Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra on Friday acknowledged training Indian athletes across sports on the aspect of mental health remains a “work in progress”, while adding that benefits of the same must reach grassroots level. Bindra said mental health directly influences overall well-being of an athlete and sports administrators also share equal responsibility in it. “It’s an area where there is work in progress — we all acknowledge that. We are a sporting ecosystem which is developing. It is slowly maturing,” he said during a virtual interaction organised by Mpower to launch AMP: A Sports Psychology Division to Elevate Athlete Performance.

“This is an aspect that not just from a shooting athlete’s point of view, but across the board, which needs to be prioritised. It is something which has a direct influence on the performance of the athlete.

“It has a direct influence on the well-being of an athlete. Sports organisations and everybody involved in governance has to also ensure that our athletes perform well, but their well-being is of equal importance,” he added.

Bindra highlighted the presence of a mental health expert with the Indian contingent in Paris Olympics as a step in the right direction.

“We’ve seen progress made even during the Olympics in Paris. It was the first time there was a mental health expert who was with the team. There (also) was somebody for sleep,” he said.

“There are things that are happening. But we need to keep working with intensity to make sure that this perpetuates down to the grassroot level,” he added.

Bindra rejected the notion that athletes today are “softer” than those in the past.

“I completely disagree. If that is the notion to be believed, then the softer ones are winning more than the tougher ones because that’s what our results and our history tell us,” he said.

Bindra revealed how a meditation course, while planning to quit shooting, helped him find “love for the process” after winning the Olympic gold in 2008.

“When I did win that gold medal at the Olympics, my energy was completely drained in the sense that I was physically, emotionally (and) mentally drained. It also required a period of time to just let go and then to recharge my batteries and that wasn’t easy,” he said.

“I decided to go on a vipassana meditation course and it was interesting because I was wanting to actually leave the sport and move on to the next calling. That was my primary drive, to find my new calling.” “I had to meditate for eight nine hours a day in complete silence for 10 days and all I did in that course was to think back to my sport and think back to how I loved the process of what I was doing,” he said.

Bindra said he was guilty of not realising his full potential since he judged himself on outcomes of tournaments.

“For far too long, perhaps, I too was guilty in putting myself worth to wear my name, equating myself worth to where my name would appear on the ranking list of a sports competition and that was very silly,” he said.

“I became an Olympic champion, (a) world champion, I won many many championships but I failed in achieving my fullest and truest potential and now that I have a chance to look back I would attribute that failure to this lack of balance that I had in my life as an athlete.

“I did not humanise my effort enough and I think that was while it helped me achieve goals it didn’t help me get to my very best ability,” he added. PTI DDV DDV AH AH

Prakash Padukone has faced a lot of criticism for his comments on badminton star Lakshya Sen’s loss against Lee Zii Jia in the men’s singles bronze medal match at the Paris Olympics 2024. India did not win a single medal in badminton at the Olympics this year with Lakshya coming close but ending fourth in his category. Padukone, who was the coach and mentor of the badminton team at the Paris Olympics, was very disappointed with the results and said that it was “high time the players step up and win as expected”. The comments garnered mixed reactions from both fans and players with Ashwini Ponnappa even coming up with a fiery reply. Olympic medallist Abhinav Bindra, who was present at the Paris Olympics 2024 as a part of the International Olympic Committee’s Athletes Commission, said that he does not completely disagree with Padukone but believes that “accountability has to be collective”.

“Accountability has to be collective, and an athlete is very much part of it. So I don’t completely disagree with what Mr. Padukone said. I understand where he’s coming from, but that doesn’t mean that you have to stop spending on athletes. It’s just you have to make sure how that money is spent. Yes, you cannot always wrap your athletes in cotton wool,” Bindra said in an interview with Indian Express.

Earlier, Padukone also said that India must focus on giving mind training to its athletes so that they can learn to counter pressure situations. He suggested that there must be a system in place like it is in China, where they do not depend on one player and succeed in churning out players.

“We cannot remain satisfied just having one player. We need to focus on the next line, maybe even the third line. Like they do in cricket. You have the main team, then the ‘A’ team, then the under-19 team, under-17 team. So we need to focus. There is a lot of talent, there is absolutely no doubt but a combined effort is required,” he told reporters.

The former All England champion said India must focus on giving mind training to its athletes, so that they can learn to counter pressure situations.

He also suggested that there must be a system in place, like it is in China, where they do not depend on one player and succeed in churning out players.

“We cannot remain satisfied just having one player. We need to focus on the next line, maybe even the third line. Like they do in cricket. You have the main team, then the ‘A’ team, then the under-19 team, under-17 team. So we need to focus. There is a lot of talent, there is absolutely no doubt but a combined effort is required,” he told reporters.

“And a little bit of effort from the players also. A little more responsibility, a little more accountability. Not just ask for whatever you ask for. Once you are given that, you also have to be accountable. I think the players have to learn to take responsibility.”

Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra believes there was a scope of “more conversions” for Indian shooters at the Paris Games but overall it was a campaign which they should be proud of. India clinched six medals overall with three in shooting as Manu Bhaker became the first ever athlete from the country post Independence to earn two podium finishes in a single edition of Olympics. Alongside winning a bronze medal in women’s 10m air pistol, Manu grabbed another bronze in mixed 10m air pistol shooting with Sarabjot Singh as her teammate. India got another bronze when Swapnil Kusale finished third in the final of the 50m rifle 3 positions event in Paris.

“There have been misses, but everyone has fought well,” Bindra told Jio Cinema.

“Outcomes are important, but more than that, it’s about seeing how you’ve improved as a nation in terms of performance. If you look at those elements, we’ve performed better than before. We’d like to see more conversions to medals, but we have a lot to be proud of,” he said.

Bindra praised Manu for patching up with coach Jaspal Rana and for working in tandem for her success.

“He (Rana) is a treasure trove of knowledge, a hard taskmaster and that’s a good thing. I had coaches I loved and ones I severely disliked but found a way to work with them.” “I credit Manu for having patched up with Jaspal after a difficult couple of years, which is normal in a coach-athlete relationship. Athletes are sensitive people and when we’re under pressure, that sensitivity heightens,” he explained.

The 2008 Beijing Olympics gold medallist shooter Bindra said Manu’s success in Paris was a story of resilience.

“She’s taught everyone about resilience, how to sail well, and bounce back from disappointment. The greatest moment was when she finished qualification on day one, I saw a picture of hers and she didn’t have a smile on her face. That told me she was going to do well,” he said.

Bindra said Kusale’s focus on his preparations was the standout factor.

“He was very strategic in his preparation. A lot of athletes made the long trip from Chateauroux to Paris for the opening ceremony, but Swapnil decided not to. He seemed to be a very self-aware athlete, he knew where his body and mind were,” he said.

“He didn’t want to let go of energy, something he needed for competition. Sometimes, that’s the difference between coming back with a medal or not,” Bindra added.

Bindra, however, admitted only time will heal Arjun Babuta’s wounds who finished fourth in men’s 10m air rifle event.

“I spoke to him before and after the event, he was disappointed, but he was already looking ahead. He’ll need a little bit of time to come to terms with a fourth-place finish, but that’s life, that’s what sports is all about,” Bindra said.

Vinesh Phogat with Abhinav Bindra© X (Twitter)

Abhinav Bindra, the first Indian to win an individual medal at the Olympics, has been conferred with the Olympic Order for his outstanding services to the Olympic movement. The Olympic Order is the highest award given by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for meritorious services. Bindra, a member of the IOC Athletes Commission, is the first Indian to receive the Olympic Order and was hailed by many prominent persons for this achievement. The decision to confer the award on Bindra was taken at the IOC Executive Board meeting in Paris on Saturday. The information was put on social media by many handles associated with government bodies.

“It is with great pleasure that I inform you that the IOC Executive Board has today decided to award you with the Olympic Order for your outstanding services to the Olympic November,” IOC President Thomas Bach informed Bindra in a letter on Monday.

Bindra was informed that the award ceremony will take place during the 142nd IOC Session to be held in Paris on August 10.

“May I take this opportunity to address you my most sincere congratulations on this award. Looking forward to seeing you in Paris,” Bach said in the letter dated July 20, 2024.

Dr. Mandaviya hails Bindra

Among those who wrote congratulatory messages to Bindra was Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya.

“Congratulations to @Abhinav_Bindra on being awarded the Olympic Order for outstanding contributions to the Olympic Movement! His achievement fills us with pride and is truly well-deserved. His name alone has inspired generations of shooters and Olympians,” Dr Mandaviya, who is also Minister of Labour and Employment, wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

The official handle of IPL side Lucknow Super Giants also congratulated Bindra on getting the award.

“History-maker, once again, Congratulations Abhinav Bindra,” said the post on X, which was accompanied by a photo of Bindra when he won India’s maiden individual gold medal in men’s 10mair rifle in Beijing 2008.

India’s first individual gold medallist, Abhinav Bindra, and Paralympian Deepa Malik have been honoured with Special Recognition Awards at a ceremony celebrating Indians who have made a significant impact globally. India Global Forum’s (IGF) annual UK-India Awards 2024 at Fairmont Windsor Park, near London, on Thursday evening, honoured the sporting legends alongside a ‘Global Indian Icon Award’ for social crusader Arunachalam Muruganantham, in recognition of his revolutionary work in menstrual hygiene captured in the 2018 Akshay Kumar film ‘Pad Man’. Lord Anthony Bamford, founder of multinational construction giant JCB, was honoured with the Lifetime Contribution to UK-India Relations.

“For a global sport like the Olympics, it makes complete sense to have a closer relationship with the world’s largest population. Every fourth or fifth person in the world is in India, so there’s a lot of synergy there,” said Bindra, on India potentially hosting the Olympics during a discussion around the future of sport in the country.

“But more than infrastructure, I think what we need is a vision that actually transcends far beyond the sporting events itself. The Olympics, whenever held in India, has to be seen as a catalyst for change, how the Games can really address challenges and how it can seize opportunities.

“It really has to be a springboard for how we can make India healthier and make India a more inclusive country,” he said. “We have to use it as a guide to make India better through sport,” Bhindra said.

Bindra, who is a torchbearer at the Paris Olympics next month, expressed confidence in India’s performance in the games.

“We had our best ever start with seven at Tokyo and I’m quite sure that we better that and come back with our best-ever performance; and hopefully with our first female Olympic champion,” added the retired sport shooter.

Dr Deepa Malik, the first Indian Woman Paralympic Medallist and former president of the Paralympic Committee of India, echoed the sentiment for the Paralympics.

“In Paralympics, India’s journey to Paris 2024 is going to be far better than Tokyo 2020. The number of sports has increased – the last time we participated in nine sports, this time we are participating in 12 sports. Women’s participation has increased; we do see a potential there for medals to grow. I do see them in double digits again,” she said.

The UK-India Awards, which came towards the end of the week-long IGF London summit, recognise outstanding contributions of leaders in business, professional services, government, culture and social impact, highlighting their remarkable achievements in strengthening bilateral ties.

“My ambition is to be able to put this relationship with our business partners at a stage where it is really second to none, one in which innovation that happens at universities and research centres here in the UK has Indian partners and Indian partners help take those innovations to the global market by producing in India.

“In other words, a partnership that we make together for the world,” said Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami in his address at the ceremony.

Among some of the other winners this year were a ‘Significant Contribution to UK-India Relations Award’ for London’s Science Museum Group, ‘Research & Innovation Award’ for the Serum Institute of India and the University of Oxford for their vaccine collaborations and the ‘Culture and Creativity Award’ for Teamwork Arts behind the Jaipur Literature Festival in London.

The IGF UK-India Awards founder Manoj Ladwa added: “India’s transformation is not only in India’s interest, but also in the interest of the UK, which I believe stands the most to gain and, in fact, most to contribute as a partner of choice in this incredible journey.

“Whether it’s our world-class universities, our cutting-edge research institutes, our global supply chain networks, our sports and tech expertise, our defence and security capabilities, or the sheer financial might of the City of London, the UK has it all.”