Indian Ambassador In France Jawed Ashraf Exclusive Interview
Indian Ambassador In France Jawed Ashraf Exclusive Interview: The Paris Olympic Games have concluded. India has won 6 medals including 1 silver and 5 bronze medals in this mega event. Indian Ambassador to France Javed Ashraf has spoken openly about the Olympic Games. The Indian Ambassador has said many interesting things in a conversation with India TV’s Sports Editor Sameep Rajguru about Indian players, Indian hockey team, weather in Paris and the efforts of the Indian government. Let us tell you in this report what Javed Ashraf said in the interview.
‘It felt like the whole world had come and settled in Paris’
In response to a question about India’s performance in the Olympic Games, Indian Ambassador to France Javed Ashraf said that this was a unique Olympics. It was in the middle of the city, so the spectators had a different experience. This Olympics is being appreciated all over the world. There were many problems in this Olympics. There were problems of logistics, security, weather challenges. Keeping all these things in mind, this was a very successful Olympics. The spectators enjoyed it thoroughly. The performance of the athletes was very good, many athletes broke records here and the arenas were full. It seemed as if the whole world had come and settled in Paris. People of every country were cheering their athletes as well as athletes from other countries. Ashraf said that the Olympics take place every four years and it makes us realize that a different kind of world can be created. In this, we can compete with each other but can also stand together. This was the biggest experience regarding the Olympic Games.
‘There was a clear message from PM Modi’
This time the weather in Paris has been very hot, in response to this question how facilities were provided to the players, the Indian Ambassador said that it is a team work. He said that there has been a clear message from Prime Minister Narendra Modi that we have to make every kind of arrangement so that our athletes are comfortable, convenient and their focus remains on training and performance. So from the beginning, we have done a lot of coordination with the Sports Ministry, Sports Authority of India, Olympic Association for one-two years. We are present here, so we have experience of this place. Whenever any request came from the Sports Ministry or the Indian Olympic Association, we kept following it. We kept giving our suggestions, kept giving advice, kept doing every kind of coordination.
‘It’s a journey’
Indian Ambassador Javed Ashraf said that this was the first time that on one hand, India’s camp in the Olympics had doctors, physios, sleep specialists, sports psychologists and on the other hand, there were all kinds of equipment. We made all kinds of arrangements. It was very hot, so as soon as we got instructions from Delhi, we arranged for 40 ACs in a few hours. The hockey team had to build a strategy room in which they needed many things. Along with the strategy, some posters were also to be put up for motivation, so we had made almost all the arrangements. The coach did a very good job with the hockey team and the teamwork was very good. The Prime Minister laid great emphasis on all this. Individual athletes had brought their teams. Personal coaches, personal physios, personal nutritionists, all of them were arranged by the Government of India, Sports Authority of India, Indian Olympic Association. Do not look at it in terms of how many medals were given, this is a journey that has started in the recent past. In the last few Olympics, more than 100 athletes have qualified for the Olympics and this is an achievement in itself. The average performance of the athletes has improved. We have to create an eco-system.
‘From today I am thinking about 2028’
In response to the question when did the Indian Embassy start getting involved in the Olympics, Javed Ashraf, the Indian Ambassador to France, said that it has been more than a year. He also said that the Sports Authority and the Indian Olympic Association should start earlier. The Indian Ambassador said that although we started quite early, we should start earlier. I am thinking about 2028 from today, it is not that we will start thinking about it in 2027. We will have to focus on training and planning from now itself.
You can watch the entire interview in the video below.
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