Date:27/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/27/stories/2008082756982100.htm

Sport - Sports : General

Abhinav Bindra’s appeal to corporates

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra made a passionate appeal to the Indian corporates to adopt Olympic sports and show some faith in future prospects. He was speaking after receiving the Samsung ‘Most Valued Performance Award’ of Rs. 25 lakh here on Tuesday evening.

Magnificent show

At a function to felicitate the Indian Olympic contingent, he said, “It has been a magnificent show where the spirit and hard work put in by the Indian sportspersons showed up. He also congratulated Sushil Kumar and Vijender Singh for their brilliant effort in winning the bronze.

Samsung also presented Vijender and Sushil were given Rs. 10 lakh each.

The IOA President Suresh Kalmadi hailed the Indian performance and announced Rs. 25 lakh for Bindra and Rs.10 lakh each to Vijender and Sushil beside Rs. 5 lakh each to those who made the quarterfinals or finished in the top eight of their respective disciplines.

Mr. Kalmadi also appealed to the corporate world to support the Olympic disciplines, especially after seeing the kind of response the Olympic medals have generated in the country. “Now they know what their company will get,” he said.

The function was attended by several members of the Olympic contingent including Manavjit Singh Sandhu, Anjali Vedpathak, Akhil Kumar and Rehan Poncha.

All athletes of the contingent were given a mobile phone by Samsung.