Bindra's world: Olympic spirit & social change

Here is nothing that unifies more than sport and brings joy to people's faces — Abhinav Bindra

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HERE is nothing that unifies more than sport and brings joy to people's faces — Abhinav Bindra

These words encapsulate the power of sport succinctly. Just a couple of days before the Olympic Games (June 23), Bindra spoke about Olympism, the Olympic Education Programme, and the Let's Move campaign—a collaborative initiative that schools have led to significant change. Some of the children have taken flights for the first time in their lives. A few went to Lausanne. The medal at the Beijing Olympics changed Bindra's life.

Sport has, as he acknowledges, been his life and given him everything. This is a small way to give back to society, and in the larger context, India and the world.

The VEP is one such vehicle that has created a new ecosystem across government in Odisha and Assam. He is passionate while describing the nuances of the Let's Move programme that was launched four years ago in Odisha. It started as a programme about Olympism and spiritual growth, but Bindra says it brought about not just social but behavioral changes in participants and even the parents.

For the uninitiated, the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) initiative communicates the long-term benefits of regular physical activity and an understanding of its impact on individual health, environment, and social well-being.

Bindra usually comes across as a man in control. Even his celebrations after winning countless medals were muted. Yet, in an online conversation almost daily, he sounded jovial. At times, he was very serious while speaking about the impact and how it has impacted the lives of children.