Bhubaneswar: Former Indian cricket captain and coach Anil Kumble said that India should focus on Olympics.
Stating that the year 2020 will be the success year for sports, he said the sports infrastructures need to be strengthened to make India as a sports nation.
The former India cricket captain hailed the Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik’s initiatives to make Bhubaneswar as the Sports Capital of India. He said that more champions are likely to come out of the State in next few years.
“Initiatives are being taken by the chief minister and we have seen many international events like World Cup Hockey are happening here. It’s wonderful to see Odisha is taking the lead,” said Kumble, while delivering a speech on ‘Indian Sport – An Insider’s Perspective’ as part of the Odisha Knowledge Hub Lecturer Series. He hoped that in the coming years many players in different fields will emerge from the State and showcase their talents.
Kumble praised the performance of Team India captain Virat Kholhi and vice captain Rohit Sharma. He, however, evaded a question on MS Dhoni’s career stating “I can’t tell when he will retire.”
About his memorable moments in cricket career, Kumble said, “Winning the Test series against England and Pakistan is my memorable moment. Being part of the Indian team for 18 years is obviously the biggest moment of my life.”
Kumble was felicitated by Odisha finance minister Niranjan Pujhari and development commissioner Suresh Chandra Mohapatra.
