Chandigarh: India's ace athlete Manjit Kaur will undergo 2 1/2 months vigorous training-cum-coaching in the United States as part of her preparations for the forthcoming Beijing Olympics.

She will train at the famous VS Athletics Track Club in California under the watchful eyes of famous US sprinter Cedric Hill. The 400m runners trip to the US is being sponsored by Omaxe Ltd, a leading construction company.

The company Chairman, Rohtas Goyal, handed over a Rs 34 lakh cheque to Manjit Kaur on Tuesday, to cover her training and traveling expenses. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Badal who had taken up the cause of the star athlete was also present on the occasion. Punjab DGP NPS Aulakh was also at hand to wish Manjit Kaur luck.

Hailing from Gurdaspur district, she is an inspector with the Punjab Police. Manjit Kaur who was confered the Arjuna Award recently has already made a mark in the international arena, winning a gold and a silver in the last Asian Games at Doha and a silver medal in the Commonwealth Games at Melbourne. She is also a member of the 4X400m Indian women's relay team.

Speaking to mediapersons after accepting the cheque, Manjit Kaur said she would be leaving for the US in the next couple of days and had already talked to the US coach, Cedric Hill. She expressed a gratitude to Omaxe Ltd, Mr Sukhbir Badal and DGP, NPS Aulakh and hoped that she would win a medal for India in Beijing.

Source : UNI