Coach Gabriele Buhlmann Former Swiss shooter, never won a medal in her four Olympics. Specialist in technique and approach
Physiotherapist Dr Uwe Riesterer The German who kept Abhinav’s body tuned to the challenge
Psychologist Dr Amit Bhattacharjee Has a doctorate in sports psychology and management
Mental Coach Dr Timothy Harkness Wasn’t in Beijing but credit Abhinav’sconcentration to him
Shooting Career
Talent first spotted by Lt Col J.S. Dhillon, who took the future gold medallist under his wing
Began participating in competitive events from age 13
Has won individual gold in: Beijing Olympics, 2008; ISSF World Shooting Championships, Zagreb, ’06
Has bagged gold in pairs event in: Commonwealth Games, Manchester, ’02; Commonwealth Games, Melbourne, ’06; Asian Shooting Championship, ’07 (team event)
Other medals: Silver in Commonwealth Games, Manchester, ’02; bronze inCommonwealth Games, Melbourne, ’06
Given Arjuna award in ’01; Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award for ’01-02
Cash Rewards
Has hit the jackpot from the day he bagged gold in Beijing
Rs 1.5 crore—Laxmi Mittal, chairman of Arcelor-Mittal
Rs 1 crore—Punjab government
Rs 25 lakh—Haryana government
Rs 25 lakh—Board of Control for Cricket in India
Rs 11 lakh—Bihar government
Rs 10 lakh—Maharashtra government
Rs 10 lakh—Karnataka government
Rs 5 lakh—MP government
Rs 5 lakh—Orissa government
Rs 5 lakh—Steel Authority of India Ltd
Rs 5 lakh—Chandigarh Administration
Rs 5 lakh—Municipal Corporation of Delhi
Rs 1 lakh—Chhattisgarh government
Also, free lifetime railway pass for AC first class. Patna indoor stadium to be named after Bindra.
Personality
Quiet and reserved. Choosy about his friends.
Don’t mistake his reticence for arrogance. Shooting is a mechanical sport, practised in isolation, makes an introvert out of even the most gregarious
Immense concentration powers. Showed no emotion even on winning the gold because he was still in the ‘zone’
The Bindra Family
Born on 28 September, 1982
Father A.S. Bindra is a PhD in veterinary science and owns a flourishing business
Mother Babli, was a national handball player
Grandfather Col Bir Singh played for the services’ hockey team led by the legandary Dhyan Chand
Sister Divya is married into the family that owns Atlas Cycle
The family’s Hi Tech group is a 500-crore firm with interests in food processing, real estate and weapons. A new firm, Abhinav Futuristic Ltd, is to now develop five-star resorts
Abhinav studied in Dehradun and later shifted to Chandigarh, where they live in a 13-acre farmhouse. The house boasts an Olympic-standard, fully-airconditioned shooting range, built at a cost of Rs 1 crore.
Has done business management and also holds a diploma in Sports Mental Management