Abhinav Bindra, India’s most accomplished shooter and first individual Olympic gold medalist, emphasised the necessity of adopting a holistic approach to sports in India rather than focusing solely on high-performance aspects. Bindra made these remarks during the Leaders Meet India event at the RCB Innovation Lab.
RCB Innovation Lab’s Leaders Meet India: Abhinav Bindra highlights the need to look at sport holistically and not from the prism of high-performance
Abhinav Bindra expressed his vision for Indian sports, stating, “I strongly urge India to view sports more comprehensively rather than exclusively through the lens of high performance. This perspective is too narrow and will pose significant challenges if we aim to elevate from our seven Olympic medals won in Tokyo.”
He further argued that if India hopes to emerge as a global sports powerhouse, investments must be made with a broader perspective. He said, “If the goal is to secure 50 medals, it won’t be achieved by merely injecting money into elite sports. Only a small fraction of the population will participate in sports under such circumstances. We need to encourage wider participation in sports, which will hopefully lead to more people becoming involved. This shift in perspective is crucial, and it needs to happen now.”
The RCB Innovation Lab’s Leaders Meet: India is designed to create an interactive platform that brings together global sports giants for influential dialogues and the exchange of innovative ideas.
Abhinav Bindra praised the initiative, saying, “What RCB has assembled here with their Innovation Lab is truly commendable. They understand that India is not a one-sport nation. Bringing thought leaders into Indian sports is a pressing need, and an event like this allows experts worldwide to discuss the latest global trends and opportunities. I congratulate RCB on this initiative and wish them continued success.”
The 41-year-old Olympic gold medalist also discussed the possibility of India hosting the esteemed multi-sport event and the Youth Olympics Games.
He shared, “Increasing opportunities for young people to simply enjoy sports is a critical element that needs to be developed for the entire Olympic project. Furthermore, we need to focus on building a future sports economy. The entire nation should be involved in not only celebrating Indian successes but also appreciating sports.”
Abhinav Bindra concluded by saying, “If we keep this larger goal in mind and adopt a more holistic thought process, we can create an interesting project that extends beyond two weeks of sports, allowing the Olympic Games to drive real change.”
Link of the summit – https://leadersinsport.com/sport-business/leaders-events/leaders-meet-innovation-india/
