Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra emphasised that adapting to situations and preparing well for competitions was part of an athlete’s routine, and that the current uncertainty caused by the outbreak of the coronavirus, was an added challenge before the Tokyo Olympics.
"Those who accept the challenge and adapt well, will be successful," said Bindra.
Addressing the media at the launch of the sixth ABTP (Abhinav Bindra Targeting Performance) Centre in collaboration with Daivam Wellness, Bindra said the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is monitoring the situation and would take appropriate measures. He sought patience when queried about the possibility of the Olympics getting postponed, and goaded the athletes to prepare their best.
Expressing high hopes about India winning more medals than the six it had won in London in 2012, Bindra was particularly optimistic about a good haul by the Indian shooters as they go to Tokyo as favourites.
"On paper, we can definitely go past the six medals won in London. The athletes who have qualified for the Olympics, have won at the highest level. Our shooters will be favourites. They can win multiple medals. It will be interesting to see how potential translates into medals," observed Bindra.
"I am sure our shooters will be well prepared. Some of the young shooters have the experience of competing in the Youth Olympics," he said.
Looking back at his sports career, Bindra recalled that he too had a fair share of injuries and did not deal with them effectively at times.
"The life of an athlete is unique and short. They will be injured. Our focus is to get the athlete back into action quickly. Generally, we treat the symptoms, and don’t go to the root cause of the problem. We do now," he said.
After it started in Mohali, the ABTP has been now set up in Bengaluru, Pune, Bhubaneswar and Delhi.
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