Sport | Other Sports
National pride
India's first individual Olympic gold medal winner Abhinav Bindra returned from Beijing onThursday to be immediately engulfed by an adoring crowd.
- IANS
- Published: 23:01 August 14, 2008
- Image Credit: EPA
- Bindra returned in the early hours on Thursday and was greeted by a huge crowd that had gathered at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport.
New Delhi: India's first individual Olympic gold medal winner Abhinav Bindra returned from Beijing onThursday to be immediately engulfed by an adoring crowd.
The triumphant return was followed by a series of meeting with dignitaries.
President Pratibha Patil invited the marksman to Rashtrapati Bhavan within hours of his arrival.
Similar meetings with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and chairperson of the ruling United Progressive Alliance Sonia Gandhi were also scheduled for yesterday.
Before his meeting with the president, the winner of the 10-metre Air Rifle competition went with his parents Babli and A.S. Bindra to meet sports minister M.S. Gill amid huge media presence.
"I am overwhelmed and honoured that I have got a chance to meet these people. It is a proud moment for me," said Bindra after meeting the sports minister.
"It is a grand welcome and I am very happy."
Bindra returned in the early hours on Thursday and was greeted by a huge crowd that had gathered at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport.
Music and dancing
A band played and people danced the Bhangra as Bindra stepped out of the airport looking surprised by the grand reception.
A large number of sports buffs and officials from the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) as well as the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) were present.
"It's a huge honour. I never expected such a welcome," said Bindra at the airport after arriving by an Air China flight from Beijing three days after his medal win.
Asked what he would do for sport in India now that he was an icon for the nation, Bindra said: "I will do something."
Police presence
Policemen were deployed at the airport in strength and the shooter was whisked away in a small motorcade of three cars.
The country's latest sports icon was received by his parents, relatives and friends, as some in the crowd kept shouting his praise.
"Jab tak chand aur suraj rahega, Bindra tera naam desh yaad rakhega (as long as the sun and the moon are there, the nation will remember you, Bindra)," shouted a group of youngsters.
Sabotage: Tampering denied
Speculation that Abhinav Bindra's gun had been tampered with before the 10 metre air rifle event has been dismissed.
Unconfirmed media reports claimed the sightings on his rifle had been altered deliberately.
But Bindra's Swiss coach Gaby Buehlmann, ruled out any sabotage.
The coach, in broken English, said: "No, no, it cannot be. We had the rifle whole (sic) time under control. It was besides us.
"He was carrying the rifle in a soft case and it may have touched a little somewhere. Maybe he touched a wall or something and some screw may have become loose. It happens (sometimes)."
The Swiss coach added she had been worried about Bindra sighting his shots.
"There was some screw loose or something. One screw was loose maybe. There are hundreds of screws in a rifle.
"But he (Bindra) was reacting cleverly. He made the clicks quickly to get into the centre. Then he shot like a machine."
Buehlmann shrugged off the whole incident with a laugh, adding: "This is not a drama. He has the medal and who cares?"
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