'Was hoping I would not remain the only one': Abhinav Bindra on Indians winning individual gold medals at Tokyo 2020

Indian shooter Abhinav Bindra said he was hoping that by this year, he would not be the sole gold medallist for the country.

However, his hope has been pushed a little since the Tokyo Olympics has been shifted to next year due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The legendary shooter, who created history by winning gold at the Beijing Games in 2008 felt that it won’t be too long before India produces another Olympic champion.

“I was certainly hoping that come to July-August this year I would not remain the only one. I think it is a matter of time before we win more golds. A lot of young athletes are doing really well in different sports. I do hope that the athletes remain motivated, continue to train, and remain focused for the Games which will now be held in July 2021,” Bindra said on Sony Ten’s The Medal of Glory. 

He added, “What I would like to see in our country is more people playing sports just for the sheer joy of it and the health. When that starts to happen we will have more people in elite sport.”

Bindra also stated that providing infrastructure at the grassroots level isn’t enough. A solid foundation providing young kids the right knowledge which will translate into more involvement and success is also necessary.

“A strong grassroots programme (is not just) about giving young kids the requisite infrastructure but also the right knowledge. At that level, it is critical that the foundation of young kids is set really strong and I think in the years to come we will have more success and more involvement in sports. Sports is the next big thing coming out of this country,” the 37-year-old said.