Rahul Bose to auction sports memorabilia for a cause

Jan 29, 2012 IANS

New Delhi, Jan 28 (IANS) Actor, sportsperson and social activist Rahul Bose is set to auction 29 iconic sports memorabilia from national and international world champions this year for the cause of spreading equality.

The auction will be held Feb 11 for Rahul's NGO The Foundation, and will be called "Equation 2012 - An auction for charity". The event was first held in 2010, but this year it promises to be bigger and better.

This year sports memorabilia like Sachin Tendulkar's bat, Sebastian Vettel's signed F1 World Championship Racing vest, the match ball used in the final of the ICC World Cup 2011, signed by the rival captains M.S. Dhoni and Kumar Sangakkara, Rafael Nadal's autographed tennis shoes and Lionel Messi's Team Argentina autographed football will be auctioned.

"Equation is massive this year. I spent six months collecting pieces from across sports, across continents. Already it is the greatest collection of sporting memorabilia in history. Now let's see how much we raise on Feb 11," Bose said in a press statement.

The auctioneer at the main event will be Mallika Advani, and the evening will be hosted by actor Siddharth and Cyrus Broacha. The proceeds of the auction will go towards The Foundation, dedicated to creating a world without discrimination.

Football champion and former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia has extended his association with The Foundation this year as he would like to pledge four additional pieces to be auctioned along with the others, the proceeds for which would be directed towards earthquake-hit areas in his home state Sikkim.

"It's such a pleasure to help Rahul and The Foundation. The work they do is tough, but really important. Rahul has created an organisation with the qualities he is well known for -- honesty, professionalism, excellence and a genuine sense of caring," said Bhutia.