Australia donate sporting gear to charity

The triumphant Australian men's and women's hockey teams signed off from the Commonwealth Games today on a humble note by donating their kit to an Indian charity.

The triumphant Australian men's and women's hockey teams signed off from the Commonwealth Games on Thursday on a humble note by donating their kit to an Indian charity.

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Salaam Bombay Foundation, a charity that runs a hockey academy for underprivileged girls, will benefit from the Aussie largesse.

"Having recognised the need for supporting Salaam Bombay Foundation's initiative, Hockey Australia has decided to voluntarily donate the hockey kits for the benefit of the children that they work with," Hockey Australia chief Mark Anderson said.

"We believe that this will go a long way in providing these children with a lifetime opportunity to be a part of a tremendous sporting experience.

"We do not usually give away our gear but we were impressed by the foundation and their objective and wanted to support their endeavour."

Hockey India has also supported the initiative in making an appeal to all the participating teams to follow suit.

"This support from Australia will go a long way for the girls from grassroots to take up hockey as a serious sporting opportunity," said Padmini Somani, director of Salaam Bombay Foundation.