India needs a sporting culture, says Shah Rukh Khan

New Delhi, Nov. 27 (ANI): Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan on Sunday said India needed to cultivate a culture of sport where youth could consider it a viable career choice.

Addressing mediapersons here after the conclusion of the 2011 edition of the Delhi Half Marathon, Khan was all praise for the national capital's sporting spirit.

"I think India should be inspired. Delhi is fantastic, whether it was the F1, there are a lot of people who come out in numbers, whether it's the half marathon today. I think it's very important that all of us appreciate that sports needs to be something that we encourage and promote. It should be a profession for children," he said.

Khan said that it was essential that once India succeeded in providing basic amenities to all its citizens, performing arts and sports would have to be developed further.

"I have always said that when we are done providing 'roti', 'kapda', aur 'makan' (food, clothes and homes) to our people, entertainment will come after that. Entertainment has reached its peak, by the grace of God, whether it is TV, whether it is you people with all these cameras, whether it is actors, whether it is stage, whether it is musicians," said Khan.

"I think the last level of developing; I know the whole nation is not developed as yet; but the last level is going to be sports as entertainment," he added.

Khan further said that companies must add sports to their corporate social responsibility.

Bollywood actress Bipasha Basu, who was also present at the event, said that the Delhi Half Marathon was a celebration of the city that brought people from different walks of life to a common platform.

"The Delhi run, as we call it, is more about harmony. It's about people coming together and celebrating the city and yes, then there are things like health and fitness involved with the marathon and I think it's a trend and it's going to get bigger and better every time," she said.

Ethiopian athlete Seyisa Lilesa and Kenyan athlete Lucy Kabuu won the seventh edition of the Delhi Half Marathon in men and women elite section respectively.

The event started with the main race of 21.097 kilometres, followed by the wheelchair race of 2.5 kilometres.

Other events included a 4.3 kilometre run for senior citizens and the six-kilometre Great Delhi Run. (ANI)