Indian actor Rahul Bose showed Sports memorabilia is big money in India as well, pulling off an auction Friday night of the medals, bats and balls used by local and international sports legends to raise more than $500,000 (20 million rupees) for charity.

Cricket was predictably the biggest money-raiser, with the bat used by Sachin Tendulkar to score 163 runs against New Zealand at Christchurch last year, his fourth highest one day score, bringing in $95,000. (4.25 million rupees.)

The rifle used by Abhinav Bhindra for six years—including setting a world record in 2006, sold for $45,000 (2 million rupees), as Mr. Bindra looked on from a seat at a front table in the Trident Hotel’s crystal chandeliered Regal Room.

Mr. Bose, 43, personally visited many of the sports stars, persuading them to donate some of their prized possessions to support his charity, The Foundation, which funds scholarships at elite schools for underprivileged children from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Indian Ocean that are part of India.

Mr. Bose, an actor, screenwriter and director who started his career in art films and now also plays Bollywood roles, told the audience about going to Mr. Bindra’s house and asking if he could part with any special items, and being overwhelmed when the Olympic gold medalist offered the rifle.

In all, Mr. Bose gathered 25 items representing a wide diversity of sports, from snooker to chess, badminton to football.

A Yonex racket used by badminton star Saina Nehwal to win two Super Series and a Grand Prix tournament this past year sold for $12,000 (550,000 rupees.) The racket tennis star Sania Mirza used at Wimbledon this year went for $4,900 (220,000 rupees), and tennis legend Vijay Amritraj’s racket went for $8,900 (400,000 rupees).

Wearing a pink turban, India’s famous hockey captain Ajit Pal Singh watched as the audience bid $9,000 (400,000 rupees) for the stick that the Pakistani captain gave him in a stick exchange after India beat Pakistan in the World Cup final in 1975.

Football star Bhaichung Bhutia looked on as the navy blue jersey he wore in the International Charity Match for Haiti this year sold for $5,300 (420,000 rupees.)

Even chess and snooker were money-makers. The gold medal won by Viswananathan Anand in the 2008 World Chess Championship in Germany fetched about $29,000 (1.3 million rupees) and snooker legend Geet Sethi’s World Professional Billiards 1992 trophy and World Championship cue brought in $8,500 (380,000 rupees).

Of course, cricket was still dominant, with two blue blazers worn by legendary captain Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi in tournaments against England and the West Indies going for $11,000 (500,000 rupees).

Kapil Dev, the legendary batsman and captain, donated his bat, signed by the 1983 World Cup winning team, which brought in $35,000 (1.5 million rupees.)

The auction was held by NGO ‘The Foundation’ founded by actor and ex-rugby international player Rahul Bose in association with Raheja Universal and the proceeds were donated to Bose’s NGO.

The donors and items that went under the hammer were:

Pankaj Advani: Medal – World Billiards Champion, 2007; Cue-International debut, 2002

Viswanathan Anand: Medal- World Chess (Match) Champion, 2008.

Mahesh Bhupathi: Racquet – Mixed Doubles Champion, Australian Open, 2009.

Baichung Bhutia: Jersey – Signed by Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo, Baichung Bhutia and others worn at the International Charity Match for Haiti earthquake, 2010.

Abhinav Bindra: Rifle – World Champion, 2006; World record, Olympic Record.

Rahul Dravid: Bat – Century in each Test innings, v Pakistan: Kolkata, 2005.

Anil Kumble: Test Jersey – 10 wickets in an innings, v Pakistan: New Delhi, 1999; Test cap – 2004 to 2006.

Sania Mirza: Racquet – Wimbledon, 2010.

Saina Nehwal: Racquet – Singapore Open Super Series, Indonesian Open Super Series, Indian Open Grand Prix, all 2010; Gold Medal – Indian Open, 2010.

Sachin Tendulkar: Bat – 163 vs New Zealand: Christchurch, 2009 – Fourth highest one day score.

Virender Sehwag: Batting gloves – 125 vs New Zealand, 2009-Fastest one-day hundred by an Indian.

Kapil Dev: Bat – Signed by 1983 world cup winning squad. Sunil Gavaskar: Bat – Signed by 1983 world cup winning squad.

Leander Paes: Racquet – Mixed Doubles Champion, Wimbledon 2010.

Viren Rasquinha: Hockey stick – Bronze medal, Asian Games, Busan, 2002; India blazer, Asian Games, Busan, 2002.

Geet Sethi: World Professional Billiards trophy, 1992; Cue -World Billiards Championship, 2007, World Snooker Championship, 2008.

Prakash Padukone: Silver Medal – Japan Open, 1981.

Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi: Debut India blazer v England, 1961; Retiring India blazer v West Indies, 1975

Ajitpal Singh: Hockey stick – (Exchanged with) Pakistan captain, Islahuddin, World Cup Final, 1975.

Vijay Amritraj: Tennis racquet, Tennis balls.

Roger Federer (courtesy Globosport): Tennis shoes – Winner, Cincinnati Open 2010.

Diego Forlan: (Courtesy Mahuaa TV): Football, 2010.

Ricky Ponting (Courtesy Dhiraj Malhotra): Gold Medal, World Cup, 2007.

Maria Sharapova (Courtesy Akshay Kulkarni): Racquet, 2010

Shane Warne: (Courtesy Rahul Bose): Retiring Cricket Victoria shirt, 2008.

Tags: Rahul Bose, sachin tendulkar

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