Coca-Cola Felicitates Indian Olympians At The Launch Of Limca Book Of Records, 2008Coca-Cola India & FICCI felicitated the Indian Olympians at the launch of 2008 edition of Limca Book of Records. Atul Singh, President & CEO, Coca-Cola India and Dr Amit Mitra presented the citations, shawl & badge to the Olympians - Tennis Sensation Leander Paes, versatile hurdles dynamo G S Randhawa, winter Olympics winner Shiva Keshavan (Luge) and special Olympics gold medalist Rushi Gulati (Cycling).
The 19th edition also witnessed the launch of the book for the first time in Hindi language, with an objective to reach out maximum number of people all over India. A special section on Indian Olympians has been added in the latest edition to catalogue & pay tribute to the Indian achievers in the Olympics.
"At Coca-Cola India and at FICCI we believe that there is a need to create awareness about sports and build a sporting culture in the country. There is a need to develop a ‘connect’ between today’s youth and these sports. It is towards this end that we conceived the idea of incorporating a whole chapter on Olympics in the 2008 edition of the Limca Book of Records which has been unveiled today", said Atul Singh, President & CEO, Coca-Cola India & Chairman. FICCI sports committee.
Dr Amit Mitra, Secretary General, FICCI vehemently acknowledged Coca-Cola India’s efforts in promoting sports amongst the youth. He also mentioned that Limca Book of Records thus provides a great platform to honour these Olympians and also to layout a broad roadmap of the activities that FICCI & Coca-Cola together will be taking to support sports & help create examples on excellence like the ones present today.
Leander Paes, ace tennis player said, “It is amazing to see Limca Book Of Records become an institution in itself by encouraging every Indian to do their best in their respective fields. Being a part of the record book is indeed an honor. It has further inspired me to continuously play good tennis and make my country very proud.” Leander also stressed that it is very encouraging to note today that Coca-Cola is taking the lead in promoting sports amongst youth at the grass root level like Thums Up rural games.
Winter Olympics Winner in Luge, Shiva Keshavan, also added, “It is indeed a proud moment for me to be with fellow Olympians today. I deeply thank Limca Book of Records for this honour. It’s great to see the hard work & dedication of sports persons like me being recognized today.”
The youngest Olympian honored was a the 14 year child prodigy, Rushi Gulati, gold medalist in cycling at Special Olympics who received a standing ovation by the gathering for exemplifying the courage, hard work & dedication to fulfill her dreams.
About 2008 Edition of Limca Book of Records
Limca Book of Records is an extension of the Limca brand. Launched in India in 1990, it is the second book of records in the world after Guinness World Records. The book aims to identify people who have the spirit to excel and follow their goal with single-minded passion. It lays emphasis on unique achievements of our countrymen and is a salute to all those people who want to do something different and be remembered for their distinctive deeds. Being the first of its kind, this book has been an instant hit with people from all generations.
With 2008 being the year of the Olympics, the latest edition of the record book includes a special 21 page chapter on Indian Olympians including a brief introduction to the Olympic Games. In addition, the chapter features 16 Indian Olympians, out of which 8 have won medals as individuals or in team events. These 8 Olympians include - K D Jadhav (wrestling), Leander Paes (tennis), Karnam Malleswari (weightlifting), Lt Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore (double trap shooting), Dhyan Chand (hockey), Balbir Singh Sr (hockey), Randhir Singh Gentle (hockey) and Ranganathan Francis (hockey). The other 8 eminent sports personalities include Milkha Singh (athletics), PT Usha (athletics), Mahesh Bhupathi (tennis), Ramesh Krishnan (tennis), Henry Rebello (athletics), Sriram Singh (athletics), GS Randhawa (hurdles)and Anju Bobby George (long jump).
In 2008, the Limca Book of Records has also been launched in Hindi. Future plans include translating this one-of-a-kind record book into other regional languages.
