IATAS), the International Emmys are presented in recognition of the best television programs produced and aired outside the United States.
“We’re delighted to welcome back Vir Das to our stage and to add International Emmy Host to his impressive list of talents,” Bruce L Paisner, IATAS President and CEO, said.
“With his unique humour and perspective on the world, he now joins a distinguished group of gala hosts over the years who fit in perfectly with our global audience,” he added.
At the 2023 International Emmys, Das shared the trophy with the popular British teen sitcom ‘Derry Girls’ season three. It was his second nomination and maiden win in the segment. His previous stand-up special ‘Vir Das: For India’ was nominated for an International Emmy in the best comedy category in 2021.
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Neeraj Chopra finishes second in Diamond League Finals, Weber wins maiden trophy
Zurich(PTI): Two-time Olympic medallist javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra finished runner-up in the Diamond League Finals for the third time in a row as Julian Weber of Germany lifted his maiden trophy with two 90m-plus throws in a commanding show here on Thursday.
Chopra was lying third till the fifth round following his opening throw of 84.35m before his final effort of 85.01m took him to the second spot, overtaking 2012 London Olympics gold winner Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago who ended third with 84.95m.
Weber achieved a season world leading throw of 91.57m, his personal best, in his second attempt. He began with 91.37m effort, and after that it was a one-man show in the seven-man field.
None of Weber's rivals could even come near his mark, as his best effort of the day was over 6m more than that of Chopra. The German had a foul, 83.66m, 86.45m and 88.66m after his second throw.
Clearly, Chopra was not at his best in the season's Diamond League grand finale. He had three legal throws out of the six attempts.
Known for his consistency in producing 88m-plus throws, it was a rare instance of the 27-year-old Indian star just being able to touch the 85m mark.
He was hoping to regain the trophy he had won in 2022, but ended up finishing second for the third time after 2023 and 2024.
Defending champion Anderson Peters of Grenada was fourth with 82.06m.
Chopra was not his usual self as he began with 84.35m and then followed it up with 82m and a foul. He was at third spot at the halfway stage, and he fouled his fourth and fifth attempts before coming up with a 85.01m effort in his last throw.
"This was not too bad. But we are getting very close to the world championships, so I still need to throw a little bit further. There were a few things that went well, but still, there were the things which did not go that well," Chopra said after the event.
"In the last attempt, I still managed to throw 85. But I am very happy for Julian today - he managed to throw really far, and to show 91m was really good. We will see in three weeks.
"I still need to train a little bit. In this sport, we do not know. It depends on the day."
Chopra said everything "will be different" in Tokyo during the World Championships (September 13-21).
"Julian, he is a good friend of mine and I am always happy when he is doing well and we push each other. There will be some friends from India coming to cheer for me in Tokyo.
"I have some friends who live there. At major championships, the gold is more important than the far throws. So I will try my best to win the medal."
Weber's effort was also his third 90m-plus throw of the season as well as his career. He had breached the coveted 90m mark with a 91.06m throw while winning the Doha DL title on May 16.
Chopra also breached the 90m mark for the first time in Doha with a throw of 90.23m but finished second behind Weber.
Chopra will now head to Tokyo for next month's World Championships as the defending champion.
Weber 3-1 against Chopra in head-to-head this season.
