India’s sole individual Olympic gold medalist Abhinav Bindra’s reserved personality is quite deceiving. His sharp wit amazes you. The sharpshooter’s penchant for timing and precision seems to spill over even outside the shooting range. Recently, a book titled, ‘Dreams Of A Billion’, written by Boria Majumdar and Nalin Mehta -dedicated to India and the Olympic Games – was launched in Mumbai. The event saw ace sportsmen Sachin Tendulkar, Mahesh Bhupathi and Abhinav Bindra come together on stage to share some memorable anecdotes about their glorious sporting journey. Post the event, we caught up with Abhinav, whose honesty and repartee didn’t miss the bullseye, just like his shooting talent. Excerpts: It’s been 12 years since you won the only individual Olympic gold medal for India. Do you see that changing anytime soon?
I am still the lone gold medallist, but I am quite positive about that changing. I am hopeful that we will do really well in Tokyo (upcoming Olympics) and our athletes will come back with multiple gold medals.
You seem positive about the Indian contingent this time around, isn’t it? Several of our athletes are World No 1 but being No 1 comes with its set of expectations and challenges. The pressure that comes with it is more from your own expectations than the others. If you have a shot at bagging a gold medal at the Olympics, there will be a spike in your heart rate, but you will have to deal with it. It’s painful, but it won’t kill you. It’s only human to feel that pressure. At the end of the day, if you think you gave your best, you can walk away with honesty and integrity. We have to also realise that Indian society has changed and not just the athlete community. Today, young kids have a lot more self-belief. The fact that they are young is an advantage as they are fearless and have nothing to lose.
In the session that concluded on stage now, you were sporting enough to confess that you drank a miniature bottle of whiskey, a day before you won your iconic gold medal.
I was a lousy competitor, full of anxiety and nervousness. The pressure was too much to handle for a chicken-hearted person like me, so I stole a miniature bottle of whiskey, drank it and won a gold medal the next day (smiles!). I am definitely not recommending that to anybody. In fact, I never recommend my ways to anyone. I don’t coach or tell people what to do. I can tell the young kids about things that I did wrong or the lessons I learnt in life, but nothing beyond that. If they want to succeed, they have to find their path instead of following me. I am open to help if asked, but I won’t actively give advice or put things into someone’s head.
Your biopic is in the making. Most Indian sports biopics so far have covered the aspect of the athlete’s rags-to-riches story, which found a connect with the audience. Since you come from an affluent family, will your film largely focus on the professional hardships that you faced?In my case, it’s the riches-to-rags story ( laughs!). You often get to see athletes as really strong individuals in sports biopics. They are almost like super humans, but in reality, athletes are as vulnerable as anyone else. I was an extremely ordinary and vulnerable guy, who worked really hard and I would like that to come across in my biopic.
Abhinav Bindra with Harsh Varrdhan Kapoor, who will portray him in his biopic Anil Kapoor’s son Harsh Varrdhan Kapoor is essaying you on screen. Your thoughts…He is somebody who works hard, is a thinker and will do a good job. How he gets into my head space to portray me on screen as far as my mannerisms or wit is concerned, it’s up to him. You have retired from the sport, but do you miss the nervousness and thrill that an athlete faces in high-pressure situations? Not at all. I hated it. I don’t miss it at all. I have never gone back to a shooting range, not even to train. I am out of that bubble. The shooting range at my home is still there, but I haven’t gone back to it either. My parents ensure that it’s cleaned every day, just in case I change my mind ( smiles!). There are speculations over the Olympic Games being cancelled or delayed due to coronavirus outbreak. Athletes need to have high adaptability, coronavirus or no coronavirus. You need to be prepared and then wait and watch how things pan out. Games are on schedule as per the IOC (International Olympic Committee). The situation will be monitored by the best experts. We should wait for some clarity to come through instead of speculating.
