Abhinav Bindra Calls for Honest Review as India Eyes LA Olympics After 85 Medals at Asian Games

Celebrate the breakthroughs, examine the disappointments and get back to work. That was Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra’s message as India ended its Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games campaign with 85 medals and attention turned towards Los Angeles 2028.

Congratulating athletes and their support teams on Sunday, Bindra called for an honest assessment of the campaign and long-term systems that identify problems well before a medal is within reach.

“High performance cannot only be about reacting when an athlete is close to a medal. We have to keep building systems that understand the athlete over several years,” he wrote on X.

India finished fourth with 21 gold, 27 silver and 37 bronze medals. The tally was below its record 106 medals, including 28 golds, at Hangzhou 2023, although the campaign delivered individual breakthroughs and six golds across men’s and women’s cricket, kabaddi and hockey.

THE YEARS BEHIND THE MEDALS

Bindra began by recognising the work and sacrifices that precede an athlete’s appearance at a major competition.

“A Games campaign is never just the few days we see on television. It is years of early mornings, injuries, doubts, missed occasions and countless hours of work,” he said.

He thanked families, coaches, support staff, federations, the Sports Authority of India, the government and others involved in preparing the contingent.

His tribute extended to every Indian athlete, recognising a journey whose demands are often less visible than the final result.

SPOT THE GAPS BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE

Bindra welcomed the emergence of young athletes and performances that marked a step forward. He also stressed the need to examine where results had fallen short.

“There have also been disappointments. That is sport, and every Games will have them. What matters now is how honestly we learn from them,” he wrote.

He outlined specific priorities for athlete development: identify gaps early, use science and data intelligently, improve coaching and competition planning, and manage training loads and recovery.

Reducing preventable injuries and developing physical and mental resilience were also essential, he said.

“Most importantly, the right expertise has to reach the athlete at the right stage of their career, not when it is already too late.”

The emphasis was on sustained support across an athlete’s development, with timely decisions about preparation, competition and health.

THE LOS ANGELES CLOCK IS TICKING

Bindra warned that the time remaining before the next Olympics offered little room for delay.

“LA is less than two years away. In Olympic sport, that is not a long time. The athletes who will stand on the podium there are already deep into their preparation today,” he said.

For India, the Asian Games provided both achievements to build on and shortcomings to address. The contingent’s fourth-place finish came behind China, Japan and South Korea, while its overall tally was 21 medals and seven golds below Hangzhou.

The sweep of all six titles in cricket, kabaddi and hockey was among its strongest collective achievements.

Bindra urged those involved in Indian sport to carry both pride and scrutiny into the next phase of preparation.

“So this is the moment to celebrate what went well, be honest about what did not and get back to work with urgency and purpose,” he wrote.

“Be proud of what has been achieved. Learn from these Games and keep moving forward.”

With inputs from ANI