Abhinav Bindra: It is government’s call on Indo-Pak sporting ties
Although a firm believer that politics and sports should not be mixed, Olympic gold medal-winning shooter Abhinav Bindra said the government’s decision should be respected when circumstances are far from ideal, and India-Pakistan sporting relations needs to take the backseat.
“It is a very difficult question. One would hope for that to happen (that sport and politics
"At the end of the day, it is the decision of the government. It takes the final call on whether a team can play (against Pakistan) and that call has to be respected.”
India has increased its efforts to isolate Pakistan globally on all fronts post the Uri attack that has also affected sporting relations between the Asian
Bindra had led a National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) review committee that came down heavily on the running of the sport in a damning 36-page report on the Rio Olympics flop show that was equally scathing on the shooters,
Post Rio, the Indian government announced that it would set up a task force to create a strategy to help sportspersons prepare for the next three Olympics. The task force is expected to cover infrastructure,
Asked if he would like to be part of such a task force, Bindra, who retired after Rio, said, ““It is a tough question for me now (where does India stand right now). Simply because I am not involved in
"It will be unfair of me to comment on it and I can only hope that there is a lot of action happening. That we are progressing towards athlete development, towards not just Tokyo 2020 but we must already look at 2024 and beyond, set structures and processes in place which would create a feeder line of athletes," he added.
Speaking about the proposed Sports Bill, Bindra said Indian sport won't improve unless a legislation is passed in parliament.
"I have said this before. In
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