The Hindu : Sport : Help yourself, says Rathore

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Oct 16, 2004

Sport

Sport - Sports : General

Help yourself, says Rathore

HYDERABAD, OCT. 15. "Stop looking for help and help yourself," was a line given to Athens Olympics silver medallist Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore by a psychologist friend. That the shooting wizard actualised the thought in his run-up to fame and glory is now history.

Motivation should come from within, said the world-beater in an impromptu press meet here on Friday. It was time to switch off TVs and take children to the sports fields in the evenings, advocated the Army Major, who became the toast of Indian sports, after the Athens achievement.

He called for community development of sports, instead of perpetually waiting for government help. A change in the Indian mindset was a must. Those who sneered at his silver as a shame for a billion-strong nation, needed to introspect on what their contribution to Indian sports achievement was.

Indian sports thrived on mediocrity in comparison to an even more populous China, where children were introduced to shooting right at the school level

Hyderabad's world class shooting range needed to be used more for it to be maintained well. These meets would throw up more shooters, he said while singling local lads Asher Noria and Kynan Chenoy for praise for the potential they showed, while still in school. His most precious medal was doing the rounds of schools, he knew not where, so that kids could get a `feel' of it and thereby arouse hopes for glory.