Abhinav Bindra, is the current World and Olympic Champion in Air Rifle shooting. He is the first ever Indian to win an individual Gold Medal since 1900 – the year our country participated in the Olympic games for the first time. His unparalleled achievements in the shooting arena have made the nation proud and he has been bestowed with honors from a very young age due to his consummate performances on the international stage. He received the Arjuna Award at the young age of 17 and has been the youngest recipient of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Awards – the highest sporting honor in the country at 18 years. Abhinav has also been decorated with the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian honor, in 2009 after his historic Gold Medal win at the Beijing Olympics.
He was the first of many thousands of relay runners who will carry the baton for the New Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games, across the globe. The New Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games Queen’s Baton Relay commenced from Buckingham Palace on October 29 with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II passing the baton in the presence of our Hon’ble President Smt Pratibha Patil.
Recently, he was honored with the two top awards at the first ever SAHARA Indian Sports Awards :
• He was adjudged as “The Sportsman of the Year”
• His gold medal winning feat at the Beijing Olympics was declared as “the Most Memorable Moment of the Year” in Indian Sport.
• The Government of India has recently invited him to be a part of their initiatives towards national integration, etc.
• He was the first speaker at the event “A Nation In Solidarity”. This was hosted by the Ministry of Home Affairs at the behest of the Hon’ble Home Minister Shri P Chidambaram himself and was held in memory of the victims of terror attacks in India including incidents in Mumbai, Delhi, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, …among others. The event was held at India Gate in New Delhi and was dedicated to the cause of the nation coming together in its fight against terror.
• He has also been made a member of Central Selection Committee for the National Youth Awards 2008-09, constituted by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports. This committee is chaired by the Hon’ble Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports Dr M S Gill himself.
EDUCATION
• Bachelors in Business Management from University of Colorado
• Pursuing Doctorate in Masters of Business Management
• Diploma in Sports Mental Management from Munich
• Lanny School of Mental Management, USA
• Conferred Honorary Doctorate in Literature from SRM University, Chennai on 8th September, 2008
