Embracing the young talent

BANGALORE: Call it an idea Indian sport was waiting for or a ray of hope for the Indian athletes, Olympic gold quest (OGC) as a non-profit organisation is surely paving the right way for Indian sports.Committed to boosting upcoming athletes and assisting the potential athletes to achieve their dream, the organisation strives to create a level playing field for Indian athletes to enable them to be competitive at the highest level of sport.The brainchild of Indian sporting legends, Geet Sethi and Prakash Padukone, the organisation working since last three years will be celebrating the inclusion of its youngest member Lakshya Sen, a ten-year-old talented badminton player, who has shown extreme propensity in the sport.The felicitation ceremony is being organised today ITC Gardenia at 8 pm.Expanding its wings, the organisation further strives to compliment the efforts of the Indian government and various sports federations across the country in identifying and funding the best and most deserving medal prospects for the Olympic games.OGQ has six individual disciplines — shooting, athletics, boxing, wrestling, archery and badminton — as the ones in which Indian athletes have the strongest potential to win Olympic medals.OGQ also brings together eminent sportspersons, business leaders, sportswriters and talent scouts to identify emerging athletes, understand their training needs and requirements and raise funds to be used for supporting athletes with Olympic medal winning potential.With the help of the sports legends and the likes of Geet Sethi, Prakash Padukone, Leander Paes and Viren Rasquinha, the organisation systematically oversees and benchmarks the progress of athletes and provides funds to them so that they will have access to the best coaching and training facilities and to exploit scientific aids including planned nutrition and diet.The organisation also ensures that the fund raised, goes towards the training and preparation of its athletes for the Olympics as even its administrative and marketing expenses are met by the promoters of the company.