Mumbai:
President Pratibha Patil met the World Cup winning Indian cricket team at the Raj Bhavan in on Sunday evening and congratulated them on their victory.
Patil and her husband Devisingh Shekhawat shook hands with each Indian player, starting with skipper MS Dhoni. (
Read: President Patil congratulates Team India)
Present on the occasion were Maharashtra Governor K Shankaranarayan, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, Union ministers Sharad Pawar and Vilasrao Deshmukh, Assembly Speaker Dilip Valse-Patil, council chairman Shivajirao Deshmukh.
Addressing the gathering, Chavan said Team India had made the entire country proud by their achievement.
"I also congratulate the people of Mumbai and Maharashtra for co-operating with the police and security agencies despite great inconvenience to them which helped the World Cup final pass off peacefully," Chavan said.
Lauding the efforts of the Indian team, he announced a special award of Rs.1 crore each for Maharashtra players Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan.
He also announced a reward for the Maharashtrian support staff in the Indian team which would match the award by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Many Mumbai industrialists, including Mukesh Ambani, Adi Godrej, R.P. Goenka, Vijaypat Singahania, Gautam Singhania and Kumaramangalam Birla were also among the invitees.
Besides, top police and civil officials, members of the diplomatic corps stationed in Mumbai and other VIPs graced the occasion.