Our athletes will return from Paris Olympics with best medals ever Anurag Thakur

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New Delhi. As the countdown to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games intensifies, hopes are rising to see India’s athletes shine on the global stage while players are leaving no stone unturned in their preparations for the Games. Sports Minister Anurag Thakur expressed confidence that the athletes will reflect the new India at Paris 2024 due to their “fearless and competitive nature.”

Speaking exclusively to IANS, Anurag Thakur shared his views on the Paris Games, Khelo India, anti-doping programs and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s support to athletes. The minister particularly mentioned PM Modi’s unique approach to encourage the athletes without putting undue pressure on them.

excerpts from the interview

IANS: It’s an Olympic year, the government is providing all the necessary requirements to the athletes and how are the preparations going? How many medals do you expect this time? Will we break last time’s record?

Thakur: I am confident that our athletes will come back with the best medals at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. My confidence stems from their hard work and determination, supported by the coaching staff, support staff and the Ministry through the Sports Authority of India and their National Sports Federations. I am confident that the athletes will reflect the new India with their fearless and competitive nature.

IANS: Khelo India has raised the profile of sports in India, your thoughts on what else can be done? Dope-related education is also important for both coaches and athletes.

Thakur: Envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Khelo India scheme is the country’s comprehensive sports project. It is not just about the competitions – Khelo India Youth Games, Khelo India University Games, Khelo India Winter Games and Khelo India Para Games.

A major component of the Khelo India scheme is infrastructure development. About 331 projects worth Rs 2943.64 crore have been approved since 2014. This has brought modern sports facilities to the doorstep of grassroots talent. Another aspect is the identification and development of talent through a structure of training centers ranging from National Centers of Excellence to SAI Training Centers and Khelo India State Centers to Khelo India Recognized Academies across the country.

IANS: Recently on March 5, Sansad Khel Mahakumbh 3.0 was inaugurated in Bilaspur. Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid were also present there. Your views on this initiative and how it is helping the young athletes of Himachal?

Thakur: One of the first programs started in 2018 was the MP Khel Mahakumbh in Hamirpur district with an effort to give the children of Himachal Pradesh an opportunity to participate in a sports competition, which would provide an opportunity for them to take up sports as a full-time career. Can serve as a step to consider.

This was in line with the vision of the Hon’ble Prime Minister to create a grassroots sports ecosystem that could act as a catalyst to identify sports talent from every corner of the country. The first event which saw the participation of around 40,000 youth became a case study across the country and was adopted by many other states.

In the three seasons conducted so far, we have been able to engage more than 1 lakh children, both boys and girls, across 5 sports disciplines and many of them have been successful in representing the state in various competitions. The fact that Sachin Tendulkar agreed to inaugurate the first edition and Rahul Dravid, Rohit Sharma came to the recent edition is proof that these sporting icons also believe that this model has merit.

IANS: The idea of ​​not putting pressure on athletes to chase medals proved to be a stress reliever for the players. Your thoughts on that?

Thakur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has led this. The way he meets athletes before and after major competitions is beyond precedent. He has often reminded them to compete hard without worrying too much about the result. This has given athletes the opportunity to perform at their best without being burdened by expectations. I believe our athletes liked his encouragement which made many people understand that the essence of sport is to follow the process and accept the result.

–IANS

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