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Current generation of athletes is not chicken hearted: Abhinav Bindra

Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra optimistically visualised the country’s athletes bagging medals in double digits in the Paris Games.

NEW DELHI: Abhinav Bindra, the first Indian to win an Olympic gold medal, believes that today's athletes possess a greater level of self-assurance compared to the timid competitors of his era.

During a panel discussion hosted by the French Embassy and the Indo-French Chamber of Commerce & Industry (IFCCI) regarding India's readiness for the upcoming Olympic Games, Bindra shared his insights on the mindset of the current generation of athletes.

However, he cautioned the Indian delegation heading to Paris against dwelling on the past or worrying about the future.

India is poised to send its most extensive contingent to date, with over 125 athletes having qualified for the world's most significant sporting event, set to commence on July 26.

I came from a generation that was chicken hearted, in nature. These athletes are much more confident, have self belief. They want to go and win and not just win but win gold medals and it comes out very clearly. That is a reflection of our society, how it has developed over the years," PTI quoted Bindra as saying.

Bindra, 41, remarked that although the perception and discourse surrounding sports have evolved, the intense rivalry among competitors remains constant. Athletes continue to face the same level of fierce opposition as they always have.

"The conversations are different now. But there are similarities, they have to show up in Paris and perform on that particular day. It's not going to get easier in any way. They have to learn to soak in the pressure and focus on the process perfected over years, the process of execution of their skills.

"The biggest mistake athletes make is that they are either living in the past or thinking about what the future holds. They forget about the only reality that exists, remaining present in the moment."

Thierry Mathou, the French Ambassador to India, expressed France's readiness to host an extraordinary Olympic Games in Paris. He emphasized that the core values guiding their organization of the event include innovation, sustainability, solidarity, gender equality, employment, education, and inclusivity.

Mathou also highlighted the significance of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between India and France for cooperation in sports, especially in light of India's aspirations to host the Olympic Games in 2036. This agreement is expected to strengthen the ties between the two nations in the realm of sports.

As the 2024 Paris Olympics approach, there is growing speculation and discussion surrounding the potential number of medals India will secure. Considering the extensive efforts invested in training and preparing the athletes, officials remain optimistic that India will surpass its performance in the Tokyo Olympics, where the nation earned a total of seven medals.

When asked about the same, the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) President Adille Sumariwalla presented his perspective.

"Neeraj is Asian champion, CWG champion, World and Olympic champion. Every time he has thrown, somewhere in the world someone has thrown better than him. But on that day, Neeraj did his best. It was not 90m, it was 89 and it was gold. "Will he do well, yes, will others do well, I hope they do. Yesterday Avinash Sable created a national record again, will that help him win, we don't know. At the last Worlds he could have won gold with the same time but yesterday he was sixth. It's difficult to predict," he said.

Sumariwala said for him progress means not just the number of medals won.<br>"We have to see how many athletes were in London, Rio, Tokyo and how many now. How many made the finals then and how many now. If the number is up, is that a progressions, yes. That's how I measure.

Bindra emphasized that for India to aspire towards securing 30-40 Olympic medals, significant efforts must be made at the foundational stages of athlete development.

"We have to start looking at sport differently. At present we are looking at how athletes are doing at world level. It makes us stand tall. We need to see sport's larger role in nation building.

"The 50 per cent of the population is under 25. How we integrate sports at grassroots level, make it more inclusive for kids that they just play and enjoy sport. When that number increases, the number of athletes making the elite level will also increase. If that happens, in 8-10 years we will see a jump.

"The timing of the Games, according to Bindra, has added an extra layer of complexity to the already intricate process of organizing such a large-scale international sporting event.

"We are living in a different world, the difference is that war is happening in different parts of the world and it is after a very long time that the world is coming together. They are all living under the same roof, chasing excellence.<br>"It will be a visual spectacle with sporting venues in the background of iconic (buildings), it will be a feast for eyes."

 

 

Source : Times of India

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