Bindra vouches for strong grassroot programmes, scientific training

Ace shooter Abhinav Bindra on Tuesday called upon the authorities to strengthen the grassroot programmes in various sports while giving emphasis on scientific training and sports science if the country wants to produce world and Olympic champions in future.

Bindra, the country’s lone Olympic individual gold medallist, said that “strong basics” picked up at a young age play a crucial part in top-class competitions like the Olympics.

“The most important is we lack grassroot programmes, strong grassroot programme where young people are encouraged and given adequate facilities. Because if you don’t put in right amount of work and right amount of knowledge, right method of training at the beginning, when children start out at 8,9, 10 or 11, then it’s very very difficult to achieve success at the highest level,” he said at an event here.

“If you set wrong habits, set wrong patterns at the beginning, then when you are faced with a lot of pressure which comes with the Olympics, then your weakest link falls apart; it (the weakest link) comes to the fore.

“If you have a strong basics, if you are able to set programmes which allow our young athletes to set a strong foundation or set a strong base, I think success will grow and we will get many more champions,” he added.

Bindra was speaking to reporters after launching ‘Invincible Indians’ campaign of Bajaj V in the presence of Bajaj Auto Managing Director Rajiv Bajaj. Five good Samaritans were felicitated on the occasion. Bindra said cricket will continue to be a “religion” in India but that does not mean that the country can’t have other “religions”. 

On the importance of scientific training in sports, he said, “The role of sports science and technology cannot be ignored in on Tuesday’s times. If we want our athletes to compete against the best in business, the best in the world, we have to give them at par facilities, which are very very important. “Currently, they lack in our country. We are many years behind in terms of sports science and using technology. We have to find ways of to up that and come and create a environment where we at least are part of (the system),” he added.