SC LAWYERS HELP SPORTSMAN
NEW DELHI: For Shiva Keshavan, India's lone-ranger in the Winter Olympics in the last three editions, help has come from an unexpected quarter.
He has been given a huge boost by eminent Supreme Court lawyers, as he bids to make a mark in what would be his fourth Olympics - the upcoming Vancouver (Canada) Games, starting on February 12.
Five SC lawyers have stepped forward to help the Manali boy who has been representing India in the luge event and even won the bronze medal in Asian Luge Championship in Nagano (Japan) in 2008.
The lawyers, after becoming aware of the difficulties the athlete was facing when his sled broke during pre-Olympic training, contributed Rs 4.5 lakh towards the athlete's training.
Lawyer Gopal Sankaranarayanan, who was instrumental in facilitating the contributions, remarked, "Keshavan's story as an Indian Winter Olympian is unique. When I heard from my friends at GoSports about the challenges he was facing, I spoke to a few senior lawyers here in Delhi and they readily took out their cheque books and contributed. I think it is a wonderful gesture from the legal community towards the development of Indian sport."
The lawyers who contributed toward Shiva's cause are KK Venugopal (Rs. 1 lakh), Dr Abhishek Singhvi (Rs 1 lakh), Rohinton F Nariman (Rs 1 lakh), Mukul Rohatgi (Rs 1 lakh) and L Nageswara Rao (Rs 50,000).
"Gopal spoke to us and we decided to immediately help Shiva. It's sad that he has struggled for so long without much support. I hope this will help him bring glory to the country," Mukul Rohatagi told TOI.
"I don't know him personally but he is making so much effort against odds that we decided to contribute towards his cause," said Abhishek Singhvi.
Keshavan, who has been training in Albertville (France) in the run-up to the Games (which begin on February 12) expressed his gratitude for this rare act of generosity. "I am immensely grateful for the support I have received from these gentlemen. I am also deeply honoured to have the encouragement of such an eminent group of lawyers as I set off on my fourth Olympic campaign. I hope to make them and the country proud," he said.
He was also helped by the sports ministry which handed over Rs 10 lakh towards his training expenses last year.
In fact, Keshavan who caught the world's imagination as the youngest competitor in luge in 1998 Nagano Winter Games, has since struggled to get enough support to keep his passion alive.
The Lawrence School (Sanawar) alumni moved to Italy - his mother is Italian - after the 2002 Salt Lake City Games to pursue higher studies and train with Italians and Germans who are the world's best in luge.
In between, he even fought with the national federation when a grant of $10,000 from the Olympic Solidarity Fund failed to reach him.
The bronze medal in Nagano in 2008 and India's improved showing in the Beijing Games helped him get some support from sponsors. The latest gesture by the lawyers should spur him to improve upon his past performance.
Source: THE TIMES OF INDIA
Date: 03.02.2010
