The Hindu : Sport / Olympic Games : It will inspire youngsters to pursue sports with conviction: Rathore

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It will inspire youngsters to pursue sports with conviction: Rathore

Special Correspondent

—Photo: AFP

ONE FOR THE ALBUM: Silver medallist Zhu Qinan of China, gold winner Abhinav Bindra of India and bronze winner Henri Hakkinen of Finland on the podium.

BEIJING: By winning the most precious medal in Indian sports, world and Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra, has done a great service to Indian sports, and those practising Olympic sports.

The silver medallist of the Athens Games, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, took time off from his training schedule on the eve of his match, to share his thoughts on the outstanding achievement, with the media.

“I love pressure, for pressure helps me. Abhinav has done me a favour. He has done great service to Indian sports. It will inspire youngsters to pursue sports with conviction,” said Rathore, as he reiterated the relief in the Indian camp about getting off the blocks in a golden fashion on the third day of the Beijing Games.

Goose bumps

“I was watching it on TV. It was a joy to listen to the National anthem. It gives me goose bumps even now”, said Rathore, as he praised the young champion.

“In shooting, you have to mature to a level where winning and losing mean the same to you. We call Abhinav a man in constant comatose. He is in that state of mind all the time”, said Rathore, as he crisply captured the serene state of the gold medallist.

Without taking anything away from Bindra’s effort, Rathore said that it was more difficult to beat the Chinese anywhere else in shooting than in China.

“Here they clap without realising how much it affects their shooter”, said Rathore.

Acknowledging his own contribution to making the Indian sportspersons believe in themselves more, with the silver in Athens, Rathore said that he was pleased to see the after-effects in the form of two World Champions and now an Olympic champion.

“We will have more champions and gold medals. The youngsters today have a different attitude. They have the confidence in their capability”, he said.

“We had to move ahead. We can’t afford to go back. This gold will give a new impetus to the Olympic sports in the country, rather than let it be a one-sport nation”, said Rathore.

In fact, Rathore had said in 2004 after his medal in the Olympics that Bindra would be a world champion some day.

“Compared to Athens, we have a stronger team this time. I expected someone to do it. It was tough to say who would do it, because we have so many top shooters capable of winning it on their day,” said Rathore, as he expressed his respect for the fraternity.

“Shooters have been the strongest in the Indian contingent for some time now. We will get stronger”, he said.

“In sport, you have misses and hits. I have always maintained that someone or the other will shine. That is what happens in a good team,” he remarked.

“Abhinav Bindra has done all of us proud,” Rathore said.

Bindra may have taken the pressure off the Indian team, but he has definitely set a higher standard for everyone to emulate.

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