NEW DELHI : Amid drum-beating, flag-fluttering and cheering, Abhinav Bindra, the sole Indian gold medallist at the Beijing Olympics remained unfazed. The grand reception, generally reserved for cricketing stalwarts, hardly made an impact on the 26-year-old as he arrived in the wee hours of Thursday morning at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi.
“Jab tak suraj chand rahega, Bindra tera naam desh yaad rakhega,” the crowd gathered to welcome its new hero chanted zestfully.
Living up to his image of a calm, composed and devoted sportsman, the shooting champion said there was a sense of “emptiness within” after winning the first gold medal in the individual category.
“The first thought that came to my mind while standing at the podium receiving the medal was, ‘Why on earth did we not win the gold medal earlier?’,” said Bindra, soon after meeting the President of the country, Pratibha Patil and Vice-President Hamida Ansari on Thursday morning.
“I had not expected such a welcome. I am absolutely overwhelmed by the love and support that people and members of the sports associations have expressed,” said Bindra.
Not used to the immense media pressure that began after winning the illusive gold medal, he said, “The gold medal should make other players believe that winning a gold at the Olympics is possible and we should make it a habit.” The young achiever said that picking up his gun after an injury and regaining confidence meant more to him than winning the medal itself.
“I have reached the top and I know staying up is difficult, but I will try to stay up for a while. I also know that anything that goes up has to come down some time,” said Bindra.
After having spent five sleepless nights, Thursday continued to be a busy day for Bindra as he met the President, Vice-President and was scheduled for a meeting with Sonia Gandhi, the UPA chairperson, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Lok Sabha speaker, Somnath Chatterjee.
