IOC session in Mumbai: A big boost for Olympism in India, reckon India's Olympians
The 141st IOC session in Mumbai will be a significant milestone in India's sporting history, believe Olympic medallists Abhinav Bindra, Neeraj Chopra and PV Sindhu.
Few gatherings in the world of sports carry as much significance as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session held every year.
An IOC Session is the apex decision-making organ in the Olympic Family. Members of the IOC convene for key discussions and decisions on a wide range of issues are made during the session.
This year, the 141st IOC Session will be held in Mumbai from October 15 to 17. The IOC Sessions have been conducted since 1894 but the upcoming gathering in Mumbai will see India hosting the event for only the second time. New Delhi, back in 1983, hosted the first.
Coming as it does after India’s historic show at the Hangzhou Asian Games, the excitement among India’s sporting icons is palpable.
Former shooter Abhinav Bindra, who won India’s first individual Olympic gold medal at Beijing 2008, feels that the IOC Session can help India’s youth get a deeper understanding of the Olympic Movement and connect with Olympism as well.
“There’s so much potential in India with our demographic and with our youth,” Bindra, who is also a member of the IOC Athletes’ Commission, told Olympics.com. “The Olympic Movement can really inspire India’s youth in not just creating champions but I think Olympism can also play a positive role in shaping up our young society.”
Decisions regarding the future Olympic Games, inclusion and exclusion of sports are some of the notable points in the agenda set for the IOC session in Mumbai.
Meanwhile, Neeraj Chopra, the reigning Olympic and world champion in javelin throw, said that this will be an excellent opportunity for India to demonstrate their potential to the IOC delegation.
“The IOC coming to India presents us with a good opportunity to showcase our readiness to host the Olympics in the near future,” Chopra said. “It is my dream to see India host the Olympics once because it has never happened before.”
Indian badminton player PV Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medallist, said that such meetings come as a huge boost for local athletes.
“Meetings like these happening in India and people talking about sports is a huge motivation for all of us. India is getting there in terms of medals at the multi-sports events. And especially with our population, such initiatives will help the number of medals get bigger.”
The 141st IOC session will be held at Mumbai’s Jio World Centre located in Bandra Kurla Complex.