Long term success in sports is about learning to fail: Abhinav Bindra

Abhinav Bindra, India's first individual Olympic Gold Medallist, on Monday shared the secret of long-term success in sports and the ways to deal with stress in competitive life. "Success, and long term success in sports, is about learning to fail.

You are going to fail more than you succeed in Sports. It is always about getting better," Abhinav Bindra said at a function organised to inaugurate a 25-Lane indoor shooting facility range in Gurgaon.

On dealing with stress in today's competitive world, the shooting icon said, "The acceptance of stress is critical. You accept the stress, you accept the pressure which comes with competitive life.

You focus on the process and seek joy in the effort, the joy of the journey." Major General G D Bakshi, who was the guest of honour, pointed to shooting as the natural corollary to the ancient Indian sport archery and spoke of sports as the basis for harmonious development of the mind and body which leads to the complete development of an individual. Nipun Goenka, vice-chancellor, GD Goenka University, welcomed the guests and said the shooting range was the result of the constant innovations at the campus.

Bindra and Maj Gen Bakshi opened the shooting facility by firing the first shots.