“Airtel Delhi Half-Marathon is a significant moment for Indian sports,” Abhinav Bindra says the event will set ‘benchmark for other sports’

“Airtel Delhi Half-Marathon is a significant moment for Indian sports,” Abhinav Bindra says the event will set ‘benchmark for other sports’
Abhinav Bindra

Beijing 2008 Olympic Games gold medalist shooter Abhinav Bindra stated on Friday that the Airtel Delhi Half-Marathon (ADHM) will be a significant sporting moment for India and that the event will set a ‘benchmark for other sports to follow’ since it is taking place even as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on around the world.

A plethora of top marathon runners will be taking part in the event including defending champions and Ethiopian runners Andamlak Belihu and Tsehay Gemechu. The event is scheduled to take place on Sunday and will begin at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. The half-marathon is significant in the sense that it one of the first international sporting events held in India amidst the pandemic.

‘Very important step towards resuming competitive sports in India’ – Abhinav Bindra

Andamlac Belihu
Defending champion Andamlac Belihu

Abhinav Bindra who is the event ambassador of the Delhi Half-Marathon addressed the press and spoke about the event. “The ADHM 2020 is a very significant moment for Indian sports since the pandemic started. Our athletes have resumed training but we have to get them in the competitive space again,” he said.

FS Video

“This is a very important step towards resuming competitive sports in India. This event would be a benchmark for other sports to follow in the future,” said the Olympic gold medalist.

The marathon event will also allow amateur runners to participate via a mobile app. Speaking about the same, Bindra said, “This era forces us to embrace technology more and innovate more. Sports needs technology and innovation. To survive a challenging situation, we have to adapt to the situation.”

Asked about whether Bindra took up running during his career, the shooter said, “I picked up the sport of shooting because I thought I didn’t have to move, but to succeed in shooting, I had to run quite a bit. Running helped me to sustain pressure in a competition so it was a very important part of my training regime.”

Before he signed off, Bindra spoke about how solidarity is the need of the hour. “Bringing in more solidarity is important at the moment. Each one of the runners participating in ADHM 2020 has a good role to play in uniting people and the community,” he said.

Also Read: World No. 1 men’s 10m air rifle shooter Divyansh Singh Panwar tests positive for COVID-19