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Samsung's MVP award for Indian athletes

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI SEPT. 26. Samsung India Electronics Ltd., the official sponsor of the Indian contingent to the Busan Asian Games, has announced the `most valued performance' (MVP) award for the best performance by an Indian competitor at the Games.

Announcing the award at the official send-off dinner to part of the contingent here on Wednesday, Mr Ravinder Zutshi, vice president, Sales, Samsung India, said: "The Samsung MVP award we hope will serve as a good motivation for the team members to excel in their performance and win more gold medals for the country".

The award will be Rs 2.5 lakh worth of Samsung products. It will be based on a set of criteria laid down by the sponsor, a world record and/or an Asian Games record, consistency in performance in relation to performance in previous Asian Games, multiple gold medals and an athlete's fighting spirit. The award will be decided by a panel of five sports journalists who would have witnessed the Games in Busan.

To sponsor Usha's visit

At the request of the president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), Suresh Kalmadi, at Wednesday's function, Samsung also agreed to sponsor P.T. Usha's visit to Busan to witness the Games and to cheer the Indian team members. It may be recalled that 16 years ago, Usha won a record four gold medals in Korea, in the Seoul Asian Games, a feat unmatched yet by any athlete.

It will be a nostalgic moment for India's greatest woman athlete when she makes it to Busan in time for the athletics events starting on October 7.

Till now, from 1982 onwards, Usha had been part of the Indian team through five Asian Games and now, thanks to Samsung, she will have the opportunity to be present at a sixth and to motivate the Indian competitors, not just in the athletics team but in other disciplines as well.

"Let Usha head our cheer-leaders," said Mr Kalmadi.

Samsung is sending eight university students from India to experience the thrills of the Asian Games and to support the Indian contingent as cheerleaders.

It is also sending such groups from several other countries including Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam.

Mr Kalmadi, while thanking Samsung for its support, pointed out that Indian sports, in Olympic disciplines, would be benefited if the company continued to support IOA's programmes rather than just sponsoring teams going for major games.

Photo contest winners

Samsung also announced the winners of the `Spirit of Asiad' photo contest held between August 21 and September 15. They are: Mr Ashok Nath Dey of Kolkata (No. 1 prize), Mr R. Vijayakumar from Salem and Mr V. Muthuraman from Coimbatore (No. 2 prize) and Mr Mayank Prajapati (Ahmedabad), Mr Piyal Adhikary (Bengal) and Mr Gautam Karmarkar (Kolkata), all No. 3 prizes.

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