New Delhi: Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra has called for a fundamental shift in India's approach to sport, saying the country must move beyond celebrating champions and focus on building a culture in which more children and young people participate in sport.
Speaking at IAMGAME 2026, Bindra said India cannot build its sporting "pyramid" from the top. While investment in and focus on elite sport have increased, he said the priority should now be to broaden the base by encouraging more young Indians to play sport rather than viewing it merely as a pathway to Olympic medals.
Bindra calls for wider participation
Bindra, India's first individual Olympic gold medallist, stressed that the value of sport extends far beyond winning medals. Greater participation, he said, could contribute significantly to improving physical and mental health at a time when physical inactivity and lifestyle-related health concerns are increasing.
He also underlined the need for greater recognition and investment in physical education in schools. Bindra said physical education (PE) teachers should be regarded as important figures in a child's development rather than being treated as peripheral to the education system.
In countries with strong sporting cultures, he noted, PE and sports teachers are among the most respected figures in schools.
Role of parents and mindset
Reflecting on his upbringing, Bindra said parents also have an important role in creating psychological safety for children pursuing sport. His parents, he said, supported him without making their love or approval dependent on his sporting results.
They allowed him to fail, make mistakes and take ownership of his decisions, giving him the space to develop the courage and conviction needed to perform independently.
Bindra also spoke about dealing with self-doubt during his career. Rather than constantly seeking self-belief, he said his breakthrough came when he focused on developing self-respect by showing up every day, giving his best and continually trying to improve.
Building excellence through discipline
Pressure, he said, cannot be eliminated and athletes must instead learn to coexist with it. His approach involved mindfulness, gratitude and what he described as "adaptive intelligence", or the ability to remain flexible and make decisions when circumstances change.
Recalling an incident from his training days, Bindra said his favourite moment from his career was not winning Olympic gold but completing a set of 100 sit-ups.
His coach had mistakenly told him that he had completed 100 when Bindra had done only 95. He corrected his coach and completed the remaining five, saying the episode represented the self-respect and character he had developed.
Philosophy of sporting success
Bindra also summed up his philosophy of sporting excellence through his experience as a shooter.
"A great shot is never fired. A great shot is built," he said.
Excellence, Bindra explained, comes from bringing together numerous small elements, including breathing, posture, balance, preparation and focus, rather than relying solely on what happens at the final moment.
