New Delhi, August 14
Abhinav Bindra’s 10-metre air rifle gold at the Beijing Olympic Games was the culmination of years of toil, sweat, tears and a never-wavering faith in himself to hit bull’s eye. But it has also taken a heavy toll on his mind and body.
“It is really hard to say how I am feeling and the truth is I am numb”, he said. “I am very proud of this moment not only for myself, but also for the country. However, it has been somewhat overwhelming”, he noted. “I need to take a break to find my energy back as shooting is a challenging and addictive sport”, he said. And he would take a while to decide about his future course of action.
He dedicated his Olympic gold “to bring hope and determination to all my fellow athletes who should now believe that it is a possibility and strive to bring many more laurels for our country. I would like this achievement to bring about a positive change in the management and mindset of Indian sport, and I would really like to give back to not only air rifle, but the whole Indian sporting movement, so that we can make winning a habit”, he added.
The 25-year-old golden boy, short of the air of an Olympic gold medallist, admitted that it was not easy to succeed in his kind of sport at the highest level. “Ten-metre air rifle is a slippery sport with fierce competition, and I am really
happy that I was able to produce on the given day. This being my third Olympics
(Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 were the first two), experience was also a big factor since I knew what an Olympic competition felt like and was able to train in that fashion so that when I had to go and actually compete, it was not something new to me”.
Abhinav said when he went to Beijing, a medal was not really on top of his mind. His sole aim was to do his best, as he had prepared well for the event, and couldn’t have done anything better. “The journey (to an Olympic gold) has definitely been a long one, and it is a fact that I tried everything possible and experimented liberally that really helped when it mattered the most. When I went to Beijing, I knew that there was nothing more I could have done in terms of training, competition and mindset. I felt like I was prepared”, Abhinav explained the process of his arduous journey to Olympic gold and history.
The champion shooter, in his hour of glory, did not forget to remember all those who stood by him in thick and thin to help him realise his ultimate goal of an Olympic gold, foremost being his parents - Dr A.S. Bindra and Babli Bindra. “My family have been there for me at every step of the way, selflessly, as it was not an easy journey. I would also like to thank all my coaches, especially Gaby and Heinz, who have really helped take care of so many technicalities”.
Abhinav also had a special word of praise for his “mental coach” Dr Amit Bhatacharjee, who has been travelling with him for the past 12 years, and his first coach Col. Joginder Singh Dhillon, Dr UwE Reisterer, the Mithal Champion Trust, the NRAI, the Sports Ministry etc. “without whose support I would not have made it. They all had faith in may ability”.
Abhinav said he did not read much into his golden feat, as there were others who were equally good, but it was just a question of getting your shots right on a given day. “This is the first gold, but not the last”, he said modestly. And whatever grouse he had nursed against the government and other agencies got melted after the stunning reception he got on arrival from Beijing.
He also denied that his gun had been tampered with on the eve of the final contest, though he admitted that he had some “problem” with the sighting lense. When asked whether he had any complaint on this score, he snapped: “Nothing. No tampering”.
Abhinav said there was no short cut to success and only hard work could fetch the rewards as he used to practice for close to eight hours day in and day out. “You work for a long time, you get there. Nothing more. Life goes on. It took a lot of courage and determination after Athens (where he finished seventh) to prepare for Beijing. That was the big step. Winning and losing are part of the game. There is not much of a difference. You put in your best efforts, and then leave the rest there”, the young champ said.
He said it was only because he took a six-month break that he could get back into the sport after a nagging back injury had virtually made him give up shooting altogether. He was happy that the President, the vice-President, the Prime Minister and the sports minister were all “very appreciative of my win”. Though he was yet to be asked by the Ministry about how to revamp the setup in the country, he had his firm ideas on these matters. He said the IOA and the SAI had played their bit roles, but “they can do a lot more so that we can win 15 golds, and not one”.
“Every other county has a serious Olympic programme. Unfortunately, we don’t have any. Unless we have a grass-root level programme, we will not make it”, Abhinav said, when asked how India should prepare to make more Olympic champions.
