New Delhi: world athletics President Sebastian Coe Said on Wednesday that India should take advantage of the opportunity provided by Neeraj ChopraHistorical Gold Medal in Tokyo Olympics Widening the footprint of athletics in the country by organizing more international events.
Terming India’s first Olympic gold work out “As a very important moment”, Coe advised the country to use it to raise the game’s profile.
“Chopra is a very strong element (in India’s athletics profile). One-sided performance of an athlete, how important is it, if you don’t have a strong association behind it then it’s not that powerful. And now you have,” Coe said during a virtual conversation with select Asian media.
“(This) is an opportunity to use that performance to broaden the footprint for athletics,” he said.
“With regard to organizing more athletics events, India is keen to do so. I don’t know the current thinking of the Indian government but I really think that one day India will host the Olympics.”
Coe, a double Olympic gold medalist in the 1500 meters (1980 and 1984), also said that the impact of Chopra’s gold would go beyond India and reach many countries in the world.
“The way he has done on the biggest global stage will have an impact not only in India and Asia but across the globe at large.
“I only know very well that all of our large urban populations around the world have Indian communities. So it went far and wide to get communities in the US, UK and large parts of Europe and Africa to be a part of our game. Helped a lot.
“The transmission mechanism, as they would say in economics, was very powerful.”
Javelin thrower Chopra won India’s first athletics medal at the Olympics with an effort of 87.85m in Tokyo on 7 August. He became only the second Indian after shooter Abhinav Bindra to win an individual gold at the Olympics.
Terming India’s first Olympic gold work out “As a very important moment”, Coe advised the country to use it to raise the game’s profile.
“Chopra is a very strong element (in India’s athletics profile). One-sided performance of an athlete, how important is it, if you don’t have a strong association behind it then it’s not that powerful. And now you have,” Coe said during a virtual conversation with select Asian media.
“(This) is an opportunity to use that performance to broaden the footprint for athletics,” he said.
“With regard to organizing more athletics events, India is keen to do so. I don’t know the current thinking of the Indian government but I really think that one day India will host the Olympics.”
Coe, a double Olympic gold medalist in the 1500 meters (1980 and 1984), also said that the impact of Chopra’s gold would go beyond India and reach many countries in the world.
“The way he has done on the biggest global stage will have an impact not only in India and Asia but across the globe at large.
“I only know very well that all of our large urban populations around the world have Indian communities. So it went far and wide to get communities in the US, UK and large parts of Europe and Africa to be a part of our game. Helped a lot.
“The transmission mechanism, as they would say in economics, was very powerful.”
Javelin thrower Chopra won India’s first athletics medal at the Olympics with an effort of 87.85m in Tokyo on 7 August. He became only the second Indian after shooter Abhinav Bindra to win an individual gold at the Olympics.
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