Can create excellence once we have sports culture: Rijiju

Rijiju also spoke about reactivating indigenous sports and activities and while they may not be a part of the Olympics and Asian Games as yet, he will be looking at integrating them into competition from next year.

Rijiju was part of an hour-long webinar along with star shooter and 2012 London Olympics bronze medallist Gagan Narang in a discussion titled "Fitness! A Way of life".

The discussion was moderated by sports commentator Manish Batavia and was organised by Institute of Company Secretaries in India in association with Fit India.

In the webinar, Rijiju and Narang spoke on a wide range of issues that included the importance of fitness, getting children to play, yoga, indigenous sports, Olympics and how to take the positives away from the lockdown imposed by coronavirus.

Speaking on fitness, Rijiju said that the citizens of India have a big role to play in India becoming a sporting powerhouse.

Adding that children must receive opportunities to play, he spoke of the role that Khelo India has played to this end.

The minister added that more than 1.6 lakh schools have got registered under the Fit India Movement.

Narang emphasised on the importance of mental fitness and why physical and mental fitness must complement each other.

Narang who started shooting at the age of 14, had earlier dabbled in cricket, tennis and football and said he zeroed in on shooting because it challenged his mental abilities.