MUMBAI: Actor Akshay Kumar says people need to put more emphasis on sports in India.

"As a country, we need to put more emphasis on sports. Each person should take up at least one sport in their life, even if it is just a hobby," Akshay said in a statement.

"A person has a hidden passion for at least one sport but it's the lethargic feeling that stops you from doing it. I read a beautiful line that says, ‘Jahan ke maidan bhare hote hai, wahan ke hospital khaali hote hai'. (The fuller the playgrounds, the emptier the hospitals). I want more films to be made around sports. Winning golds in the Olympics is not very difficult for our nation, if only we put our heart and soul in it," he added.

He has been part of movies like "Toilet: Ek Prem Katha", "PadMan", "Airlift" and "Gold", which will air on Zee Cinema on Sunday.

What makes him pick movies with a strong message?

"What pushes me towards making such films are genuine real-life stories. I only got to know about the amazing story of the first Olympic Gold medal India won when I heard the script of 'Gold' and I got to share it with the rest of the world through this movie.

"It is all about the struggle our people had to go through for their achievement. Today, the viewers want to see the story of an extraordinary person that inspires them to achieve extraordinary things."

(Source: IANS)