Sahara offers graded contract for 30 boxers, wrestlers

New Delhi, Feb 23 (PTI) Much like their cricket cousins,
17 grapplers and 13 pugilists will receive graded contracts
after Sahara India Pariwar Monday pledged to support wrestling
and boxing in the country.

Apart from offering them a four-year contract which would
be reviewed every year, Sahara also adopted the famous Bhiwani
Boxing Club in Haryana and the Guru Hanuman Akhara in the
capital with an aim to upgrade the facilities at both the
centres.

"This is our emotional attachment to these two
disciplines. We just wanted to ensure that these wrestlers and
boxers can prepare for both the 2010 Commonwealth Games and
the 2012 London Olympics without bothering about their basic
necessities," Sahara Chairman Subroto Roy said here.

Sahara will also be the title sponsor for the Senior
National Boxing Championship for the next four years, he
added.

"We cannot deny the fact that we were tempted to adopt
these two disciplines after both fetched India medals in the
Beijing Olympics. It's not only the medal winners alone, other
boxers and wrestlers also did a good job there. We were
thoroughly convinced of the tremendous potential of both the
sports," Roy said.

Efforts would be made to create icons out of the
identified athletes, he added.

Beijing Olympic bronze medallist Sushil Kumar welcomed
the initiative but said had such help come earlier, he
probably would have returned with a gold from the Chinese
capital.

"This is a welcome start. It would be a huge boost to all
the wrestlers. Had it come earlier, I would have won the gold
in Beijing," he said.

"I'm still happy because it would help us and every
wrestler would work hard to retain their contract," said the
grappler, beaming in a blue Sahara jersey.

"It feels good to wear this jersey. So far I saw only the
cricketers wearing it," he said.

Vijender, the country's first Olympic medallist boxer,
echoed Sushil's view and said other corporate houses should
also come forward to promote Olympic sport.

"This is a great thing to happen to both boxing and
wrestling. Boxing is on a high after Beijing Olympics and I
hope it becomes as popular here as it is in Cuba," said the
Haryana boxer.

Indian Boxing Federation President Abhay Singh Chautala,
secretary PKM Raja and Wrestling Federation of India President
GS Mander were also present on the occasion.

Mander promised to ensure that India wins more than half
of the wrestling medals in 2010 Commonwealth Games, while
Chautala also felt that the boxers would perform even better
in international events. PTI AY
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