Three-year Olympic cycle will be tricky: Abhinav Bindra

India’s first Individual Olympics gold medallist Abhinav Bindra lauded the country’s performance at the Tokyo Games. Bindra termed the display a spirited one but said the road to Paris will be difficult given the shorter Olympic cycle. Earlier the Tokyo Olympics were postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic by a year. The Olympics cycle was reduced to three years, from the usual four, going into the 2024 Paris Games. The athletes will now be left with the challenge of having less qualification events and quotas.

“Historic performance in Tokyo”

“It was a historic performance with the best-ever seven medals. There were moments of great triumph and heartbreaks, but that is what sport is all about. We have a good momentum now going forward. I see the next Olympics cycle will be tricky, primarily because of the shorter cycle. Normally athletes get a year post Olympics that allows them to rest and recover, but this time around they need to get back pretty quickly,” said Bindra at a webinar organised by ELMS Sports Foundation.

In Tokyo, Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra helped the nation record its only second Olympics gold. The celebrated shooter believes that bringing in scientific methods and creating a high-performance environment at the grassroots level will be critical going forward.

“We talk about top leaderships but I think we need to get more quality in the second-level of leadership. We need to empower these people with knowledge of how to set a high-performance environment. Incorporating science, technology, engineering, analytics and medicine to athletes’ training and development not just at elite level but basing it right at the grassroots level is important,” the 2008 Beijing Olympic champion said.

The 38-year-old also felt the country’s college-level sporting system is not developed effectively enough. Bindra believes that the same needs to be played in a much more meaningful way going forward, as the nation loses a lot of talent in the transition from junior to elite level.

Letter to Neeraj Chopra

Bindra who won India’s first-ever gold medal in the history of the Olympics back in 2008, had recently written a letter to Chopra following his fine triumph.

“Many congratulations on becoming India’s second Olympic Gold medalist. To win a Gold at the grandest sporting event in the world, which is held once every four years, is in itself so improbable that less than 3% of the 11,707 athletes competing in Tokyo will end up with one. Add to it the weight of expectations from an extremely proud nation starved of Olympic success, and your achievement becomes even more memorable.”

“Javelin throw might not be the most followed sporting discipline in India but your historic achievement has brought it to the limelight, capturing the imagination of billions watching at home. The impact your victory will create on promoting your sport amongst the country’s youth is immeasurable. You have crossed the first barrier; the gates are now firmly open. Budding Olympians will now look up to you as they set out to fulfil their dreams of bringing glory to the nation.”

“For now, cherish all the accolades and praises, revel in the memories of the special moments. Going forward, | am confident that you will continue aiming for Gold in all that you do and keep the spirit of Olympism alive no matter where your journey takes you,” he concluded.