"Next decade will see tremendous growth": Abhinav Bindra confident about India's sporting future

New Delhi [India], August 22 (ANI): Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra expressed confidence in the growth of Indian sports, saying the belief and ambition of young athletes, along with improved support systems, will drive the country's sporting success in the coming years.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the IAMGAME Sports Conclave, Bindra said the evolving sports ecosystem and increasing resources provided to athletes have created a positive environment for the future.
"Well, I think it is the athletes. I think the young Indian athlete has so much belief, so much is aspiring and aiming so much higher, and that belief is being backed with resources, with support, which is being provided like never before by the government," Bindra said.
The former shooter added that India's sporting ecosystem is developing rapidly and predicted significant progress across multiple disciplines in the next decade.
"I think the ecosystem, the sports ecosystem is developing and I do believe that the next decade or so will see a tremendous amount of growth in Indian sport," he said.
Bindra said he remains hopeful that India will achieve more medals and witness improvement in the overall quality of performances across different sports.
"I'm hopeful that we will win more, we will medal more, but overall the quality of our athletes, the quality of our performances across sports, not just one or two sports but across sports, will continue to get better. I'm quite confident in that," he added.
With the Asian Games approaching, Bindra also shared his expectations from the Indian contingent, particularly highlighting India's strong shooting team.
"Shooting is a strong team that we've always had. A lot of talent continues to emerge in shooting," he said.
Recalling India's performance at the previous Asian Games, where the country won over 100 medals, Bindra expressed hope that the team can deliver an even better performance in the upcoming edition.
"We did well overall, not just in shooting. At the last Asian Games, we won over a hundred medals. So I'm hopeful that it'll be an even better performance," he added.
Bindra also wished the athletes participating in the Asian Games the very best and expressed special support for the shooting contingent.
For those unversed, IAMGAME 2026 brought the business of sport and the culture of sport together for the first time with the introduction of the Sports Fest alongside its industry-focused Sports Conclave.
It was held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, on August 21-22. The expanded two-day format will connect athletes, sports leaders, investors, brands and innovators with sports enthusiasts and emerging sporting communities, according to a press release from IAMGAME. (ANI)