Next decade will be for sports in India: Bindra

He ended a country’s embarrassingly long wait in 2008. Abhinav Bindra, who won India’s first individual gold medal at the Beijing Olympics, believes the world’s biggest Games have to come to India one day.

“I think there is no doubt about it that the Olympic Games will come to India,” said Bindra, who was here to make the ceremonial opening move of the Chess World Cup. “I think it is only a matter of time. The Games will eventually come.”

He said it was a good thing that India was bidding for the 2036 Olympics. “It is a good thing that we are bidding [for the 2036 Olympics] and we are going into that journey,” he said.

“I think there are double-digit countries that are currently interested in hosting the Games. Most bids will fail.”

The former shooter feels it is important that India uses the bid well. “If we win, fantastic, but even if we don’t get it, sport must win and must go forward,” he said. “We are already seeing signs of that happening, like the sports governance bill that has come into play. There is a little bit more sense of purpose which we are seeing all around.” He is hopeful of India’s future in sport. “I believe that the next decade will also be a decade for sport in this country,” he said.

“Sport will develop more. We are seeing that our youth, which is such a large demographic, the consumption, whether people are just watching as spectators or actively participating in it, that number is rising.”

Bindra said more people should play.

“When children get more opportunities in schools, to experience playing, just not to become some champion or Olympic gold medallist, just the experience of sport is needed to become healthier, and imbibe values,” he said.

“When these opportunities increase, automatically the by-product, that is, participation in elite sports will also increase.”