‘Learn and keep moving forward’: Bindra’s message to Team India as LA 2028 beckons
After the Asian Games, Abhinav Bindra called for a revolution in high-performance systems for Indian athletes. While acknowledging India’s notable successes, he insisted on a careful assessment of both triumphs and failures. With the Los Angeles Olympics approaching, Bindra pointed out the necessity of stable athlete growth and targeted training.
Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra has urged Indian athletes to learn from the successes and failures of the Asian Games 2026, as the Los Angeles Olympics loom less than two years away. In a heartfelt post on X, Bindra congratulated Indian athletes and support teams after India secured fourth place in the Aichi-Nagoya Games, garnering 85 medals.
He acknowledged the years of hard work and sacrifices behind the team's performance while emphasizing the need for an honest assessment of the campaign. India had won 21 gold, 27 silver, and 37 bronze medals, slightly falling short of its record haul of 106 medals from the Hangzhou 2023 Games. However, Bindra highlighted historic achievements such as cricket and kabaddi gold-medal sweeps and hockey golds.
In his post, Bindra thanked athletes, families, coaches, and support staff for their contributions, acknowledging the dedication and sacrifices made behind the scenes. He praised the breakthrough performances of young athletes and the moments that gave reason to be excited, but stressed the importance of examining disappointments as well, as sports inevitably contain both triumphs and setbacks.
Bindra called for a more comprehensive approach to athlete development, emphasizing that high-performance programs should provide the right expertise throughout an athlete's career rather than stepping in only when medals are attainable. He stressed the importance of sports science, data-driven decisions, coaching, competition planning, training-load management, recovery, injury prevention, and building physical and mental resilience.
Bindra urged the sporting establishment to turn these lessons into meaningful improvements, emphasizing the shrinking preparation window for the upcoming LA Olympics and calling for immediate action. He urged the team to celebrate achievements, learn from shortcomings, and move forward with renewed determination.
Written by urgent.news from Times of India's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
