India must start winning medals in double digit, says Narinder Batra
IOA President Narinder Batra has said that India must aim to win medals in double digits at the Tokyo games and beyond if it wishes to realise its dream of hosting the Olympics. Batra confirmed that India will bid for the upcoming 2032 Olympics, 2030 Asian Games, and 2026 Youth Olympics.
The Indian Olympics Association has recently been in the news on several fronts. From a possible inclusion of cricket for the next Olympics to the stance on doping offences. This time, the IOA President was talking to the press about India’s target over the next three Olympics.
“We must start winning in double-digit medals. We can target 10 to 12 medals in Tokyo, 25 in 2024 and around 40 in 2028 Olympics. Unless we set targets we will not achieve anything. I feel these are achievable targets,” Batra told PTI.
What drives India to aim for the said tallies of medals as its target is tied in with the association’s hopes of hosting the Olympics in the country. Batra confirmed that India are set to bid for three major games events in the coming years, and accumulating these medals will help India gain the rights to host.
“We are bidding for 2032 Olympics, 2030 Asian Games and 2026 Youth Olympics. Unless we start winning medals in the Olympics it may be difficult to get the right to host the Olympics. People will say India has won few medals in Olympics,” Batra said.
Meanwhile, the AFI (Athletics Federation of India) has been on the forefront of making doping a criminal offence. The NADA have even drafted a bill on this issue. When asked about the IOA’s stance on this, Batra said: “It is very difficult to answer the question. Doping is a serious issue and it must be tackled by taking stringent measures.”
