Change culture to get winners: Rathore

Significantly, he said, corporates have begun to understand the potential. ‘‘They believe that if someone does well in Olympic sports it’s symbolic for the entire nation, it’s because these achievers come from the same genetic pool.’’

More important, of course, is the need for state support to a sport bound in red tape. ‘‘It needs to reduce the time lag between the request put in by a sportsman and the time it is acted on. I believe the government has promised to relax procedures. The more a participant is given access, the better he gets.’’

If those conditions are met, the future should be good. Rathore, for one, appears excited by the emerging talent. ‘‘There are a couple of juniors at the Army Marksman Unit (AMU) who have just graduated to senior level. In my view in the next 6/7 years they will be a force to reckon with.’’

The aim, Rathore says, should be to look long-term. ‘‘We should follow the example of China, who did not have a medal 20 years back but finished second in Athens. In my view we should keep 2012-16 as the target for new finds.’’

It would require a change in the scouting process, which is currently almost non-existent. ‘‘What we should do is look for talent in communities, districts, states who would be able to achieve long term. Start focusing on them, back them totally by concentrating resources on them and try winning just a handful of medals.’’

Try and push him on being a ‘‘role model’’ and he has his defence ready. ‘‘I’ve always maintained that being a loser is as good as being a winner. Ever since I’ve returned I’ve been on the move and spreading the message that everything is possible.’’

Now that can safely be called Rathore’s area of core competence.