Abhinav Bindra
Abhinav Bindra’s journey to become the first and only Indian to win an individual Olympic Gold, and the first Indian to win a World Championship Gold in Air Rifle shooting, is an example of a single- minded quest for perfection. His victory at Beijing was not just a personal one; it broke a sporting barrier that had haunted the nation for a Century.
Born in Dehradun, he has won over a 150 individual medals in a career that lasted over 20 years. His last Olympics were in Rio in 2016 where he finished fourth. Recipient of the Arjuna Award and the youngest recipient of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, Abhinav was also conferred with India’s third highest civilian award, The Padma Bhushan, in 2009. In addition, he was conferred with the title of (Hony.) Lt. Col. in the Territorial Army. For his exceptional services to the sport, he was awarded with the Blue Cross in 2018 by the International Shooting Sport Federation, which is the ISSF’s highest honour.
After his retirement from active sport, he founded the ABTP Facilities for Physical Excellence under Abhinav Futuristics Pvt. Ltd. as well as the Abhinav Bindra Foundation. In addition, he chaired the ISSF Athletes Committee for 8 years and is currently a member of the International Olympic Committee’s Athlete Commission.
