Announcing this during a ceremony organised to felicitate Olympian Abhinav Bindra in Thiruvananthapuram, Baby said the football legend had accepted the state request for help.

The State government would set up a high-power technical committee with National badminton champion Prakash Padukone as Chairman for the development of sports in the state. Bindra would also be a member of the committee, he said.

Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan presented a gold medal weighing 10 soverign to Bindra during the civic reception ceremony. Bindra's coach Sunny Thomas was also feliciated and presented a cash award of Rs five lakh.

Earlier, Abhinav Bindra was led to the venue of a meeting in a procession attended by hundreds of people. PTI