Abhinav Bindra calls for urgent action in LA less than two years from now

Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra has called for a sharper and longer-term approach to India’s high-performance program after the country’s Asian Games campaign, warning that the road to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics is already well on its way.

India ended the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games with 85 medalsof which 21 gold, 27 silver and 37 bronze, finished fourth in the overall medal table. While India’s junior athletes produced some breakthrough performances, the final tally fell short of the 106 medals won at the previous edition in Hangzhou.

Bindra’s focus now should not just be on the medal tally, but what Indian sports can learn from the campaign and how quickly those lessons can be translated into action.

The 2008 Beijing Olympic gold medalist said India’s high-performance system needs to identify problems much earlier in an athlete’s career, instead of only intervening when a potential medalist is already approaching the big games.

“High performance can’t just be about reacting when an athlete is close to a medal. We need to maintain systems that athletes understand for several years,” Bindra said in a post on X.

His comments come at an important stage in India’s Olympic cycle, with the Los Angeles Games less than two years away. Bindra stressed that the athletes expected to challenge for medals in LA are already deep into their preparations and that there is little room for complacency.

“It’s not a long time in Olympic sports. The athletes who will stand there on the podium are already deep in preparation today,” he said.

Binder’s larger message was about creating an environment where athletes are properly supported throughout their careers. He emphasized the need for better use of sports science and data, effective competition planning, careful management of training load and recovery, and greater attention to injury prevention.

He also emphasized the importance of mental and physical resilience, especially as athletes enter the biggest phase of their careers.

“The right expertise has to come to the athlete at the right stage of their career, not when it’s too late,” he said.

Despite the shortcomings, Bindra praised the Indian athletes for their efforts in Nagoya and pointed to the emergence of a new generation. He also acknowledged the role played by families, coaches, support staff, federations, Sports Authority of India and the government in supporting athletes during the demanding preparation for a major multi-sport event.

“There have been some amazing breakthrough performances at these Games. Young athletes have announced themselves, others have stepped up to the next level, and there have been moments to look forward to,” said Bindra.

China once again dominated the Asian Games medal table, while Japan and South Korea finished second and third. India remained fourth but now faces the task of turning the experience from Nagoya into progress on the Olympic stage.

For Bindra, this process must begin immediately.

“This is a time to celebrate what went right, be honest about what went wrong and get back to work with urgency and purpose,” he said.

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