'IOC chief Bach wants India to win more Olympic medals'

International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach, who is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi later this month, feels that a huge country like India should win more Olympic medals and aim to become a sporting powerhouse in the future, according to IOA president N Ramachandran.

Ramachandran, who had visited the IOC headquarters in Lausanne to invite Bach for a meeting with PM Modi later this month, said that the IOC chief is upbeat about Indian sports scaling new heights in the near future.

"Obviously, Mr Bach is upbeat about Indian sports. He asked me why the second most populous country in the world was winning just a few medals in the Olympic Games. He wants India to win more medals in the Olympics," Ramachandran said.

"He feels that India should do better in Olympic Games and become a sporting power in the future," the Indian Olympic Association president said.

Ramachandran did not divulge much on what Bach would discuss with the Prime Minister but said that the meeting could give a big push to funding on Olympic sports, including the prospect of the corporate sector loosening its purse strings.

"I am not in a position to tell what Mr Bach will discuss with our Prime Minister. But such a meeting will give a big push forward for Olympic sports in India. We can ask for more funds for the athletes from the government," he said.

"There is money in the country and it is only to find the ways of how to generate it. We hope the corporate sector will start funding Olympic Sports," he added.

There has been a speculation in the media that an Indian bid for 2024 Olympics may be discussed when Bach meets Modi on April 27, but Ramachandran refused to comment on that.

"Mr Bach and the Prime Minister are big people and I am nobody to say what they will discuss and what not. I do not want to comment on the bidding issue," he said.

Bach, who took over as IOC chief in 2013, will be making his maiden India visit as head of the apex sports body and meet the Prime Minister on April 27 though a final date is yet to be announced.

Ramachandran said that as head of the IOA, his endeavour is to bring the athletes to the centrestage.

"The athletes come first and we (administrators) are supporters only. For the athletes to do better, we have to give more support to them through more funds," said Ramachandran, who is also the president of World Squash Federation.