New Delhi, 21 September 2023: Ashton Eaton, a two-time Olympic champion and the only one to have exceeded 9,000 points twice in a decathlon event, will be the International Event Ambassador at next month’s Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon 2023, race promoters Procam International announced today.
The American won the Decathlon event Golds in successive Olympics (2012 & 2016). He has also bagged two World Championships Golds (2013 & 2015) in the Decathlon event and a Silver Medal at the 2011 World Championships.
Furthermore, he has also proved his mettle in the Heptathlon event. Eaton broke his heptathlon world record, with a score of 6,645 points, at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in 2012. He is also credited with three World Indoor Championships Golds (2012, 2014 & 2016) in the Heptathlon event.
At the, 2012, London Olympic Games, Eaton registered another world record in the decathlon and held the record for six years until it was broken by France’s Kevin Mayer. He was also named IAAF Athlete of the Year in 2015.
Before his achievements at the highest level, Eaton had taken the world by storm as a collegiate track-and-field athlete. He won five National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championships – three in the decathlon and two in the heptathlon events. He was also bestowed with the 2010 Bowerman Award after winning the NCAA title in the indoor heptathlon event, where he set the world record score of 6,499 points.
“I know from experience that running has the ability to inspire which is why I’m excited to support the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon. For almost two decades, this incredible event has seen the support of historic athletes and has brought people together for health and community,” said Ashton Eaton.
“I’m witnessing how India is having an impact on my sport and there is so much more potential for this nation in athletics. I urge the people of India to join the movement, I’ll be cheering you on!” he added.
Eaton also achieved the feat of being only the third Olympian (after Bob Mathias of the US and Great Britain’s Daley Thompson) to achieve back-to-back Gold Medals in the decathlon events before calling time on his career in 2017.
Priya Agarwal Hebbar, Chairperson, Hindustan Zinc & Non-Executive Director, Vedanta Limited said, “The Vedanta Family is absolutely delighted to welcome legendary Olympic champion Ashton Eaton to the 2023 Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon. With his incredible track record, we are confident that his presence at the marathon will ignite a wave of inspiration, encouraging thousands more to hit the track and run for a cause that is deeply meaningful to us – Run For Zero Hunger. Together, we can sprint towards a malnutrition-free India!”
Eaton is married to Canada’s Brianne Theisen-Eaton, who won an Olympic Bronze Medal in the Heptathlon event at the Rio Games. The couple has also carried out extensive humanitarian work with Team World Vision through child sponsorship in Kenya.
Vivek Singh, Jt. MD, Procam International said, “We are very excited to have one of the greatest athletes of all time Ashton Eaton in our midst at the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon 2023. His sporting achievements and his philanthropic ventures are noteworthy. His presence will certainly motivate all our runners and we couldn’t have asked for a better International Event Ambassador.”
The Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon will be held on 15th October 2023. The Open 10K race has received an overwhelming response and all spots have been filled. Registration for all the other physical race categories — Half marathon, Great Delhi Run (Approx.4.5km), Senior Citizens’ Run (Approx. 2.5km) and the Champions with Disability Run (Approx. 2.5km) is open until 11:59 PM 30th September 2023 or until spots are filled, whichever is earlier.
ABOUT VEDANTA LIMITED
Vedanta Limited (“Vedanta”), a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources Limited, is one of the world’s leading natural resources companies spanning across India, South Africa, Namibia, Liberia, UAE, Korea, Taiwan and Japan with significant operations in Oil & Gas, Zinc, Lead, Silver, Copper, Iron Ore, Steel, Nickel, Aluminium, Power & Glass Substrate and foraying into semiconductors and display glass. For two decades, Vedanta has been contributing significantly to nation building. Governance and sustainable development are at the core of Vedanta’s strategy, with a strong focus on health, safety, and environment. Vedanta has put in place a comprehensive framework to be the ESG leader in the natural resources sector, is committed to reducing carbon emissions to net zero by 2050 or sooner and aims to spend $5 billion over the next 10 years to accelerate this transition. Giving back is in the DNA of Vedanta, which is focused on enhancing the lives of local communities. Anil Agarwal Foundation, the umbrella entity for Vedanta’s social initiatives, has pledged Rs 5000 crore over the next five years on various social impact programs and its flagship project, Nand Ghar is setting up model anganwadis across India. Vedanta Ltd. has been listed in Dow Jones Sustainability World Index 2022, conferred Golden Peacock Award for excellence in Corporate Governance 2022 and certified as a Great Place to Work 2023. Vedanta Limited is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange.
ABOUT IDFC FIRST BANK
IDFC FIRST Bank’s vision is to build a world-class bank in India that’s guided by ethics, powered by technology, and a force for social good.
Philosophy: The Bank has a customer-first philosophy offering high-quality products including current accounts, savings accounts, fixed deposits, retail loans, business loans, corporate banking, cash management solutions, FASTag, wealth management, and 24/7 customer care services. IDFC FIRST bank is one of the select banks to work with the regulator for pilot projects for many banking technology initiatives for India like CBDC, UPI for foreigners etc.
Unique Benefits for customers: The Bank is the first and only bank in India that offers Zero fees for 28 essential services on savings accounts including for ATM cash withdrawals, IMPS, RTGS, NEFT, Cash Deposits and Cash withdrawals at branches, SMS Alerts, Cheque book, Demand Drafts, Pay-order, duplicate statements, etc. IDFC FIRST Bank is the first bank to offer monthly credit on savings accounts, so customers earn more with us. The bank’s credit cards have unique features such as lifetime free, never-expiring rewards points, zero interest on cash withdrawal at ATMs and low APR.
Ethics First: IDFC FIRST Bank prioritizes ethics in all its dealings and product design. The Bank believes income earned unethically is not worth earning. The Bank applies a “Near and Dear” Test in all product design, so that the employees of the Bank serve only such products to customers that they’d want for their own loved ones.
Transformation: IDFC FIRST Bank has transformed from infrastructure to retail banking in four years since merger, increasing CASA ratio from 8.6% to 46.5% (June 30, 2023) and increased Retail Deposits as % of total deposits from 27% to 77%, and set up 824 branches and 1,069 ATMs.
Financial Performance: The Bank recorded a PAT of Rs. 765 crore (~US$ 93 million) in Q1-FY24, with strong Capital Adequacy of 16.96%. The Bank has high asset quality, with Retail, Rural & SME book having Gross NPA of 1.53% and Net NPA of 0.52% as of June 30, 2023. Overall Gross NPA including infrastructure is 2.17% and Net NPA is 0.70%.
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ABOUT PROCAM INTERNATIONAL
Since its inception in 1988, Procam International has been the driving force behind the growth and development of sports management in India. Founded by Anil and Vivek Singh, Procam is India’s premier sports management company and is involved in live events, sports consultancy, and live television production.
With astute planning and exemplary execution, Procam has a track record of conceptualising and promoting over 100 international events, across the disciplines of Powerboat Racing, Cricket, Football, Tennis, Distance Running, Squash, WWE, Horse Racing, Volleyball, among others. These events have elicited participation of the highest calibre of athletes and huge public interest and attendance.
Pioneers of the distance running movement in India, Procam International’s Big 4 – Tata Mumbai Marathon, Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon, Tata Consultancy Services World 10K and Tata Steel Kolkata 25 K — are global leaders in their respective distances. They have ushered in a running revolution that has helped redefine, the health, fitness, and ‘giving’ paradigm of our country.
