Aug 11 2008
Abhinav Bindra wins first ever Olympics Gold for India!
Abhinav Bindra clinched first ever individual Olympic gold medal for India on Monday in the men’s 10m air rifle shooting. The gold has set India to 10th place in overall Olympics medal tally in Beijing.
Bindra, the 25-year-old businessman from Chandigarh, followed his world championship title two years ago to finally win a landmark gold medal for India. Athens Games champion Zhu Qinan of China won the silver and Henri Hakkinen of Finland took the bronze at the Beijing Shooting Hall in Beijing.
Bindra won by scoring 700.5 points, 596 in the qualifier and 104.5 in the final to claim the gold. He overcame a two-point deficit against Hakkinen and one point against Zhu after the qualification rounds to hold the title.
Zhu came in with 699.7 this time and Hakkinen, a member of Finland’s armed forces who is taking part in his first Olympics, scored 699.4 points.
While talking to media, the sharpshooter said gladly, “I can’t describe how happy I am, 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.”
Fellow Indian shooter, Gagan Narang who scored 595, too almost made it to the final leveling at the fifth place but lost out on a final place in count back.
Bindra, a Khel Ratna awardee, won the 2006 world championships and finished seventh in Athens four years ago.
