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Olympic medal winners return to a rousing welcome

Special Correspondent

Wrestler Sushil Kumar and boxer Vijender Singh meet Pratibha, Ansari and Manmohan

The Indian contingent arrived at the Indira Gandhi International airport just past midnight
Enthusiastic fans danced as a musical band beat drums and played the trumpet

— Photo: Rajeev Bhatt

WELL DONE: Olympic bronze medallists wrestler Sushil Kumar (left) and boxer Vijender Singh with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on Tuesday.

NEW DELHI: India’s bronze medal winners — wrestler Sushil Kumar and boxer Vijender Singh — arrived here on Tuesday to a rousing welcome.

The two met President Pratibha Patil, Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Dr. Singh took time out to meet the new sports heroes on his return from a day-long visit to Assam.

President Patil said the performance of the two winners would encourage the youth in the country. Union Sports Minister M.S. Gill and Indian Olympic Association president Suresh Kalmadi and boxer Akhil Kumar who narrowly missed a medal at the Olympics were present.

The Vice-President said what was important was playing for the country. It did not matter whether one won or lost.

He expressed confidence that Indian sportspersons would perform even better in the next Olympic Games.

Dr. Ansari asked the Union Sports Minister to work out modalities for tapping the country’s sports potential. “We have to learn how some countries have become sports powers,” he said.

The Indian contingent arrived at the Indira Gandhi International airport just past midnight to a cheering crowd. Some hugged them while others wanted their autographs. Some even offered them a ride on their shoulders.

A large number of supporters from Sushil’s native Bapraula village in Najafgarh and Vijender’s hometown in Bhiwani district of Haryana thronged the airport armed with drums and fire crackers. Enthusiastic fans danced as a musical band beat drums and played the trumpet.

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