Indian Discuss Thrower Krishna Poonia Secures New Corporate Sponsor

Indian discus thrower Krishna Poonia has signed a two-year sponsorship deal with Hindustan Zinc Limited and described the help from the corporate world as a big relief since it will help her prepare well for the Asian Games and other multi-discipline events in the next two years.

It is first sponsorship agreement with a private sector company for the Commonwealth Games gold medallist.

Poonia signed the agreement with the Vedanta Group’s company in Udaipur, where the headquarters of Hindustan Zinc Limited (HZL) are located.

HZL CEO Akhilesh Joshi has promised to bear all her expenses, including overseas training.

“It’s a big day for me today and I am grateful to Vedanta’s Hindustan Zinc for coming forward and supporting me. It is a relief for me to know as I need not worry for my expenses for training for the next two years,” Poonia told PTI after signing the agreement.

“A monkey has been off my back. I have been looking for help from corporate sector for some time after winning Commonwealth Games gold and it was not coming. This help will be crucial for me as I would be preparing for Asian Games and Commonwealth Games. The Olympics are also scheduled in 2016 and this deal will help me in my hunt for medals for my country,” she said.

In 2014, Asian Games will be held in Korea while Scotland will hosts the next edition of the CWG.

“An athlete needs financial security and that plays crucial role in the performance. Once the financial help is assured, the concentration in the sport is automatically enhanced and the focus also increased. I am today confident because I need not worry about my expenses while preparing for Asian, Commonwealth and Olympics Games,” she added.