India’s Olympic aspirations took a significant step forward with the submission of a ‘Letter of Intent’ to host the 2036 Games. However, two-time Olympic medalist PR Sreejesh believes that hosting alone is not enough.
Sreejesh, who won silver in Tokyo and bronze in Paris, emphasizes the need for India to improve its medal tally. Despite a record-breaking haul in Tokyo, the Indian contingent fell short in Paris, with six medals and no gold.
“Hosting the Olympics is easy, but winning a medal is tougher,” Sreejesh said. “We need to think about this aspect before we step in. If we struggle to get into double digits, it’s going to be tough.”
Sreejesh also highlighted the importance of region-specific sports development, citing China’s success in categorizing athletes based on their physical attributes. He believes India can identify and nurture talent from a young age by focusing on sports that are popular in different regions.
“We need to find talents from a small age and categorize players,” Sreejesh said. “We can focus on regions and push sports that are familiar there.”
Sreejesh also stressed the need for education and awareness about sports at the school and family levels. He believes that parents need to be educated about the potential of sports beyond just a hobby.
“We need to start this sporting culture at the school level and spread it to the families,” Sreejesh said. “We need to educate the family that sports is not a bad thing.”
By addressing these issues, Sreejesh believes India has the potential to become a global sporting superpower. “We can dream bigger,” he said. “We can expect more medals. We can cover these areas and win more medals.”
