Former Olympians underscored the need for India to adopt a continuous and long-term approach to Olympic preparation, rather than rushing to prepare just months before the Games.
Speaking at a panel discussion titled "In search of glory: India's prospects in the 2024 Olympics", on Thursday night, the hockey legend Gurbux Singh stressed the importance of fostering a sports culture among youth, and providing adequate infrastructure and facilities at educational institutions. Singh, a gold medalist in 1964 and bronze medalist in 1968, highlighted the need for a sustained effort to produce future champions.
"We wake up when the Olympics comes. The whole country wakes up. That attitude must change," he said, adding that 90 per cent of parents want their children to pursue vocations other than sports.
About India's prospects in hockey in the 2024 Olympics, Singh said, "We are in a difficult group and our first target should be to secure a berth in the semi-final. One important thing should be when you go for the match you only have win in mind." Gymnast Dipa Karmakar, who missed the bronze narrowly in the 2016 Rio Olympics by finishing fourth at the vault event, said: "One should have the will power to achieve everything..."
Recalling how a former foreign coach had discouraged her from trying the difficult vault event in gymnastics, Karmakar asked every aspiring girl to turn every disadvantage and adversity in her favour, to fight any discrimination and make the motherland proud.
Recalling the unforgettable moments during and after the Rio event, the Arjuna awardee said: "As I finished fourth I had told sir Bisweswar Nandi how can I face the crores of countrymen who had reposed so much faith in me, who had put so much expectations on me, I had wanted to go straight to my city Agartala on return but he said the entire country is waiting for you."
"And I really saw how ecstatic and amazing the response of people were to my arrival. I still remember the motivational words of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who amazed me the way he narrated every minute detail of my performance," she said.
To a question by moderator Boria Majumder, Karmakar said she is expecting a "double-digit medal tally" in athletics in the coming Olympics.
"But as I said, our preparations should continue throughout the year, in four years, continuously," she added.
Karmakar's coach and Dronacharya recipient Nandi said "Only in five-six states in India gymnastics is practised as a sport and that should change if we want more youngsters including girls to follow Karmakar's footsteps." "We need more support from states to back budding talents from not-so-affluent families," he added.
India's heptathlon sensation Soma Biswas said "Previously one had to nourish the ultimate dream to be an Olympian which needs to be transformed in the belief to win Olympics medal," including the yellow metal.
Commonwealth Chess Championship winner Pravin Thipsay said the country is already a chess superpower.
Referring to the former Chess World Cup Champion Viswanathan Anand, Thipsay said "When Anand became a champion, he inspired young talents like Surya Sekhar Ganguly and that tradition continues." "There has to be an outstanding achievement by an individual," Thipsay said.
Asked about any possibility of chess being included in future editions of the Olympics, he said Gary Kasparov had mooted the suggestion in past.
"They (IOC) must have their own standards. The future inclusion of chess in Olympics... administrators have to make the move," he said.
Thipsay pointed out the 44th Chess Olympiad was participated by 186 countries which is not a small number.
Ex-Olympian Archer Rahul Banerjee said a sportsperson should always learn from failure.
"If you win in your first tournament you celebrate and if you lose the next tourney you are branded as a failure," he said.
Majumder chipped in "Sports is the only thing where both success and failures are celebrated in public."
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