108 years... It took India over a century to realize a distant dream.
Abhinav Bindra became a national hero when he won gold in the men’s 10-metre air rifle event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. For the first time in history, India heard its National Anthem played and saw the tri-color being raised in an individual discipline at the Games, leaving every countryman and woman teary-eyed and filled with pride.
Bindra's journey to gold didn't happen overnight. Born in Dehradun on September 28, 1982, Bindra took up rifle shooting in his mid-teens. Despite the lack of decent infrastructure for shooting in India, Bindra was determined to train with the best possible facilities, leading him to train for extended periods in Germany.
At the mere age of 15, Bindra qualified for the 1998 Commonwealth Games, becoming the competition's youngest participant. He was also the youngest Indian participant at the 2000 Sydney Olympics but failed to finish on the podium. The 2004 Olympics was a forgettable experience for Bindra; he finished last in the finals with just 97.6 points.
His struggles didn't end there. A nagging back problem almost ended his career, preventing him from lifting a rifle for almost a year. However, he revealed in an interview that his mantra was simple. His exact words were: "I was willing to suffer." His return was marked by a victory at the 2006 ISSF World Shooting Championships with a score of 699.1, which saw him qualify for the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Who could have predicted this was just the beginning of a glorious chapter in Indian Olympic history? In Beijing, Bindra outscored all other shooters in the men’s 10-metre air rifle event, starting the finals with a shot of 10.7 and never dipping below 10. His highest score in the finals was 10.8, etching his name in the history books.
The magnitude of Bindra's win was profound. No Indian, not even Bindra himself, could win another individual Olympic gold until Neeraj Chopra in 2020. Bindra's gold in Beijing remains a breakthrough moment for Indian sports, a testament to his grit and determination. His achievement paved the way for future athletes, ensuring that India’s golden dreams would continue to shine bright.