The Indian contingent's performance at the Paris Olympics has led to a mixed reaction from fans. While the majority of fans are disappointed with just six medals, a few of them are still looking at several positives that emerged out of the painstaking effort in Paris.
The Indian envoy to France Jawed Ashraf opened about India's performance at the global event and urged the countrymen to rally behind these athletes so that they could bring more laurels to the nation at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
In an exclusive interview with India TV, Ashraf mentioned that the country is taking baby steps towards becoming a force to be reckoned with, in the domain of sports. Therefore, fans in India should continue to back these athletes irrespective of the outcome.
"The professionalization of sports in India has just started. Hence, we should not talk about how many medals India won at the Paris Olympics. This is a journey which began in Rio 2016 when more than 100 athletes from India participated in the Summer Games for the very first time. The same feat was repeated in Tokyo and this is the third time that more than a hundred athletes featured at the Summer Games from India," Ashraf told India TV.
"This means that our standard is improving. Though there were only six podium finishes, the average performance has improved drastically. I am not saying that we should get gratified with it. I mean to say that we need to realise that we are heading in the right direction and there is a lot of scope for improvement."
Ashraf also assured the sports fanatics that their continued support would bring more security to the lives of the Indian athletes and more sponsorship opportunities in the future.
"Now, we need to get rid of this habit that we have inculcated over the years of not worrying about these athletes once the Olympics are over. Instead, we need to rally behind these athletes and support them wholeheartedly for greater success at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
"Our support will bring more sponsorship for these athletes and other incentives and will help in the creation of a better ecosystem. Therefore, we as viewers have this responsibility that we back our athletes irrespective of their highs and lows."
