Will model have to strip naked to celebrate India’s World Cup win?

Thursday
April 7,  2011

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By BIPIN DANI, Nation Correspondent
Posted  Wednesday, April 6 2011 at 18:55

Mumbai

Team India’s new guest motivational speaker, Mike Horn, was amused with model Poonal Pandey’s offer to go nude if the country won the recent Cricket World Cup. “Oh, that was very interesting,” he told the Daily Nation during an exclusive interview.

“I don’t know whether it was an emotional announcement by her or would she have committed the 100 per cent promise, had she been allowed, but I am surprised the way people in this country can go to such an extreme step.”

The model was reported to have said: “I am serious about it [offer to strip naked] as many studies conducted by various universities abroad confirm such performances boost and inspire people to perform better in any field, be it sports or otherwise.”

Argentina’s glamour model, singer and actress Luciana Salazar Ortega and Larissa Riquelme of Paraguay made similar offers last year during the Fifa World Cup.

“I could feel 1.2 billion Indians holding the hands of the 15 players,” Horn said before leaving for Canada on Sunday evening.

“To be part of this was a great honour. I loved that feeling of commitment, passion and determination running through the veins.

“I strongly believed that they could win. The World Cup with the motivation passion and will power they had.

The pressure was on

“The Indian team played with a will to win and the pressure was on. All the players were in super form.

“The Indian players and the coaching team [Gary Kirsten and Paddy Upton] had left no stone unturned in their preparation.

“The Indian team is a highly motivated unit that was very well prepared for this final World Cup match against Sri Lanka.

“My job was to share my lived experience with them on how I deal with challenges. It had been very interesting!”

Added Horn: “It was amusing to see what people do to get a glimpse of their heroes. The support of the Indian nation was an amazing feeling to be experienced.

“They are holding the players by their hand and leading them out there to go and play the match.

“I would love to come again and again and work with these boys in future, but not on a full-time basis.”

Horn will not receive the 50 million rupees announced by the Indian Cricket Board as individual prize money for the support staff of the World Cup-winning team.

Each team member is to get one crore (10 million rupees, or Sh18 million).

“I worked with the Indian team for the love of the game and not for money,” Horn said.