Cricket Is Religion But Not A Roadblock For Other Sports In India: World Athletics Boss Sebastian Coe – News18
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Cricket enjoys massive following in India but Coe said it is not a roadblock for others and they should find innovative and creative ways to gain popularity.
Sebastian Coe has had a somewhat strained relationship with IOC (AP Photo)(AP Photo)
World Athletics boss Sebastian Coe is quite aware that cricket is nothing short of “religion” in India but he feels it shouldn’t be viewed as a “roadblock” for other sports, which can challenge its dominance by producing trailblazers like javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra to capture the public imagination.
Coe, one of the candidates for next year’s International Olympic Committee (IOC) presidential elections, has been in the country for the past two days, meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya among others to discuss the growth potential of Indian sports.
Expressing faith in the country’s potential to become a powerhouse, the four-time Olympic medal-winning former middle distance runner said, “When you have an Indian athlete winning Olympic titles and world championships, then you are in good shape.”
“When you have athletes of the calibre and high profile of Neeraj, then you can actually mount a very good challenge to other sports. And look, we know the national religion is cricket,” he stated in a telephonic interview with PTI on Wednesday.
“It’s really important that India have athletes that capture the imagination of the public, ultimately the broadcasters. And Neeraj does both,” added Coe, who also headed the 2012 London Olympics bid.
Chopra won an unprecedented track-and-field gold in the Tokyo Olympics before adding a silver to his kitty in Paris this year making him an all-time great in Indian sports at a mere 26 years of age.
Cricket not a roadblock for other sports
Cricket enjoys massive following in India but Coe said it is not a roadblock for others and they should find innovative and creative ways to gain popularity.
“It (cricket) shouldn’t be (a roadblock), because every country has sports that are dominant. It would be like saying in the UK, well, football is an inhibitor for track and field. We have one of the best track and field teams in the UK that we’ve had for many years,” the 68-year-old Coe said.
“You have to live with what you have to live with. And you can’t just sit there saying, well, India, the cricket or football or rugby or wherever these sports are really strong. You sort of give up, you don’t.
“You have to be more innovative, more creative. The sporting landscape is very competitive. Cricket is a very dominant sport in India. I watch it all the time,” said the long-time administrator, whose grandfather was an Indian (hotlier Sardari Lal Malhotra).
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)
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