When 21-year-old Vijay Amritraj was gifted a $7,000 Volvo for his 1973 Bretton Woods win

Kidambi Srikanth was done with one type of bird - the badminton shuttle - when another flock started twittering on his social media.

Anand Mahindra was among those who wished the champion for his Australian Open Super Series victory. The dynamic statesman of the Indian industry then went a step further - he promised the shuttler an SUV.


Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacts with Kidambi Srikanth at an event in Ahmedabad. (Image: PTI)

Ravi Shastri's sedan in Australia in 1985 remains the most popular example of an Indian sportsman winning a car. But now several non-cricket athletes have been gifted new rides for their sweat. Srikanth, 24, joins this growing list.

Vijay Amritraj

In 1973, when Srikanth's parents were probably school kids, Amritraj was a 21-yearold making headlines in world tennis. He fought his way to the Volvo International title in Bretton Woods, US, defeating the illustrious Jimmy Connors in the final. On the way, Amritraj beat the ageing but still capable Rod Laver. He left Bretton Woods with the trophy, a check and a $7,000 Volvo (around Rs 56,000 in 1973).

Abhinav Bindra


(Image: BCCL)

In 2008, the shooter ended India's long wait for an individual Olympic gold medal. Upon returning home from the Beijing Games, Bindra was showered with praise and awards. A Volvo S-80 worth Rs 39 lakh was among the many gifts he received. He was handed the keys to the car by the company's managing director Paul de Voijs.

PT Usha


(Image: BCCL)

PT Usha strode into the limelight with her spirited performance in the 1984 Olympics. By 1986, she was a tour de force at the Asian level, winning four golds and a silver in the 1986 Asian Games. She won the Adidas Golden Shoe Best Athlete award at the event. In India, she was a pioneer and superstar. Among the several gifts the 'Payyoli Express' received was a Standard 2000 car from the government of Kerala, Usha's home state. The car - innovative for its time - was a notorious fuel guzzler. Perhaps, Usha preferred to get around on her own god given wheels.

PV Sindhu, Dipa Karmakar, Sakshi Malik and P Gopichand


Left to right: PV Sindhu, Deepa Karmakar and Sakshi Malik. (Image: BCCL)

A handful of athletes saved India from a total wipeout at the Rio Games last year. PV Sindhu won the badminton silver and Sakshi Malik won a wrestling bronze.

Dipa Karmakar earned respect by nearly winning a medal in the challenging vault category in gymnastics. Sindhu, Sakshi, Dipa and badminton guru P Gopichand received a BMW each at the hands of Sachin Tendulkar. Dipa, though, returned the car as it would have been difficult to use and maintain in her hometown Agartala. We'll do a rain check in 2020.

Sushil Kumar, Yogeshwar Dutt, Saina Nehwal, Gagan Narang


(Image: BCCL)

A real estate company and the state of Haryana felicitated its four sports stars after they returned from the 2012 London Olympics with medals. Sushil Kumar won a silver in wrestling, while fellow grappler Yogeshwar took bronze. Saina and Gagan Narang won the bronze in badminton and shooting, respectively. Regardless of their medal hue, all four received Audi Q5 SUVs at a function in Sonipat. If you were Sushil, you'd be peeved too