India's Golden Hero - Abhinav Bindra

When I looked up at my calendar,rubbing my eyes,little did I realize that 11th August,2008 was going to be an unforgettable day in the history of Indian Sports as 25 yr old Abhinav Bindra shot his way to eternal glory in the 2008,Beijing Olympics.Dont pinch yourself,this is no dream,the ace Indian shooter came from behind to win Independent India’s first ever individual gold medal.
Bindra who had ealier finished 4th in the qualifying round,with a score of 596 out-played all other shooters in the finals scoring 104.5 thus shooting a total of 700.5.“It’s the thrill of my life. That’s about it. It’s hard to describe. I just went for it. I knew I was lying in fourth. Thankfully it went my way and I just went for it.”said Bindra. In an edge of the seat thriller, Abhinav tied with Henri Hakkinen of Finland after the second last shot.As a whole nation watched with bated breath,not daring to move an inch Abhinav Bindra shot a near impossible 10.8 of 10.9 sparking vociferous celebrations among a section of Indian fans present there.
It was never easy going for Abhinav,struck with a career threatening back injury,he opted out of the Doha Asian Games to keep his dreams of Beijing Olympics alive.A resilient Abhinav fought back and the rest as they say is history. “Its just great,”said Bindra just before climbing on to the podium.The Indian national anthem was played in the background as the tricolour unfurled and rose in Beijing,millions of people went into raptures.A truly emotional moment for a country which had been waiting for ages for an individual gold at the Olympics.
“ They have all been telling me what a huge achievement winning Gold is. I realise that but frankly the enormity of the goodwill generated has caught me by surprise. Honestly enough it really has not changed me, I am still the same Abhinav who just a day ago was hanging around alone in my room in the Olympic village.”wrote Abhinav Bindra in his blog.Indeed he has his feet firmly planted on the ground keeping a check over his emotions after clinching the gold.
11th August,2008 would take a long time to sink in for any Indian.Abhinav Bindra has signaled the rebirth of Indian sports in the country.As he opens up a plethora of options for a kid looking up to take an Olympic sport,this moment of truth will be cherished for a long time to come.India’s success story doesn’t end here.As National shooting coach Sunny Thomas points out,"This is just the beginning.”
Olympics,Here We Come!!!