Abhinav Bindra

Infobox_person
name=Abhinav Bindra


birth_date=birth date and age|mf=yes|1982|9|28.
birth_place=Dehra Dun, Uttarakhand
residence=Zirakpur, Punjab (India)
nationality = Indian
ethnicity = Punjabi
citizenship = Indian
other_names = ABFact|date=August 2008
education = Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA)
alma_mater = University of Colorado
occupation=Sportsman (Shooter)
height= convert|173|cm|ftin|abbr=on (As of|August 2008)
weight= convert|65.5|kg|lb|abbr=on (As of|August 2008)
boards = Abhinav Futuristics
parents=Apjit Bindra
Babli Bindra

Abhinav Bindra ( _pa. ਅਭਿਨਵ ਬਿੰਦਰਾ, born September 28, 1982 [http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/BIO/Athlete/5/205955.shtml Athlete Biography: Abhinav Bindra] . The official website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.] ) is an Indian 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. [http://www.rediff.com/sports/2008/aug/11bindra.htm Abhinav Bindra wins 10m air rifle gold] ] [ [http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/INF/GL/92A/IND_T.shtml Medalists - India] , The official website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games]

Career

Early years

Abhinav Bindra was born in an affluent Sikh family. His parents, Dr. AS and Babli Bindra, even had an indoor shooting range installed at their home in Punjab. Bindra's potential talent was first spotted by his first coach Lt. Col. J.S. Dhillon [cite web|url=http://www.pr-inside.com/alok's-win-gold-in-beijing-r747506.htm|title=Abhinav Bindra win gold in Beijing|date=August 11, 2008 |accessdate=2008-08-11] [cite web|url=http://in.news.yahoo.com/32/20080723/376/tsp-drona-awards-has-nrai-got-its-priori.html|title=Drona Awards: Has NRAI got its priorities right?|date=July 23|publisher=Yahoo! News|language=English|accessdate=2008-08-11] . Bindra was the youngest Indian participant at the 2000 Olympic Games.cite web |title=Abhinav Bindra Profile |url=http://www.iloveindia.com/sports/shooting/shooters/abhinav-bindra.html |publisher=iloveindia.com] His current coach is Gabriela Buhlmann from Basel, Switzerland, with whom he trained in Germany before the Olympics.In the 2000 Olympics he achieved a score of 590 placing him 11^th in the qualification round, and did not qualify for the finals since only the top 8 compete in the finals. [cite web|url=http://www.rediff.com/sports/2000/sep/18bindra.htm|publisher=Rediff|date=2000-09-18|accessdate=2008-08-11|title=China grabs gold, Bindra places 11th in shooting]

International performance

Bindra won six medals at various international meets in 2001. In the 10 m Air rifle event at the 2002 Commonwealth Games, Manchester, he won Gold in the Pairs event and Silver in the individual event.

At the 2004 Olympic Games, he scored 597 in the qualification round and was placed third behind Qinan Zhu (599 - Olympic Record) and Li Jie (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. [cite web|url=http://www.rediff.com/sports/2004/aug/16oly-shoot.htm|title=Bindra finishes seventh|publisher=Rediff|date=2004-08-16|accessdate=2008-08-11]

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 Games at Doha because of a back injuiry.

2008 Beijing Olympics

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 [cite web|title="Abhinav Bindra clinches India's first gold"|publisher=The Hindu|date=2006-07-25|accessdate=2008-08-11|url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/2006/07/25/stories/2006072507132000.htm]

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 105.5. In the finals, he started with a shot of 10.7, and none of his shots were below 10.0. [ [http://en.beijing2008.cn/news/sports/headlines/shooting/n214528114.shtml India's Bindra wins gold in the Men's 10m Air Rifle from the Official Website of Beijing Olympics] ] Bindra was tied with Henri Häkkinen 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. [cite web|url=http://www.rediff.com/sports/2008/aug/11bindra.htm|title=Abhinav Bindra wins 10m air rifle gold|publisher=Rediff|date=2008-08-11|accessdate=2008-08-11] 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. [ [http://olympics.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Bindras_gun_was_fiddled_with_before_final/articleshow/3361598.cms A news article from Times of India] dated 14-08-2008, retrieved 14-08-2008]

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.

Awards and recognitions

* 2000 - Arjuna award. [ [http://sportal.nic.in/arjun1.asp?maincatid=45&moduleid=&comid=56 List of Arjuna Award recipients in Shooting, from Sports Portal of Government of India] ]
* 2001 - Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna (India's highest sports award). [ [http://sportal.nic.in/detailaward.asp?awardid=2&maincatid=45&comid=56 List of Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award recipients, from Sports Portal of Government of India ] ]

Awards for 2008 Olympics Gold medal
* by L. N. Mittal, Arcelor Mittal
* cash prize by Central Govt [ [http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Central-Govt-to-give-Abhinav-Bindra-50-lakhs/350699/] ]
* cash prize by the State Government of Haryana. [http://www.ibnlive.com/olympicsnews/shooting-star-prizes-pour-in-as-states-honour-bindra/70895-29.html Shooting Star: Prizes pour in as states honour Bindra] ]
* Rs. 25 lakh cash prize by the Board of Control for Cricket in India [ [http://www.cricketnext.com/news/bcci-chief-sanctions-cash-award-for-bindra/33467-13.html BCCI chief sanctions cash award for Bindra] ]
* cash prize by Steel Ministry of India [ [http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEP20080812182925&Page=P&Title=Nation&Topic=0 Steel Ministry undertakings announce Rs. 15 lakh cash prize to Abhinav Bindra] ]
* cash prize by the State Government of Bihar. The Patna Indoor Stadium will be renamed after Abhinav Bindra.
* Rs. 10 lakh prize by the State Government of Karnataka [citeweb|url=http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/004200808120341.htm|title=Karnataka announces Rs 10 lakh cash award to Bindra|publisher=The Hindu|date=2008-08-11|accessdate=2008-08-11]

* Rs. 10 lakh cash prize by S. Amolak Singh Gakhal, Chairman Golds Gym [ [http://www.tribuneindia.com/2008/20080812/jal.htm#1] ]
* Rs. 10 lakh cash prize by Chief Minister of Maharashtra state [ [http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080061017 Deshmukh announces Rs 10 lakh cash prize to Bindra] ]
* cash prize by State Government of Orissa [ [http://www.orissadiary.com/Shownews.asp?id=7806 Abhinav’s Olympic Gold brings nostalgia to Orissa CM] ]
* Rs. 5 lakh cash prize by M. Karunanidhi, the chief minister of Tamil Nadu [ [http://www.chennaivision.com/enews/2008/Aug/12/TN-announces-Rs-5-lakh-for-Bindra.asp TN announces Rs 5 lakh for Bindra] ]
* cash prize by the State Government of Chhattisgarh
* Rs. 1 lakh cash prize by the State Government of Madhya Pradesh
* A free lifetime railway pass by the Railway Ministry of India [ [http://www.mynews.in/fullstory.aspx?storyid=8814 Mittal lends a hand to India's Olympic hero] ]
* A Gold medal by the State Government of Kerala. [http://www.keralanext.com/Kerala/read.asp?id=1282016]

[http://punekar.in/site/2008/08/13/pmc-announces-rs-15-lakh-cash-award-for-abhinav-bindra/] −Rs. 15 lakh cash award by Pune Municipal Corporation

Business career

Abhinav Bindra holds a B.B.A. (Bachelor of Business Administration) from the University of Colorado, US. [cite web|url=http://http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080812/jsp/frontpage/story_9681796.jsp|publisher=The Telegraph|date=2008-08-12|title=Abhi-nerve cures a nation’s yellow fever|accessdate=2008-08-12]

Bindra is the CEO of Abhinav Futuristics - the sole distributor of Walther arms in India. Abhinav has sponsorship tie-ups with Samsung and Sahara Group.cite web|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/storypage/storypage.aspx?sectionName=&id=7676cbeb-1b06-4430-9352-3552023cb148&MatchID1=4737&TeamID1=8&TeamID2=6&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1194&MatchID2=4728&TeamID3=2&TeamID4=3&MatchType2=1&SeriesID2=1191&PrimaryID=4737&Headline=Abhinav%27s+parents+feeling+on+top+of+the+world&strParent=strParentID|title=Abhinav Bindra's parents feeling on top of the world|publisher=Hindustan Times|date=2008-08-11|accessdate=2008-08-14]

ee also

* India at the 2008 Summer Olympics
* Shooting at the 2008 Summer Olympics - Men's 10 metre air rifle

References

External links

* [http://www.indiatwo.com/olympics/Abhinav-Bindra Abhinav Bindra's Profile & Records]
* [http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/BIO/Athlete/5/205955.shtml Official profile of Abhinav Bindra at the 2008 Beijing Olympics]
* [http://www.abhinavfuturistics.com/ Abhinav Futuristics] , CEO Abhinav Bindra
* [http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1613687/abhinav_bindra_wins_indias_first_gold_at_beijing_olympics/ Video of awards ceremony - 2008 Beijing Olympics 10m mens air rifle]

Persondata
NAME= Bindra, Abhinav
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Sportsman (Shooter)
DATE OF BIRTH=1982-9-28
PLACE OF BIRTH=Dehra Dun, Uttarakhand
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=