'Sports should be made part of school curriculum': Gagan Narang (Update)

Pune, Aug 8 (ANI): Ace shooter and London Olympics bronze medallist Gagan Narang on Wednesday called for sports to be made a part of school curriculum.

Addressing an ecstatic crowd of fans and supporters at a training academy in Pune, Narang shared his thoughts on ways to strengthen the country's medal haul at mega sporting events like the Olympics.

"I think, the country needs to have a sporting culture. I think, if sport was taken as a curriculum in schools and encouraged in the right way like by governments like Maharashtra and Haryana in the marks for sports ad encouraging them with good jobs," he said.

Narang also urged different government and private organisations to build sports facilities for aspiring athletes and sportspersons.

"I would want individuals, corporates, federations, associations, local governments of every state to come forward and nurture sports in ways and means of opening complete sporting schools in the country because that is what the country needs right now and that is the need of the hour such schools opened over fifteen years back. In countries like China and Russia, you now see the results," he said.

Narang earlier received a warm welcome at the airport for bringing laurels to the country in the mega event.

Narang had snatched the bronze medal away from China's Wang Tao.

The burly Indian, who narrowly missed the final in Beijing, raised his gun above his head as his many compatriots in the crowd cheered loudly at the country's first medal of the Games.

Narang, 28, had won four gold medals at the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games.

Alin George Moldoveanu of Romania produced a commanding, consistent finish to total 702.1 points for gold, ahead of Italy's Niccolo Campriani on 701.5 and Indian Gagan Narang on 701.1. (ANI)