New Delhi: India's first Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra feels the current generation of athletes is much more confident than the "cowardly" players of his era, but advised the Paris-bound Indian contingent not to make the mistake to think about the past. or future.
Bindra, who won a gold medal in shooting at the 2008 Beijing Games, was speaking during a roundtable discussion organized by the French Embassy with the Indo-French Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IFCCI) on the country's preparations for the Olympics. , which will begin on July 26.
India is all set to field its largest contingent yet with over 125 athletes qualifying for the world's biggest sporting event.
"I come from a generation that was chicken-hearted by nature. These athletes have much more confidence, they have confidence in themselves. They want to go and win and not just win, but win gold medals and that comes out very clear. That's a reflection of our society, how it has developed over the years," said Bindra.
The 41-year-old said the way sport is looked at and talked about has changed, but what hasn't changed is the tough competition athletes face.
"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 be easier in any way. They have to learn to absorb the pressure and focus on the process honed throughout. of years, process of executing your skills.
"The biggest mistake athletes make is that they live in the past or think about what the future holds. They forget about the only reality that exists and stay present in the moment."
Thierry Mathou, France's ambassador to India, said Paris was ready to comply
Exceptional games.
He said innovation, sustainability, solidarity, gender equality, employment, education and inclusion were at the heart of organizing the Games.
Mathou also informed that India and France have signed an MoU for cooperation in sports and it becomes crucial when India aims to host the Olympics in 2036.
There is intense speculation and debates over the number of medals India will win in the 2024 edition, considering the efforts made to prepare the athletes. Officials are optimistic that India will be able to improve on its Tokyo performance, where the country won seven medals.
When asked about the same, Athletics Federation of India (AFI) president Adille Sumariwalla presented his perspective.
"Neeraj is an Asian champion, a CWG champion, a world champion and an Olympic champion. Every time he has thrown, somewhere in the world someone has thrown better than him. But that day, Neeraj did his best. It wasn't 90 metres, it was 89 and it was gold.
"He will do well, yes, others will do well, I hope so. Yesterday, Avinash Sable created a national record again, that will help him win, we don't know. In the last World Cup he could have won gold with the same time. But yesterday it was sixth. It's hard to predict," he said.
Sumariwala said that for him progress does not just mean the number of medals won.
"We have to see how many athletes were in London, Rio, Tokyo and how many now. How many reached the final then and how many now. If the number increases, it is a progression, yes. That's how I measure."
Bindra said that for India to start dreaming of winning 30-40 Olympic medals, a lot of work needs to be done at the grassroots level.
"We have to start looking at sport differently. We are currently looking at how athletes are doing globally. That makes us stand firm. We need to see the bigger role of sport in building the nation.
"50 percent of the population is under 25 years old. The way we integrate sports at the grassroots level will make it more inclusive for kids to just play and enjoy sports. When that number increases, the number of athletes who reach the elite level. "If that happens, in 8 or 10 years we will see a jump."
Bindra also said that the next edition of the Games comes at a difficult time.
"We live in a different world, the difference is that the war was happening in different parts of the world and it is after a long time that the world is coming together. Everyone lives under the same roof, pursuing excellence.
"It will be a visual spectacle with sports facilities in the background of iconic (buildings), it will be a feast for the eyes."
Bindra, who won a gold medal in shooting at the 2008 Beijing Games, was speaking during a roundtable discussion organized by the French Embassy with the Indo-French Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IFCCI) on the country's preparations for the Olympics. , which will begin on July 26.
India is all set to field its largest contingent yet with over 125 athletes qualifying for the world's biggest sporting event.
"I come from a generation that was chicken-hearted by nature. These athletes have much more confidence, they have confidence in themselves. They want to go and win and not just win, but win gold medals and that comes out very clear. That's a reflection of our society, how it has developed over the years," said Bindra.
The 41-year-old said the way sport is looked at and talked about has changed, but what hasn't changed is the tough competition athletes face.
"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 be easier in any way. They have to learn to absorb the pressure and focus on the process honed throughout. of years, process of executing your skills.
"The biggest mistake athletes make is that they live in the past or think about what the future holds. They forget about the only reality that exists and stay present in the moment."
Thierry Mathou, France's ambassador to India, said Paris was ready to comply
Exceptional games.
He said innovation, sustainability, solidarity, gender equality, employment, education and inclusion were at the heart of organizing the Games.
Mathou also informed that India and France have signed an MoU for cooperation in sports and it becomes crucial when India aims to host the Olympics in 2036.
There is intense speculation and debates over the number of medals India will win in the 2024 edition, considering the efforts made to prepare the athletes. Officials are optimistic that India will be able to improve on its Tokyo performance, where the country won seven medals.
When asked about the same, Athletics Federation of India (AFI) president Adille Sumariwalla presented his perspective.
"Neeraj is an Asian champion, a CWG champion, a world champion and an Olympic champion. Every time he has thrown, somewhere in the world someone has thrown better than him. But that day, Neeraj did his best. It wasn't 90 metres, it was 89 and it was gold.
"He will do well, yes, others will do well, I hope so. Yesterday, Avinash Sable created a national record again, that will help him win, we don't know. In the last World Cup he could have won gold with the same time. But yesterday it was sixth. It's hard to predict," he said.
Sumariwala said that for him progress does not just mean the number of medals won.
"We have to see how many athletes were in London, Rio, Tokyo and how many now. How many reached the final then and how many now. If the number increases, it is a progression, yes. That's how I measure."
Bindra said that for India to start dreaming of winning 30-40 Olympic medals, a lot of work needs to be done at the grassroots level.
"We have to start looking at sport differently. We are currently looking at how athletes are doing globally. That makes us stand firm. We need to see the bigger role of sport in building the nation.
"50 percent of the population is under 25 years old. The way we integrate sports at the grassroots level will make it more inclusive for kids to just play and enjoy sports. When that number increases, the number of athletes who reach the elite level. "If that happens, in 8 or 10 years we will see a jump."
Bindra also said that the next edition of the Games comes at a difficult time.
"We live in a different world, the difference is that the war was happening in different parts of the world and it is after a long time that the world is coming together. Everyone lives under the same roof, pursuing excellence.
"It will be a visual spectacle with sports facilities in the background of iconic (buildings), it will be a feast for the eyes."
