Date:12/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/12/stories/2008091256571800.htm

Sport - Sports : General

Bindra gets Rs.1.5 crore from MCT

— FILE PHOTO: PTI

Abhinav Bindra.

NEW DELHI: He was assured the best support for about two years in his quest for Olympic glory, and once he emerged the first individual Olympic gold medallist of the country, Abhinav Bindra was suitably rewarded with a cheque for Rs.1.5 crore by the Mittal Champions Trust (MCT).

The Trustee of the MCT, Amit Bhatia, presented the cheque to Bindra in a simple felicitation here. “Abhinav has made history and we are extremely proud of his achievement. We hope that he serves as an example for many future champions. We are committed to the Trust aim to groom India’s most talented athletes for London 2012. Abhinav’s accomplishment has encouraged us in our mission,” Bhatia said.

Mittal Champions Trust had stepped in to support Bindra after he had won the gold in the world championship in air rifle in Zagreb, Croatia, in 2006. Though he was grappling with a career-threatening back ache and had to skip the Asian Games in 2006, the Trust was right behind Bindra in ensuring that he emerged strong from the setback and was ably supported in his preparation for the Beijing Games.

“I have seen the work and commitment of Abhinav first hand and he deserves all the accolades. We are looking forward to many more podium efforts in the future,” said tennis ace Mahesh Bhupathi, another trustee of the MCT. The Trust was set up by Steel magnate Lakshmi Niwas Mittal with the objective of promoting excellence in Indian sports, after the Athens Games in 2004. — Special Correspondent