Ace Indian athlete Manjeet Kaur's preparations for the Beijing Olympics received a major boost when a New Delhi-based real estate group handed her Rs 34 lakh to train under an American coach in California.
The cheque was presented to the 400 metres runner, a Punjab Police Inspector, by Rohtas Goyal, chairman of the Omaxe Group, in the presence Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Badal and state DGP N P S Aulakh.
Sukhbir told reporters that Manjeet had contacted him in Jalandhar about 10 days back and he, in turn, got in touch with Goyal, who agreed to help the athlete.
Omaxe has given the money to Manjeet for her training at the V S Athletics Track Club, California, under famous sprinter Cedric Hill.
The training will last about 75 days, Manjeet said, adding she is preparing for the forthcoming Beijing Olympics, as well as the 2010 Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.
Manjeet bagged a gold [women's 4 x 400 relay] and silver medal [400m] at the 2006 Doha Asian Games, and a silver at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games. She also participated at the 2004 Athens Olympics.