Michael Schumacher is leading a charity campaign in the sporting world to help victims of the tsunami disaster in Asia. The Formula One world champion has donated $10 million of his personal fortune to aid charities in the area.

Michael Schumacher is leading a charity campaign in the sporting world to help victims of the tsunami disaster in Asia. The Formula One world champion has donated $10 million of his personal fortune to aid charities in the area.

Leading sports governing bodies have not even coming close to such a level of generosity.

The International Olympic Committee is offering $2 million of aid to the victims of the disaster that has so far killed 146,000 people.

FIFA, the world's football governing body, has donated the same amount, although specified that money should be used primarily to rebuild the infrastructure of the game in the battered region.

Russia's Wimbledon tennis champion Maria Sharapova gave $10,000 to Thailand's Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra while she was in Bangkok last week for an exhibition match.

The ATP, the governing body of professional tennis, has also joined the relief effort with a series of activities during this week's Chennai Open, which is taking place close to the Indian coast hit by the tsunami.

Many of Europe's top soccer teams, idolized by millions of fans around the Indian Ocean, have also given generously.

The English Premier League has pledged $2 million, with clubs such as Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea contributing the most.

Former France midfielder David Ginola was on holiday with his children in the Maldives and was having breakfast with his son when the wave hit his hotel.

"An event like this makes you see life from another perspective," Ginola told French television.

Ginola has long been part of a world campaign against landmines and fears the tsunami could have unearthed more mines.

The Paris 2012 Corporate Club, a group of 14 major international French companies supporting the city's bid to host the 2012 Olympics, has donated 200,000 euros to charities.

In the United States, NFL and NBA teams have collected large sums from fans at games over the weekend and the International Rugby Board (IRB) has made a donation to U.N. World Food Program.

Source: CRI news