‘Professionalism required to increase India’s medal haul’
August 27th, 2008 | by admin |Rating: 0
India’s Olympic shooting champion Abhinav Bindra has urged sports administrators to adopt a more professional approach to help the country build on the three medals it won at the Beijing Games.
Bindra became India’s first individual Olympic champion after claiming the 10m air rifle before freestyle wrestler Sushil Kumar and middleweight boxer Vijender Kumar added bronze medals to the tally.
Hundreds turned up to welcome the bronze medallists when they returned on Tuesday, with wrestler Kumar and his coach even given a celebratory elephant ride.
At a separate function, Bindra said he planned to use his new status to raise the profile of sport in India. “I don’t have any definite answers but it is a great opportunity to promote Olympic sports,” he told reporters late on Tuesday.
India is rejoicing over the modest success, having won just a single medal at each of the previous three Games. “We won three medals (in Beijing), but that also gives us a lot of responsibility to keep this momentum going,” Bindra said. “We’ve to give our athletes the best opportunity to perform well at London 2012.”
The 25-year-old Bindra’s medal success came as a result of his own initiative and the help of his wealthy father, who had a shooting range installed at their home.
Bindra said more companies should now support athletes. “Everything has to be professionally done,” he added, when asked about the absence of a proper sports structure in India. “We need to have a goal, how we want to do going ahead, if we are to replicate our performance.”
Boxer Kumar was hungry for more success. “They say a man is never satisfied and I’m not,” he said. “Next time, I will try to get a gold medal in London.”
The handsome Vijender, who has dabbled in modelling, grabbed attention after a popular Bollywood actress had offered to go on a date if he won the gold medal. “My priority will be boxing but if I get time, I will also do some modelling.”
