India's first individual Olympic gold medalist, winning the 10m air rifle event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and a renowned shooter with multiple World Championship medals.
Abhinav Bindra, an Indian Olympic gold medallist, is renowned for being the first and one of only two Indians to win an Individual Olympic Gold Medal. He achieved this feat in the men's 10-meter air rifle event at the 2008 Summer Olympics, making him a household name in India and a legend in the world of shooting sports.
Bindra was born on 28 September 1982 in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, to a Punjabi Sikh Khatri family. He received his education at the prestigious Doon School in Dehradun and St. Stephens School in Chandigarh. He later pursued a degree in business administration at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Bindra's list of achievements is impressive, to say the least. He is the first Indian to have held concurrently the world and Olympic titles for the men's 10-meter air rifle event. He won seven medals at the Commonwealth Games and three medals at the Asian Games, taking his total medal count to over 150 in his 22-year career.
Bindra's contributions to Indian sports have been recognized by the Government of India, which awarded him the Padma Bhushan, one of India's highest civilian honors. He was also bestowed with the prestigious Blue Cross, the ISSF's highest honor, in 2018.
Through the Abhinav Bindra Foundation, a nonprofit organization, Bindra works to integrate sports, science, and technology into Indian sports, encouraging high-performance physical training. He has also served as a goodwill ambassador for the Rio 2016 Olympics Indian contingent.
Bindra's impact on Indian sports is undeniable. He is one of the top influencers of sport policy in the country and has inspired a generation of Indian athletes to strive for excellence. As a member of the IOC Athletes Commission, he continues to contribute to the development of sports globally.
In 2024, Bindra will carry the Olympic torch at the Summer Olympics in Paris, a testament to his enduring legacy in the world of sports.
56 Years Old
A decorated Indian army officer and politician, known for winning India's first individual Olympic silver medal in shooting and later serving as a Union Minister of State.
