Staging the Olympics could help change India's social atmosphere towards sport: Mark Spitz

Mark Spitz feels that a competitive sporting culture is key to producing good athletes

Nine-time Olympic swimming champion Mark Spitz has said that the progress of sport in India can receive a huge boost if it can stage an event like the Olympics. Speaking on the sidelines of the Laureus Sports Awards, which will be held in Shanghai on Wednesday, the 65-year-old said that the staging of an event like the Olympics could help in altering the perception of other sports in the country.

He further added that a competitive sporting culture, and not the economics, is crucial in producing top athletes.

“If India can host the Olympics, it will help change the social atmosphere towards sport in India. In the United States, there is fierce competition across various sports at the college level. Budding players from across the globe come to study in American universities to improve their sporting caliber. An event like the Olympics in India is the push that sport in the country needs.

"It is not the economics but the competitive sporting culture that helps produce good athletes,” Spitz told the Times of India.

There were reports earlier about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi setting his sights on the 2024 Olympics to be staged by India in the city of Ahmedabad. He is also set to meet the President of the International Olympic Committee(IOC) Thomas Bach on April 27th in New Delhi and one can certainly expect a discussion between the two on this topic.

Phelps is still ahead of the rest: Spitz

Talking about Michael Phelps, who broke the American's record for the most number of gold medals won in a single Olympics, Spitz said that the 29-year-old is still ahead of the rest of the pack and has still got the ability to win in a few categories.

"Phelps is an extraordinary athlete. I think he is still ahead of the competition and can excel in a few categories if not all," he said.