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We can improve our performance in Rio: Anand

Last Updated 28 July 2015, 18:02 IST

 Chess ace Viswanathan Anand is one of the very few active sportsperson on board Olympic Gold Quest, powered by legends Prakash Padukone and Geet Sethi.  Associated with the body for the last five years despite a hectic schedule, the five-time world champion felt he has gained a lot by just interacting with athletes under OGQ’s w

ing.

Talking to the media, Anand spoke about the state of sports in the country and Rio Olympics among other things. Excerpts:

On being associated with OGQ: It’s about five years that I have been part of the OGQ. It’s been great because you get to meet athletes from other sports and you feel like you are contributing to their success. I have enjoyed it quite a lot. I am also on the board of directors. I also chip in with the fund raising.

On instant financial support helping athletes: Finance is vital because it makes a lot of other things happen. The other thing is practical. A lot of the time you don’t know who to call and what to ask. Unless there is some familiarity you don’t know what to explain. Viren and his team does a lot of research and then take them in. If an athlete says something, they pick it up real fast. Recently they started doing frequent blood tests and picked up on little details they could act upon. If there’s any injury, they could get a doctor to help quickly. I remember Saina (Nehwal) had visa problems once and she could call someone at OGQ. It happened pretty quickly. An athlete also needs peace of mind. All this happens because of money but the peace of mind you give an athlete by making sure someone is there to address an athlete’s need.

Target for Rio: More than last time is a good start. I think doubling last time is possible. We need a few things to click but doubling -- like 10-12 -- is possible.

On spreading base to other sports: We come at the top. We try to select people with the best prospects. Clearly the national infrastructure should develop. Our sporting talent is unevenly spread. Some states perform better than the other in a particular sport. But generally infrastructure needs to develop. May be general sporting awareness can improve and more people can join. In most cases, we need to send someone abroad for coaching. No country does everything at home but the better infrastructure we have -- with more availability of coaches -- it’s good for the talent development.
DH News Service

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(Published 28 July 2015, 18:02 IST)

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