Cricket World Cup winner Suresh Raina, while speaking during a panel discussion on “What athletes need for success” at the Sportstar North Sports Conclave in Lucknow, said sportspersons require a solid support system to prosper.
“A player’s mindset needs to be sorted. If you are confident and brave, you can achieve anything. But it is the group which surrounds you which becomes most important,” Raina said.
“I feel sports science is something we need to educate ourselves more about as well. If we know about every injury a player picks up, we can pick up a medal every day. Indian cricket, which is already touching the skies, will grow further,” the former Chennai Super Kings batter said.
Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist Lalit Upadhyay of the Indian men’s hockey team said he is thankful he hails from Uttar Pradesh, a state which has helped him a lot in every step of his journey. “We sometimes start playing a sport because we are not good academically. We also sometimes look to play sports, which do not require a lot of money. Self-motivation is the best motivation. Once you set your mind to something, you know, even unknowingly, you start working towards it. Once we start playing, the TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme) and all come in. It also depends on which state you are from. I am lucky I am from here.”
On UP’s new insurance policy for players, Lalit said, “This is a great step. I am not afraid of getting injured anymore.”
Commonwealth Games medallist judoka Vijay Yadav said a player needs more support during his or her growing stages. “When a medal comes, there is a lot of support. Before that, there was nothing for me. Our Government is doing great but when I am practising or training there needs to be more assistance. The kind of support I am getting now, if I continue receiving the same, an Olympic medal isn’t far off.”
“Athletes require a whole support system around him. I am a big fan of long-term athlete development plans. India is full of talent. It is just the ecosystem which is required,” Commander R. Rajagopalan, former head of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme, said.
Sanjeeva Singh, High-Performance Director, Indian Archery, feels states need to implement an all-round sports policy. “You should have a good sports policy. One which covers all angles. It is no more a coach and a player. It is a full team. Sports physiotherapists, psychologists, and so on. Not just that, you will also need to have proper infrastructure.”
The Hindu Sportstar North Conclave presents a series of carefully curated conversations with top sportspersons and sport industry experts on revolutionising the sports ecosystem in Uttar Pradesh. The dialogues will offer a rare insight into the lives of the sports stars and help find ways to ignite the nation’s Olympic dream.
The Conclave was held in association with Hero We Care, a Hero Motocorp CSR Initiative, K.J. Somaiya Institute of Management, Indian Oil, Shiv Naresh, Life Insurance Corporation of India, NewsX and KSG.
Readers can follow the event live on the Sportstar website sportstar.thehindu.com.
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