"Our performance is just getting better and better" - Milind Soman ahead of the Paris Olympics 2024
Milind Soman is a prominent Indian actor, producer, and fitness enthusiast. Known for promoting a healthier lifestyle, Soman has always had physical activity as a major part of his life.
From his younger days as a national-level swimmer to conquering the Ironman triathlon, the 58-year-old actor stands as an inspiration to countless individuals, motivating them to push boundaries and embark on their fitness journeys.
In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, Milind Soman delves into his journey with sports, reflecting on his experiences, the valuable lessons he has learned along the way and his recent association with Puma. He also shares his insights on India's chances at the Paris Olympics.
Q: As a former national-level swimmer, what are your thoughts on the evolution of swimming in the country? How can India get on par with other countries in the sport?
Milind Soman: Well, the countries are doing much better than we are in swimming. But obviously, the biggest lacuna is the lack of swimming pools. We don't have enough swimming pools. I remember when I started swimming when I was nine, so that's 50 years ago. There were only two, two, or three full Olympic-sized swimming pools in Bombay—maybe two, I think I'm not sure.
So, with two swimming pools in Bombay and some 20 million people, that's not enough. There were smaller pools, of course, but they were club pools, very exclusive, and only the very rich could get into them. So to have facilities where people can learn to swim in the first instance.
And then develop a love for swimming and then swim competitively. I mean, it's a journey. But a lot of it is dependent on having the facility itself—the swimming pool. We need the swimming pool. So unless there are more swimming pools that are built, it's really difficult for us to tap talent in the country.
But I think we've got incredible talent. You go to every state, every region, and every place in our country; we've got incredible sporting talent, actually at grassroots levels.
But basic facilities are not there—running tracks, running routes in cities, cycling, swimming playgrounds where you have—I mean, this is something that you require. It's not high-tech, really; you don't need synthetic tracks; you just need a place to run, a place to cycle, and a place to swim. That's all you need.
So those are the basic things that we lack. But as soon as we develop them, the response at grassroots levels, I think, is going to be huge, and it is getting much, much, much better.
Q: What are your views on the upcoming Paris Olympics? Do you feel India can produce an even better performance this time around?
Milind Soman: Yeah, I think our performance is just getting better and better. And if you know the Asian Games, we did spectacularly well compared to the previous Asian Games and the ones before that. I think the Olympics, of course, are the biggest platform for all the countries there. And the greatest prestige. So each country is pushing their athletes to do their absolute very best. So it is a tough, tough competition.
And just from the experience there, even if, you know, we feel that, oh, we didn't win enough medals, the experience that the athletes get, the coaches get, and the sports officials get is what they're going to bring back here and share with the sporting community in India. And those experiences are also priceless.
So let's not see that you know, evolution doesn't happen in one Olympic Games or, you know, 10 years or even 15 years. It takes a long time, it takes infrastructure, it takes culture, it takes tradition, it takes experience, it takes inspiration—all those things—to come together and then create something spectacular.
So, like I said, we're getting there. I mean, I wish all the athletes, Indian athletes, and sportspeople at the Paris Olympic Games the very best. I know they're going to go all out; they're going to give 100 percent. And my fingers are crossed. I think they're going to do very well.
Q: How has your journey with sports and the sports industry been?
Milind Soman: So not a lot with the sports industry except when I was very very young. I must say that sports have really impacted my life to a huge extent. I would say 90 percent of who I am is because of sports. I started swimming at the national level at the age of nine, and I was the national champion when I stopped swimming at 23.
Then I started running when I was about 38, and I've been running for the last 22–23 years. I think it's had a fantastic effect on me as a person. It's also affected the way people see me. I mean, in every aspect of my life, sports have had a great impact and it's been fantastic. I mean the way sports teaches you to deal with life. I think the advantage that you have in the way that you think about and deal with life cannot be overestimated.
Q: What are your biggest learnings from sports?
Milind Soman: I'd say that the biggest learning would be that you keep doing something that you love. Never give it up. It doesn't necessarily have to be something that makes you money or makes you famous. It's just something that you enjoy and that you love.
You never give that up, and that is something that will always add meaning to your life. No matter what the situation is, whatever problems you have in your career or in your relationships, this thing that you love will always give great meaning to your life.
So it's not just about sports. I mean, it could be singing, it could be music, it could be painting, it could be writing. Anything in which your energy finds expression and that gives you joy, you should never give it up. Even though joy is the only thing that it gives you because joy is the most important thing in life.
Well, I can't educate the public. But you will only find the value of something once you experience it, that I can say for sure. So to a lot of people, and this includes me before I started running, I thought it's going to be very boring and monotonous. And when somebody sees somebody running and they're just running, they say where are they going, what are they doing?
You know, a lot of people, including me, before I started, as I was saying, a lot of people, including me, I felt that, you know, running seems a bit pointless. You know, people, you're not going anywhere; you're not winning any medals; you're just running, you know, and you're not even running fast. What could the advantage be?
But like I said, you have to experience it to really understand the value and experience it means, not just once. It's like any new habit that you inculcate; you can't know the effect or the value of the habit immediately; you have to spend some time on it, understand your body's response to it, your mind's response to it, and then you understand the value of it.
And so, of course, after 22, 23 years of long-distance running, I feel that I really cannot overestimate the value that running has brought to my life. It's incredible. And to the people who thought during the pandemic that they should pay attention to their health, I mean, I know it shouldn't take a pandemic for you to understand that health is important. But even if you did, during the pandemic, understand that this is important and started working on yourself, I would say that you're very, very lucky.
Q: How does it affect the Indian sporting ecosystem, and how important is it when a big name like yourself gets associated with a big brand like Puma to promote running and fitness?
Milind Soman: Well, if you look at the Indian sporting ecosystem, I mean, the first thing is that India doesn't have a tradition or a culture of sport or exercise for everyone. You know, maybe a few people used to do it, and a few communities used to practice different kinds of sports. But sports for everyone are not part of our culture; exercise for everyone; fitness is not there in our tradition.
So when somebody like a brand like Puma, for example, with a great message and a great reach associates with somebody like me, then of course, the kind of impact or the kind of message that can go out to many more people is possible. You know, and when the message goes out to many more people that sports is wonderful, exercise is great, and health is important, these messages go out, and more people get into sports.