Dear Abhinav,
A rather interesting thought crosses my mind when I think about you and how you actually entered the psychology of the average Indian. It was a normal day in college during the month of August and though the 2008 Olympics were going on in Beijing, I had to attend classes and could not witness that glorious moment. Sometime during the afternoon, as I was coming out of college, a television reporter came running to me and said, “Abhinav Bindra has just won a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, how does that feel?”
For a moment, I thought I had misheard her or something but when I realised that you had actually won India’s first ever individual Olympic gold, the feeling was something else. After having seen India beat Pakistan in the inaugural 2007 World T20 final, this was a sporting moment that I would never forget in my life. With a glint in my eyes and nervousness in my voice, I looked into the camera and said, “This is an amazing feeling, we are really proud of you Abhinav, well done.”
I know I could have said a lot more but as an Indian teenager overwhelmed by your unprecedented achievement, those were the only words in my mind. Eight years later, today, I saw you walk into the sunset of your career and coming within a centimeter of winning a second Olympic medal in Rio de Janeiro. As much as I am disappointed and gutted with the end result, I have a lot more to say today and would like to express heartfelt gratitude for what you have done for Indian sport.
For a lot of us back in the mid-2000s, shooting was a rather unknown entity and all we ever watched or followed was cricket or the Premier League. Few of us knew before the 2008 Beijing Olympics that you had a broken an Olympic record in the 2004 Athens games and almost won India a medal. Unfortunately for us, you could not win a medal then to wake up from our slumber of unawareness.
You have been a great shooter and won a lot of accolades throughout your career, including an Olympic gold medal, but you might not know what it means to us as Indian sports fans. Before the 2008 Beijing Games, many of us thought that even a medal at the Olympics or reaching the finals is a great achievement but you changed that mentality completely.
Shooting, unlike other mainstream sports, does not come on television often and we can be oblivous to what is happening in World Championships and other events. But you shook us all up and pointed towards a whole new world of hope, opportunity and excellence. By winning the gold medal in Beijing, you showed us what India, as a country, was capable of doing at an event like the Olympics and did not go there just to make up the numbers.
We do not have the slightest idea about the kind of sacrifices you must have made to win all those medals and tournaments but we are indebted to you for the effort. Sometimes while watching a sport on television, we do not realise that the athlete is actually at work and not having fun or something. However, so amazing is your work that it seems like fun and a source of enjoyment to a lot of us.
There must have been days of great disappointment and grave darkness that we have no clue about and you have kept away from us. All we have ever seen is your pleasant face that looks like a model of concentration, grit and determination. Thank you for suffering on all those dark days when nothing was going right for you and standing up after your fell.
Indian sport has been plagued by a lot of issues over the years and craves for heroes, who can lift it out of mediocrity by bringing success. Thank you for being a genuine inspiration, hero and an idol to millions of Indians and making them believe that there is nothing you cannot do if the determination is there. The hard work did not stop for you after Beijing, it began rather.
Reading interviews and listening to you talk has made me realise that your attitude towards life is similar to the way you shoot – straight and to the point. The colour of hair has changed from pure black to grey now but what has not changed is your amazing demeanour and attitude towards the sport you love more than anything else. Thank you for putting in all those hours of hard work, winning all those medals and never making a big deal about it.
Not only have you won the country laurels and accolades on the international level, your achievements have propelled an entire generation to look towards sports other than cricket and make their careers in them. I am sure a lot of parents would want their children to grow up and become Abhinav Bindra. You can peacefully retire now, knowing that your contribution to Indian sport has been matched by only a few.
It is only after something goes that we realise its value and your departure from Indian shooting as a player will leave a huge void and big shoes for someone to fill. Intentionally or unintentionally, you have left an indelibe mark on the psyche of many Indians and it shall remain for years to come. You are to Indian shooting what Sachin Tendulkar is to Indian cricket and Leander Paes is to Indian tennis. Five years down the line, when you are relaxing in your home and look back at your journey, know that it has been a journey for all of us.
Maybe my words are not good enough to express my gratitude but I would like to conclude by saying just one thing - Abhinav Bindra is the only man in the country who has inspired thousands to pick up the gun and not kill anyone. Thank You. You are a legend.
Respect, admiration, gratitude and awe,
An Indian sports fan
