Medal winners of 10-m Air rifle shooting
GOLD MEDAL FOR INDIA - THANKS A LOT ABHINAV BINDRA
" Thanks a lot Abhinav Bindra for fulfilling dreams of billions of people ".
India is a country with people strength of around 1,129,866,154 (July 2007). Though there are so many people in our country, we could produce only 57 athletes capable of entering Beijing Olympics this year. For a country, with ranks high in population yet ranks low in sports, this gold medal is an achievement itself. First of all, thanks to Abhinav Bindra, the person who fulfilled dreams of billions in our country. When our national anthem was sung in the medal ceremony, each and every Indian who visualized it either live or through broadcast would have moved to tears.
For those, who are not from India, you guys may wonder what is so very special in winning a gold medal in Olympics. The reply for you guys is that, you cannot understand how much we thrive for a gold medal in Olympics. It is the dream of our nation. We have been dreaming for the past 28 years. Once again, thanks to Abhinav. I just cannot find words to thank you.
Now before knowing about Abhinav, lets just have a short look at the medals won by India so far in Olympics.
INDIAN MEDAL TALLY IN OLYMPICS :
First appearance : 1900
No. of appearances : 21
Summary
Summary
SPORTS | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE | TOTAL |
Hockey | 8 | 1 | 2 | 11 |
Shooting | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Tennis | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Weightlifting | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Wrestling - Freestyle | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Total | 8 | 2 | 5 | 15 |
Historically, India is the strongest nation in men's Olympic hockey, winning 11 medals between 1928 and 1980, including a record eight gold medals, and the sport has dominated the country's Olympic successes over the years. It had an exclusive hold on Olympic hockey tournaments between the 1928 Games in Amsterdam,Netherlands and the 1956 Games in Melbourne, Australia, winning a remarkable six consecutive gold medals and remaining undefeated in 30 matches during this golden period. In recent times however India has not done so well and hasn't won another hockey medal since taking gold at the 1980 Games in Moscow,Soviet Union. Compounding the decline,India's men missed qualification for the 2008 Games, the first time it had failed to do so in 88 years.
In events away from the hockey pitch, highlights have been rare. It wasn't until the 1952 Games in Helsinki, Finland that freestyle wrestler Kha-Shaba Jadav earned the country its first non-hockey Olympic medal, a bronze in the 60kg division, and it wasn't for another 44 years after that before tennis player Leander Paes earned the country another bronze in the men's singles event at the 1996 Games in Atlanta, United States.
Weight lifter Karnam Mallesweri became India's first female Olympic medallist when she won bronze in the 69kg category at the 2000 Games in Sydney, Australia. Shooter Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, who won silver in the double trap event at the 2004 Games in Athens,Greece is India's only other individual Olympic medallist.
In events away from the hockey pitch, highlights have been rare. It wasn't until the 1952 Games in Helsinki, Finland that freestyle wrestler Kha-Shaba Jadav earned the country its first non-hockey Olympic medal, a bronze in the 60kg division, and it wasn't for another 44 years after that before tennis player Leander Paes earned the country another bronze in the men's singles event at the 1996 Games in Atlanta, United States.
Weight lifter Karnam Mallesweri became India's first female Olympic medallist when she won bronze in the 69kg category at the 2000 Games in Sydney, Australia. Shooter Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, who won silver in the double trap event at the 2004 Games in Athens,Greece is India's only other individual Olympic medallist.
ABHINAV BINDRA :
Abhinav Bindra is famous now for he has won a gold medal for India in Olympics. But he has won many other medals and awards in his career. For those, who don't know the details about his achievements and awards bagged by Bindra, here are few of his best shots.
-> Abhinav Bindra made a junior world record score of 597/600 in 2001 Munich World Cup and won bronze; gold in 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games; became the first Indian shooter to win a World Championship gold; Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna in 2001.
-> Abhinav Bindra is the brightest star among a new breed of talented Indian shooters. Born on September 28, 1983.
-> At 15, Bindra was the youngest participant at the 1998 Commonwealth Games. Bindra shot into limelight by winning a bronze in the 2001 Munich World Cup with a new junior world record score of 597/600.
-> In the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games, competing in his pet Air rifle event, Bindra won Gold in the Pairs event and Silver in the individual event. During a purple patch, Bindra won six gold medals at various international meets in the European Circuit in 2001. He was conferred the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award for the year 2001.
-> In the 2004 Athens Olympics, despite breaking the Olympic record Bindra failed to win a medal. But on July 24, 2006, Bindra became the first Indian shooter to win a World Championship gold in Zagreb. Karni Singh's silver in 1962 was the previous best by an Indian in a World Championship meet.
-> Abhinav Bindra is the brightest star among a new breed of talented Indian shooters. Born on September 28, 1983.
-> At 15, Bindra was the youngest participant at the 1998 Commonwealth Games. Bindra shot into limelight by winning a bronze in the 2001 Munich World Cup with a new junior world record score of 597/600.
-> In the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games, competing in his pet Air rifle event, Bindra won Gold in the Pairs event and Silver in the individual event. During a purple patch, Bindra won six gold medals at various international meets in the European Circuit in 2001. He was conferred the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award for the year 2001.
-> In the 2004 Athens Olympics, despite breaking the Olympic record Bindra failed to win a medal. But on July 24, 2006, Bindra became the first Indian shooter to win a World Championship gold in Zagreb. Karni Singh's silver in 1962 was the previous best by an Indian in a World Championship meet.
AWARDS
- 2000 - ARJUNA AWARD
- 2001 - RAJIV GANDHI KHEL RATNA AWARD
(BEIJING, August 11) -- India's Abhinav Bindra won the gold medal in the Men's 10m Air Rifle in Beijing on August 11 with an incredible performance in the final. Bindra shot a total score of 700.5.
" I was trying to concentrate on shooting. I wasn't thinking about making history. I mean I was two points behind at one stage. I was just trying to concentrate. I just wanted to shoot well, I just wanted to shoot aggressively, and that's what I did ", said Bindra.
Bindra has won India a gold medal and made us proud to be an Indian. Hope there are many such Bindras in future Olympics for India. I wish they bag more gold medals. All the best for all those who participate in Olympics.
Here are few pictures of gold medal winner Abhinav Bindra
His final shot for gold medal
Punching in air after victory
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