Abhinav Bindra
Encyclopedia
Abhinav Singh Bindra is an India
n shooter
from Zirakpur
, Mohali
, Punjab
and is the current World and Olympic champion in the 10 m Air Rifle
event. By winning the gold in the 10 m Air Rifle event at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, he became the first Indian to win an individual gold medal at the Olympic Games and India's first gold medal since 1980, when the Men's Field Hockey Team
won the gold.
Sikh
family. He did his initial formative education at Doon School, Dehradun
. His parents, Manjit Singh, had an indoor shooting range installed at their home in Patiala, Punjab
. His Mental Coach Amit Bhattacharjee, who has been closely associated with him since the beginning of his career. Amit Bhattacharjee and Lt. Col. Dhillon (who was also his first Coach) were the first ones to spot the potential in Abhinav. Bindra was the youngest Indian participant at the 2000 Olympic Games. His current coach is five-time Olympic shooter Gabriele Bühlmann
from Basel, Switzerland, with whom he trained in Germany before the Olympics.
In the 2000 Olympics he achieved a score of 590, placing him 11th in the qualification round, and did not qualify for the finals since only the top 8 compete in the finals.
But it was after this success that he started suffering from a severe back injury. So much so that he was unable to compete or even lift a rifle for a year, upsetting his preparations for the Beijing Games. However, Bindra put all speculation to rest, bringing India perhaps her biggest sporting glory ever. Bindra booked his place in the 2008 Olympics by winning the gold medal at the 2006 ISSF World Shooting Championships
with a score of 699.1.
This was India's first individual gold medal at the Olympics, and the first gold in 28 years, since the men's field hockey team
won the gold at the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Bindra was rewarded by various Indian state governments and private organizations for his achievement.
, US. Bindra is the CEO of Abhinav Futuristics, the sole distributor of Walther arms in India. Abhinav has sponsorship tie-ups with Samsung, BSNL and Sahara Group. He is also the brand ambassador by State-run Steel Authority of India Ltd. and also a member of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) Sports Committee since 2010.
Awards for 2008 Olympics Gold medal by Mittal Champions Trust
cash prize by Central Govt cash prize by the State Government of Haryana
. cash prize by the Board of Control for Cricket in India
cash prize by Steel Ministry of India cash prize by the State Government of Bihar
. The Patna
Indoor Stadium will be renamed after Abhinav Bindra. prize by the State Government of Karnataka
cash prize by S. Amolak Singh Gakhal, Chairman Golds Gym cash prize by Chief Minister of Maharashtra
state cash prize by State Government of Orissa
cash prize by Government of Tamil Nadu
cash prize by the State Government of Chhattisgarh
cash prize by the State Government of Madhya Pradesh
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n shooter
Shooting sports
A shooting sport is a competitive sport involving tests of proficiency using various types of guns such as firearms and airguns . Hunting is also a shooting sport, and indeed shooting live pigeons was an Olympic event...
from Zirakpur
Zirakpur
Zirakpur is a satellite town of Chandigarh located in the Mohali district of Punjab. It is set on the foothills of Aravali hills. Located on the Chandigarh-Delhi highway, it shares its border with Panchkula...
, Mohali
Mohali
Mohali is a city adjacent to Chandigarh, 18th District in Punjab, India. It is officially named after the eldest son of Guru Gobind Singh, Sahibzada Ajit Singh . It, along with Chandigarh and Panchkula, form a part of the Chandigarh Tricity...
, Punjab
Punjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
and is the current World and Olympic champion in the 10 m Air Rifle
10 m Air Rifle
10 metre air rifle is an International Shooting Sports Federation shooting event, shot over a distance of 10 metres from a standing position with a 4.5 mm calibre air rifle with a maximum weight of 5.5 kg...
event. By winning the gold in the 10 m Air Rifle event at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, he became the first Indian to win an individual gold medal at the Olympic Games and India's first gold medal since 1980, when the Men's Field Hockey Team
India national field hockey team
The India national field hockey team is the national men's team representing field hockey in India. It is the first non-European team to be a part of the International Hockey Federation....
won the gold.
Early years
Abhinav Bindra was born in an affluent PunjabiPunjabi people
The Punjabi people , ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ), also Panjabi people, are an Indo-Aryan group from South Asia. They are the second largest of the many ethnic groups in South Asia. They originate in the Punjab region, which has been been the location of some of the oldest civilizations in the world including, the...
Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
family. He did his initial formative education at Doon School, Dehradun
Dehradun
- Geography :The Dehradun district has various types of physical geography from Himalayan mountains to Plains. Raiwala is the lowest point at 315 meters above sea level, and the highest points are within the Tiuni hills, rising to 3700 m above sea level...
. His parents, Manjit Singh, had an indoor shooting range installed at their home in Patiala, Punjab
Punjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
. His Mental Coach Amit Bhattacharjee, who has been closely associated with him since the beginning of his career. Amit Bhattacharjee and Lt. Col. Dhillon (who was also his first Coach) were the first ones to spot the potential in Abhinav. Bindra was the youngest Indian participant at the 2000 Olympic Games. His current coach is five-time Olympic shooter Gabriele Bühlmann
Gabriele Bühlmann
Gabriele "Gaby" Bühlmann, born 27 April 1964 in Basel, Switzerland is a Swiss rifle shooter who competed at five Olympic Games from 1988 to 2004.She is the coach of 2008 gold-medal winning 10m air-rifle shooter Abhinav Bindra....
from Basel, Switzerland, with whom he trained in Germany before the Olympics.
In the 2000 Olympics he achieved a score of 590, placing him 11th in the qualification round, and did not qualify for the finals since only the top 8 compete in the finals.
Notable international performance
- At 15, Abhinav Bindra became the youngest participant in the 1998 Commonwealth Games. His fame to honour though came when he won a Bronze in the 2001 Munich World Cup with a new junior world record score of 597/600. Bindra was also the youngest Indian participant at the 2000 Olympic Games.
- He won six gold medals at various international meets in 2001. In 2000 he was honoured with the Arjuna Award and the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award in 2001.
- In the Air rifle event at the 2002 Commonwealth Games, Manchester, he won Gold in the Pairs event. Bindra also won Silver in the individual event.
- In the 2004 Athens Olympics, despite breaking the Olympic record Bindra failed to win a medal. He scored 597 in the qualification round and was placed third behind Qinan Zhu (599 – Olympic Record) and Li JieLi Jie (rifle shooter)Li Jie is a male Chinese sports shooter who competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics. He won the silver medal in the men's 10 metre air rifle competition. He lives in Xi'an, Shaanxi.-Career:...
(598). In the finals, Abhinav finished with 97.6 points, last in the field of eight, and was the only player below 100 points. His sub-par finals dropped him from third to seventh.
- On July 24, 2006, Bindra became the first Indian shooter to win a World Championship gold in Zagreb. Dr. Karni Singh's Silver in 1962 was the previous best by an Indian in a World Championship meet.
- At the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games, he won the Gold in the Pairs event and the Bronze in the Singles event. Abhinav missed the 2006 Asian Games2006 Asian GamesThe 15th Asian Games, officially known as the XV Asiad, is Asia's Olympic-style sporting event that was held in Doha, Qatar from December 1 to December 15, 2006. Doha was the first city in its region and only the second in West Asia to host the games...
at DohaDohaDoha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar...
because of a back injury.
But it was after this success that he started suffering from a severe back injury. So much so that he was unable to compete or even lift a rifle for a year, upsetting his preparations for the Beijing Games. However, Bindra put all speculation to rest, bringing India perhaps her biggest sporting glory ever. Bindra booked his place in the 2008 Olympics by winning the gold medal at the 2006 ISSF World Shooting Championships
2006 ISSF World Shooting Championships
The 49th ISSF World Shooting Championships were held in Zagreb, Croatia from July 22, 2006 to August 5, 2006.- Medal count :- World records :A total of 15 world records were bettered or equalled during the championships.- Men :- Women :- Men :...
with a score of 699.1.
- At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Abhinav Bindra won the gold for the Men's 10m Air Rifle final after shooting a total of 700.5. He scored 596 (fourth) in the qualifying round and out-scored all other shooters in the finals with a round of 104.5. In the finals, he started with a shot of 10.7, and none of his shots were below 10.0. Bindra was tied with Henri HäkkinenHenri HäkkinenHenri Häkkinen is a Finnish sport shooter. He won the bronze medal in Men's 10m air rifle at the 2008 Summer Olympics. He was leading with Abhinav Bindra of India until the final shot. Bindra won gold with a last shot of 10.8, whereas Häkkinen could score only 9.7, thereby settling for a bronze...
heading into his final shot. Bindra scored his highest of the finals – 10.8 while Hakkinen came with 9.7 to settle for the Bronze medal. It has been alleged that Abhinav Bindra's gun was tampered with between the qualifying and final round of the event, though no official complaint was filed by the Indian contingent.
This was India's first individual gold medal at the Olympics, and the first gold in 28 years, since the men's field hockey team
India national field hockey team
The India national field hockey team is the national men's team representing field hockey in India. It is the first non-European team to be a part of the International Hockey Federation....
won the gold at the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Bindra was rewarded by various Indian state governments and private organizations for his achievement.
- When the 2010 Commonwealth Games2010 Commonwealth GamesThe 2010 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games, were held in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 2010. A total of 6,081 athletes from 71 Commonwealth nations and dependencies competed in 21 sports and 272 events, making it the largest Commonwealth Games till date...
was held in New-Delhi,Abhinav Bindra got the honour of being the Indian contingent's flag-bearer at the opening ceremony. He also got the honour of taking the athletes’ oath on behalf of the 6,700 participants from 71 countries and territories on that occasion. Abhinav Bindra along with Gagan Narang shot in unison to set a Games record 1193 in 10m air rifle pair's event for men to win the first gold for India in the 19th Commonwealth Games. The duo scored 1193 together to break the earlier record of 1189 which is also to their credit in the last Games held four years back in Melbourne. However the Olympic Champion had to settle for silver in the individual event. His countryman Gagan Narang who shot a perfect 600 to equal his own world record in men’s 10m individual air rifle qualification won the Gold.
Business career
He holds a B.B.A. (Bachelor of Business Administration) from the University of ColoradoUniversity of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
, US. Bindra is the CEO of Abhinav Futuristics, the sole distributor of Walther arms in India. Abhinav has sponsorship tie-ups with Samsung, BSNL and Sahara Group. He is also the brand ambassador by State-run Steel Authority of India Ltd. and also a member of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) Sports Committee since 2010.
Awards and recognition
- 2000 – Arjuna awardArjuna awardThe Arjuna Awards were instituted in 1961 by the government of India to recognize outstanding achievement in National sports. The award carries a cash prize of 500,000, a bronze statuette of Arjuna and a scroll....
. - 2001 – Rajiv Gandhi Khel RatnaRajiv Gandhi Khel RatnaThe Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna is India’s highest honour given for achievement in sports. The words "Khel Ratna" literally mean "Sports Gem" in Hindi. The award is named after the late Rajiv Gandhi, former Prime Minister of India. It carries a medal, a scroll of honour and a substantial cash...
(India's highest sports award). - 2009 – Padma BhushanPadma BhushanThe Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
. - 2011 - Honorary Lieutenant Colonel by Indian Territorial Army
Awards for 2008 Olympics Gold medal by Mittal Champions Trust
Mittal Champions Trust
Mittal Champions Trust supports Indian athletes with world-beating potential. It is funded by Lakshmi Mittal and was initiated by his son-in-law Amit Bhatia....
cash prize by Central Govt cash prize by the State Government of Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
. cash prize by the Board of Control for Cricket in India
Board of Control for Cricket in India
The Board of Control for Cricket in India , headquartered at Mumbai, is the national governing body for all cricket in India. It's not the apex governing body in India. The board was formed in December 1928 as BCCI replaced Calcutta Cricket Club. BCCI is a society, registered under the Tamil Nadu...
cash prize by Steel Ministry of India cash prize by the State Government of Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
. The Patna
Patna
Paṭnā , is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar and the second largest city in Eastern India . Patna is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world...
Indoor Stadium will be renamed after Abhinav Bindra. prize by the State Government of Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
cash prize by S. Amolak Singh Gakhal, Chairman Golds Gym cash prize by Chief Minister of Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
state cash prize by State Government of Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
cash prize by Government of Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
cash prize by the State Government of Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh is a state in Central India, formed when the 16 Chhattisgarhi-speaking South-Eastern districts of Madhya Pradesh gained separate statehood on 1 November 2000....
cash prize by the State Government of Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
- A free lifetime railway pass by the Railway Ministry of India
- A Gold medal by the State Government of KeralaKeralaor Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
. cash award by Pune Municipal Corporation.