By IANS,
New Delhi : After having played an important part in India’s historic Olympic medal haul in Beijing, Mittal Champions Trust is now looking to raise the bar for the London 2012 games.
The Mittal Champions Trust, which supports and funds talented sportspersons, felicitated Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra and presented him with a cash award of Rs.15 million here Wednesday.
“Abhinav has created history for our country and we are extremely proud of his achievement. We hope that he serves as an example for the many future champions who work hard towards their goals,” said trustee Amit Bhatia, who presented the award.
“We congratulate all the other athletes who made our nation proud and gave us our best Olympic result. We are committed to the trust’s ethos to groom India’s most talented athletes for London 2012. Abhinav’s accomplishments have encouraged us in our mission,” he said.
Indian tennis ace and trustee Mahesh Bhupathi, who was present on the occasion, said: “Abhinav deserves all the accolades for the work and commitment he has put in to win the medal. We are looking forward to seeing him atop many more podia in the future.”
Set up by steel magnate Lakshmi Niwas Mittal, Mittal Champions Trust’s objective is to promote excellence in sports in India and provide them with the facilities to compete with the best in the world.
Bindra, who won the 10 metre air rifle event in Beijing, has also been a beneficiary of the trust’s funding.
Boxers Akhil Kumar, Jitender Kumar and shuttler Saina Nehwal, who all came up with brilliant performances in Beijing, were also helped by the trust monetarily for training and other needs.
At present, the trust is supporting athletes in squash, archery, boxing, shooting, swimming, athletics and sailing.