GAIL's Hunt for the Next Milkha Singh

GAIL India, in association with Spoment Ventures and renowned athlete Milkha Singh, has launched a talent hunt across 19 cities.

GAIL (India) and Spoment Ventures have initiated a sports talent hunt 'GAIL-The Fastest Indian' (GAIL TFI) to identify, groom and develop champions who can win laurels for the country.

Legendary athlete 'Padmashree' Milkha Singh will be the principal mentor for the annual event and help select and groom potential winners.

Over the next three months, GAIL-TFI will conduct events across 19 cities reaching over 3,000 schools. Young boys and girls in the age group 12 to 14 years will get the opportunity to compete for the title of 'GAIL - The Fastest Indian'.

These cities include Ludhiana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Bhopal, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Mumbai, Goa, Hyderabad, Rudrapur, Chennai, Lucknow, Kochi, Banaras, Bangalore, Patna, Ranchi and Guwahati.

Winners from the various cities would be invited for the finals scheduled for December 14, 2014 in Bengaluru. GAIL (India) is the principal partner of the event organized by Spoment Ventures, a sports media and entertainment company.

The winners of the finals will receive complete scholarship up to their post-graduation so that they can focus on running and not have to worry about securing their future. They will also receive specialised training from renowned national and international sports trainers.

Speaking on the occasion, 'The Flying Sikh', says, "I am very happy that GAIL and Spoment have taken this initiative. This project is the need of the hour. It will help find many more Milkhas from the length and breadth of this country."

BC Tripathi, chairman, GAIL, says, "The company's lean and nimble workforce has worked hard to make it the country's fastest-growing Maharatna in 30 short years. Association with the search for the fastest Indian thus comes naturally for GAIL." He added that athletics, as a sport, is a true test of human endurance, redefining the limits people set on themselves. "We are sure that a country of a billion plus has a lot of extraordinary talent that is untapped. What is required is a little help and little faith. We hope to be that help," he says.

Says Darshan M, director, Spoment Ventures, "GAIL - The Fastest Indian is much more than a talent hunt, it's a dream for Indian sports. It is an ambitious attempt to discover, groom and develop Indian Olympic level athletes."

While the first edition of GAIL-TFI will cover 19 cities, it will be expanded over time to reach all 800 districts of the country.

The other partners in the venture include IFIM Business School (Academic Partner), which is providing scholarships; Manipal Hospitals (Medical Partner); sportskeeda.com (Digital Media Partner); Croma (Promotions Partner); Fox Mandal (Knowledge Partner); iCONGO (Social Justice Partner); rightticket.in (Official Partner); CII Yi (Out Reach partner) and Unibic (Official Cookie Partner).