abhishreshthaa
Abhijeet S
Bindra now seen commanding Rs 20 mn per endorsement Indo-Asian News Service New Delhi, August 11, 2008
After winning India's first individual gold at the Olympics, Abhinav Bindra can charge at least Rs 20 million ($500,000) per endorsement - an amount commanded by top Indian cricketers, says the sports management firm that handles his affairs.
"I don't see any reason why Bindra shouldn't make at least a couple of cores (tens of millions of rupees) now," said Latika Khaneja, director of Collage Sports Management, the firm representing the shooting ace.
"He is young, good looking and has a photogenic face. All of these factors count for signing up decent contracts," said another advertising professional who has been dealing with celebrity endorsements.
One crore in India equals 10 million. If Khaneja's calculations - as shared with IANS - prove right, Bindra will now be as valuable as top Indian cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar or Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
"We backed him at Athens. We have backed him now. It's a dream come true for him and us," said Ruchika Batra, corporate communication general manager for Samsung India, which is sponsoring the Indian contingent to the Beijing Olympics.
Indian sports celebrities seldom disclose contract amounts, but market reports say Tendulkar - the world's most expensive cricketer - commands around Rs 30 million per endorsement.
After winning India's first individual gold at the Olympics, Abhinav Bindra can charge at least Rs 20 million ($500,000) per endorsement - an amount commanded by top Indian cricketers, says the sports management firm that handles his affairs.
"I don't see any reason why Bindra shouldn't make at least a couple of cores (tens of millions of rupees) now," said Latika Khaneja, director of Collage Sports Management, the firm representing the shooting ace.
"He is young, good looking and has a photogenic face. All of these factors count for signing up decent contracts," said another advertising professional who has been dealing with celebrity endorsements.
One crore in India equals 10 million. If Khaneja's calculations - as shared with IANS - prove right, Bindra will now be as valuable as top Indian cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar or Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
"We backed him at Athens. We have backed him now. It's a dream come true for him and us," said Ruchika Batra, corporate communication general manager for Samsung India, which is sponsoring the Indian contingent to the Beijing Olympics.
Indian sports celebrities seldom disclose contract amounts, but market reports say Tendulkar - the world's most expensive cricketer - commands around Rs 30 million per endorsement.