MELBOURNE: A gold medal won by the Indian men’s table tennis team at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne has been stolen during a break-in at the home of a team member here. The medal was at his residence in Moonee Ponds and was stolen on January 12, police said.

Datta said winning the gold was a great achievement not just for himself but his teammates.

“I spoke to my teammates in India and they are very disappointed,” he said. Datta had been playing table tennis since he was eight and is a coach at Melbourne’s Health, Wellness & Table Tennis. “All I can say to the offender is that at the time they probably didn’t realise and just took because it is a gold thing,” he said adding “if I could get it back, it would be good.” “There is no financial worth attached to it in the market. It’s just sentimental value for me and my teammates as well.” Detective Acting Daniel Jacuta said he could not understand why anyone would steal a medal of sentimental, but not monetary, value.PTI