Bindra's world: Olympic spirit & social change

These words encapsulate the power of sport succinctly.

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

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—collaborative initiatives in schools that have led to social change. Some of the children have even taken flights for the first time in their lives. A few went to Lausanne. The gold 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 'Let's Move' initiative is one such vehicle that has created a new ecosystem across government in Odisha and Assam. Bindra is passionate while describing the nuances of the programme that was launched four years ago in Odisha. It started as a programme focused on Olympism and spreading the spirit of sport, but Bindra says it has brought about not just social and behavioural changes in participants and even the parents. For the uninitiated, this is the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) initiative that communicates the long-term benefits of regular physical activity and an understanding of Olympism and its impact on individual health, environment, and social cohesion.