NEW DELHI, July 28 (PTI): Star shooter Abhinav Bindra and country�s top woman pugilist MC Mary Kom today marked one-year countdown to the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympic Games by unveiling a clock at the British High Commissioner�s residence here.
India�s first individual Olympics gold medallist Bindra and Olympic aspirant Mary Kom, along with Deputy High Commissioner, Julian Evans and Director, British Council, Rob Lynes, unveiled an Omega Countdown Clock, which will tick away the days, hours, minutes and seconds to the beginning of the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics inaugural event on July 27 next year.
BBC World�s Olympic Dreams films on Bindra and Mary Kom were also screened at the event. VisitBritain�s newly launched celebrity TV campaign �Britain You are invited� and the 2012 Olympic film One Year to Go were also screened at the function.
�As an athlete, I am looking forward to the 2012 London Olympics. I am sure the spirit and energy of the Games is going to be very special and the games are going to be top class in every respect,� said Bindra, 2008 Beijing Olympics gold medallist.
�I will try my best to bring another gold this time and make the country proud once again,� added Bindra, who will be participating in the 10m air rifle event.
Women�s boxing will make its debut at the Olympics next year and Mary Kom (51kg), dubbed �Magnificent Mary� by the International Boxing Association for her record five world titles, is one of India�s primary medal hope.
�I�ll try to bring gold at the Olympics. It�s very special to compete at the Olympic level. London Olympics to me will be a platform to show sportsmanship spurred by will and determination to be at the top, which will indeed be a pride to our respective country,� she said.
Highlighting the importance of the London Games to the UK and to the world, Deputy High Commissioner Julian Evans said, �Today and for the next 12 months until the Games, we want to show you what makes the UK such a great place to live, work, visit, invest and do business. Few would disagree with Nelson Mandela when he said �he can�t think of a better place than London to hold an event that unites the world.�
�The budget for the London Games is 9.2 billion pounds (Rs 63,000 crore). All major venues are ready. 2,50,000 applied to volunteer out of which 70,000 will be chosen. 3.5 million tickets have alreay been sold,� Evans informed.
The event alos showcased an exhibition of stamps designed by school children on the theme �Friendship through Sport and Games�.
