If we look at India’s Olympic history, few moments are as Revolutionary and inspiring as Abhinav Bindra’s golden medal win at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He was the first Indian to win an individual gold medal at the Olympics. It was indeed a watershed moment for India as it shattered long-standing barriers and changed perception around the country when it comes to sport. Also, it also inspired a whole generation of players to take up individual sport and target medals at the Olympics.
Abhinav Biindra’s Journey to Olympic Gold Medal
Parent's Support
Abhinav Bindra’s journey to Olympic glory was far from ordinary. He was a special child. Born on September 28, 1982, in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, Bindra was introduced to shooting at an early age. But the biggest with Abhinav was that he showed signs that the sports of shooting was natural to him. So his parent supported their kid’s talent and passion and set up a state-of-the-art shooting facility at their house. This was the act that laid the foundations for Bindra’s incredible career.
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It’s sad to say, but back then when Bindra was just starting his career, the infrastructure for lesser known sports was inferior comparing to facilities in Europe and USA. So to improve his game, Bindra trained in Germany under the legendary coach Gaby Buhlmann.
Youngest Participant
Bindra’s game improved in leaps and bounce. At just 15, he participated in the 1998 Commonwealth Games, becoming the youngest player to play in these games.
Bindra proved that the hype around him was for real as he won a Gold Medal at the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth games while competing in the 10M Air Rifle. He won three more Gold Medals – at the 2006 Melbourne Games, 2010 Delhi Games and one more at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
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Debut At The Olympics
Abhinav Bindra made his debut at the Olympics at the 2000 edition in Sydney games. The performance wasn’t up to the mark as he could shoot a score a score of 590, which placed him 11th in the qualifying rounds.
In the 2004 Athens games, Bindra improved his score to 597, and finished 3rd on the qualifying rounds. In the finals, he managed 97.6 points, and finished 7th in the event.
Turning Point in the career
The turning point for Abhinav Bindra came at the 2006 ISSF World Shooting Championships, where he won gold in the 10m Air Rifle event. This win not only put his name amongst the best shooters in the world but also boosted his confidence heading into the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Abhinav Bindra’s Olympic Gold Medal win
The biggest moment for India came at the Olympics came on August 11, 2008. It was the day that was going to be etched in the annals of India’s sports history. After winning Gold at the 2006 ISSF World Shooting Championships, hopes were sky high from Bindra and he didn’t disappointed and delivered in style.
While competing in the men’s 10m Air Rifle event, Abhinav Bindra displayed remarkable composure annd resilience under pressure. He managed a score of 596 in the qualifying rounds, which was the fourth best. Though it was less than what he managed in the previous Olympics, he did qualify for the finals. Bindra then brought his A Game to the fore when he needed it the most.
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In the finals, Bindra started with a brilliant score of 10.7. But the pressure was lingering still as all others shooters shot above 10.0. It was that close, that even a margin of few millimeters could have derailed his campaign.
Then there was an immense pressure of a billion people as the whole nation was waiting with a bated breath when the final round started. Going into the shot came as Bindra was tied with Henri Häkkinen. But India’s ace shooter scored his highest of the finals- 10.8 – while Hakkinen could manage only 9.7. This performance clinched the gold medal which was the first individual medal for India at the summer games. Also, Bindra’s Gold Medal win ended India’s 28-year wait for an Olympic gold since the men’s hockey team’s win in 1980.
Bindra’s last Olympic appearance came at the 2016 Rio Olympics games, where he finished fourth with a total score of 625.7.
Bindra’s Impact on India’s Shooting Contingent
Abhinav Bindra’s gold medal changed the perception around Indian athletes in the world. More importantly, his win had a profound impact on aspiring athletes especially on shooters. Before his win at the 2008 Olympics, shooting was overshadowed by other Olympic sports such as Badminton, Wrestling, Lawn tennis, to name a few. But his Gold brought the sport into the limelight, and instilled faith amongst inspiring young athletes that they can excel on the world stage.
Abhinav Bindra’s win at the Olympic games had more impacts that one can imagine. After his win, government and private organizations began investing more in the sport, which helped improved the infrastructure, not only for shooting but for other Olympics sports as well. After Abhinav Bindra’s win, more young kids took up the sport as a serious career option.
Beyond Shooting: Still Having An Impact
Though he retired from the sport in 2016, he is still having an impact on athletes. He set up the Abhinav Bindra Foundation, which provides world-class training facilities to young athletes across various disciplines.
Athletes from diverse sports like swimming, badminton, boxing, and para-athletics have greatly benefited from Abhinav Bindra’s initiatives.
Abhinav holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Colorado and is a successful entrepreneur. He runs a company named Abhinav Futuristics Private Limited (AFL), which aims to increase the use of science and technology in the Indian sports. The company, AFL, develops products for various sports disciplines such as archery and shooting. In addition, Abhinav Bindra’s company also develops the world-class rifles for India’s shooters named, “Abhinav” rifle.
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Abhinav Bindra: A Golden Standard for Excellence
With his incredible win at the 2008 Olympics, Abhinav Bindra set the standards for the next generation of shooters. We have seen athletes like Gagan Narang, Vijay Kumar, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, and more recently, Manu Bhaker and Saurabh Chaudhary, bringing laurels to the country in various international competitions, including the Olympics. Most of these shooters credit Bindra’s gold medal as a turning point that inspired them to pursue shooting and aim to win medals for the country.
Manu Baker is the latest shooter to bring glory to India at the biggest of the stage. Today, India’s shooting contingent continues to grow stronger and this is down to Abhinav Bindra who started it all and paved the way for the young and aspiring athletes. His legacy will forever inspire generations of Indian athletes to aim higher, work harder, and believe in the possibility of success at the highest of the stage.
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