INDIA: CRICKET/BADMINTON: Cricketing great Sachin Tendulkar hands over keys of shimmering BMW to Olympic bronze medallist Saina Nehwal

Record ID: 1382784

  • Title: INDIA: CRICKET/BADMINTON: Cricketing great Sachin Tendulkar hands over keys of shimmering BMW to Olympic bronze medallist Saina Nehwal
  • Date: 20th August 2012
  • Summary: HYDERABAD, ANDHRA PRADESH, INDIA (AUGUST 19, 2012) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (ANI-NO ACCESS BBC) ***CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** INDIAN BADMINTON PLAYER AND LONDON OLYMPICS BRONZE MEDALLIST SAINA NEHWAL AND CRICKETER SACHIN TENDULKAR TAKING THEIR SEATS BEFORE OFFICIAL CEREMONY TENDULKAR TALKING TO FORMER SPORTS MINISTER OF HYDERABAD V CHAMUNDESHWARNATH NEHWAL SEATED TENDULKAR SEATED NEHWAL AND TENDULKAR SEATED (SOUNDBITE) (English) TENDULKAR, SAYING: "I am glad first of all that I could be here to congratulate you personally. This medal for India means a lot and I am sure the medal has not come without dedication, hard work, determination, focus and having vision and to top it all to be able to execute it." EVENT IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) TENDULKAR SAYING: "From the bottom of my heart I want to congratulate all the medal winners. It has been terrific for India, they have made all of us proud and the tricolour is really flying high. You deserve all the praise, all the good things, which are coming your way, you thoroughly deserve them." MICROPHONE BEING HANDED OVER TO SAINA NEHWAL (SOUNDBITE) (English) INDIAN BADMINTON PLAYER AND LONDON OLYMPICS BRONZE MEDALLIST SAINA NEHWAL, SAYING: "It is a huge day for me today, can't believe God of cricket is sitting with us, thank you sir for making it possible. It is a huge day for badminton also very very happy, also Chamundi sir for making it possible, I think I am the first person to get a second car from him. It is really grateful thank you so much." TENDULKAR HANDING OVER THE CAR KEYS TO NEHWAL NEHWAL AND TENDULKAR POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHS TENDULKAR STANDING TENDULKAR SHAKING HANDS WITH NEHWAL TENDULKAR WALKING WITH SAINA NEHWAL'S MENTOR AND NATIONAL COACH PULLELA GOPICHAND TENDULKAR, NEHWAL AND GOPICHAND POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHS
  • Embargoed: 3rd September 2012 22:05
  • Keywords:
  • Location: India
  • Country: India
  • Topics: Sport
  • Reuters ID: LVABUGR980FWVFE4N0MI37EOLHCZ
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: One of India's few Olympic success stories, badminton bronze medallist Saina Nehwal, received the keys to a new BMW sedan from her idol, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar at Hyderabad in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh on Sunday (August 19).
    Tendulkar flew down to the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad to personally congratulate the 22-year-old, who has received a rousing reception at home after her success at London 2012.
    "This medal for India means a lot and I am sure the medal has not come without dedication, hard work, determination, focus and having vision and to top it all to be able to execute it," said Tendulkar.
    Nehwal became the first Indian badminton player to win an Olympic medal after she defeated China's Wang Xin on August 4. Her opponent retired hurt with a knee injury and forfeited the match.
    Tendulkar also lauded the other sportsmen and women who secured medals at the London games.
    "From the bottom of my heart I want to congratulate all the medal winners," said Tendulkar. "It has been terrific for India, they have made all of us proud and the tricolor is really flying high. You deserve all the praise, all the good things, which are coming your way, you thoroughly deserve them."
    An ecstatic Nehwal expressed her gratitude to the cricket legend for honouring her.
    "It is a huge day for me today, I can't believe the God of cricket is sitting with us, thank you sir for making it possible," she said.
    Nehwal, a hugely popular figure in India, was 18 at the Beijing Olympics where she reached the quarter-finals only to lose out in three sets to Indonesian Maria Kristin Yulianti.
    In 2010, on home territory and once more with the aspirations of the country on her shoulders, Nehwal won Commonwealth Games gold, surviving a match point against Malaysia's Wong Mew Choo.
  • Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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