Shiva Keshavan received 450,000 rupees from five Indian lawyers to purchase a new luge for competition after his previous luge - held together by duct tape and screws - broke during training in November.[2] This was in addition to the funding equivalent to $US20,000 he received from the Ministry of Sports in 2009, money he got after being awarded a bronze medal at the Asian Championships.[1] Although Keshavan had represented his country thrice before, in the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Salt Lake City in 2002 and again in Torino in 2006, 2009 was the first time he received any government support.[4]