Abhinav Bindra

Chandigarh: The farmhouse, on the road to Patiala, has an imposing gate and armed guards are on round-the-clock duty. On entering, though, there’s much greenery. Warmth too, as one is welcomed with traditional Punjabi hospitality.

It’s a classy setting. But, then, there’s something very classy about Abhinav Bindra as well. Till the Beijing Olympics began, nobody quite gave the farmhouse a long second look. Today, it’s very different.

On Tuesday afternoon, Bindra spoke to The Telegraph for around 75 minutes at the farmhouse. For a change, the 10m air rifle champion actually laughed and grinned. The one time he really turned serious was when he said “look, I don’t like posing with my medals or whatever.”

Eventually, however, the soft-spoken 25-year-old did.

The following are excerpts:

Q What’s life like as India’s only Olympic gold medallist?

A (Grins) Suddenly, there’s a lot of attention on me... I’m happy that I’ve achieved what I’d set out to... I’ve been fortunate in that the hard work and effort got rewarded, something that doesn’t happen all the time... It’s nice that I’ve got what I deserve... Life, however, goes on.

But has life changed after August 11?

What I know is that I haven’t changed and I won’t... I remain the way I was.

You’ve always come through as rather reticent...

Look, I’m not the type to make big statements before, say, an edition of the Olympics... I don’t like creating a huge hype and, as a result, inviting more pressure on myself... It would be stupid for any sportsperson to help create a hype before a major competition...

Not doing so is in the sportsperson’s hands and, so, why make a mistake?

Fair enough, but the impression is that you bottle your emotions. Is that correct?

Look, in a sport like shooting, you’ve got to be calm and quiet... It requires stillness... I can’t be jumping up and down after every shot! The nature of my sport requires me to be composed and that’s how you find me.

How would you describe yourself?

I’m just a very normal person, one who doesn’t like to make a fuss... I like to get on with things without making a hue and cry... I guess that sums me up.

After firing the shot which sent the nation into a tizzy, you’d asked a friend “ab main kya karoonga?” Why?

For 12 years, the one goal was to win an Olympic gold... I dreamt about it 365 days in a year, worked towards that for 365 days... Indeed, I’d been focusing on that one moment and once it came, there had to be an emptiness...

So, what now?

(Laughs) Don’t know... Haven’t had the time to think... I need a break... Need to have a holiday, which I haven’t had for 12 years... I need to calm down (after the euphoria) and, then, focus afresh... Set new goals.

You’re the reigning world champion too... Could there actually be a next level?

One dreams to be both the world and Olympic champion... Like I’ve said, I haven’t thought about the future... Can’t give you an answer straightaway... What I do know is that I won’t be competing in any tournament this year... The next year won’t be important, but 2010 will be a big one - the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi and the qualifiers for the 2012 Olympics (London).

When exactly did you raise the bar?

After the Sydney Olympics (2000)... I finished 11th, but was happy with the way I shot... Gave me the confidence to move towards my goal... I missed qualifying for the finals by one point... I shot 590, I think, and the eventual winner got 592... I started believing in myself that much more.

But Athens, four years later, was a heartbreak...

It was.

How long did it take you to get over that disappointment?

I’m still disappointed... Yes, it’s less, because of the gold I won in Beijing... But the bottomline is that I’m still recovering... The country saw me as a failure, only few around me could appreciate the effort I’d put in... That failure really hurt... For a while, I even thought of quitting, but something within kept me going... I resumed training after 10-odd days.

Why did Athens leave you so drained?

Not sure, probably because there was a lot of emotion attached to that Olympics... Was my first after Sydney, from where I’d grown in confidence... Looking back, I didn’t shoot badly for any fault of mine... The wooden floor at my shooting station had become loose... I’d never experienced anything like it... You don’t expect such things to happen in the Olympics... You don’t get time to think and, in any case, your brain cells don’t work that much because of the big stage-induced nervousness.

You suffered a back injury between Athens and Beijing...

Yeah, I’d over-trained... I’m one burnt out athlete!

But good enough to win an Olympic gold...

Can’t be an example for everybody... I had to redefine my (body) structure.

What’s excellence for you?

It’s about giving it my best shot... Giving everything to achieve the goal... I’ve faced ups and downs and know the nature of sport quite well now... In order to win an event, a lot of small things have to be right... I think that holds true more for individual events... The reality, of course, is that all the things aren’t in your control... It needs something to get everything right on the day of reckoning.

Have you had a role model?

Never had one, though my coach (Gabriele Buhlmann) has been an inspiration... She’s competed in five Olympics and was the first woman shooter, I think, to hit a perfect 100 back in the 1990s.

Given the nature of your sport, how much of a difference can a coach make?

No coach can make a difference when the shooter is on the firing line! There can be technical help... Help with strategy and so on... It’s a stressful time during competitions and you need somebody to talk to... The coach can play a role there... There’s a lot at stake but, at the end of the day, shooting is just another sport.

What prompted you to take to shooting and not, for example, cricket or tennis?

Actually, I hated sport till I was 12-13... I was in boarding (Dehradun) for a year and my father would advise that I take to sport... I didn’t... That time, I’d only be so homesick.. I did eventually play some tennis and golf... I got involved with shooting after a family friend introduced me to my first coach, Col. J.S. Dhillon, in 1996... After that, well, shooting is addictive... I should add that I'd been absolutely bowled over by the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, which I’d watched on the TV... I wanted to be an Olympian too... There was motivation after Leander (Paes) won bronze.

Obviously, the support from your immediate family (parents Apjit, Babli and sister Divya) has been enormous.

Surely, very few can have a practice range in their own backyard...
The gold medal has brought a lot of attention to my somewhat shabby range, but you’ll be surprised to know that quite a few shooters have such private facilities... In terms of equipment, a very basic range (for one point) may not cost more than Rs 25-30 lakh... Yes, I’ve been very lucky to have been born into this family.

You’re a Tiger Woods fan...

Not a huge fan, but I’ve studied the methods he uses to prepare for tournaments... He uses a lot of biofeedback... Basically, you map your brain while performing and move forward from there... Woods’ mental strength is awesome... I’ve always been the very determined type but, at the same time, I’ve looked at how top performers prepare.

Shooting is for the elite. After the Beijing gold, is there any way you could help draw more youngsters to the sport?

We’re talented in shooting... It’s probably in our genes... Right now I don’t know how, but I’d like to bring about greater participation in shooting... In fact, I’d like to do my bit for all Olympic disciplines... We laugh at our athletes when they don’t do well, but do we compare the facilities and opportunities they’ve had vis-a-vis the champions? The system needs to have more facilities, a better back-up...

Should you take the initiative, then a lot of doors would open...

Let’s see... The corporate world has to look at Olympic sport, not just shooting... Enough money has gone into cricket and the sport can sustain itself for many years to come... Today, companies need to look at the Olympics. Mind you, I have nothing against cricket and am very fond of watching it on TV... In fact, I love it... (After a pause) We’ve got to have a dream — to become a sporting superpower... We aren’t a power at all... As we talk, I remain the lone medal winner in the ongoing Olympics... I sincerely hope that changes in the next few days... We could win the next World Cup in cricket (in 2011), but the world won’t call us a sporting power as cricket (at the highest level) is played by a handful of countries... In sport, the ultimate platform is the Olympics and that’s where we’ve got to shine... Nobody will notice us till we start winning 30 medals in every edition... That’s not impossible.
[As it turned out, wrestler Sushil Kumar bagged a bronze on Wednesday and boxer Vijender Kumar too will bring home at least a bronze.]

Talking of the Olympics, how different is the pressure there?

I can’t describe it in words... One has to feel it... You should go to the 2012 edition and experience the atmosphere, at least, for yourself... The aura can’t be done justice to in words... Thousands of the world’s best sportspersons assemble there with just one aim: Winning gold.

You didn’t sleep the night before the big day?

(Grins) Didn’t then and haven’t since either!

What did you do?

I tossed and turned, what else? The rooms in the Olympic Village don’t have TV sets, so I couldn’t watch anything on the small screen... I’d been waiting for the day for four years and it was only hours away... I was edgy, perhaps a bit scared... Yet, I was also ready, was eager... I have felt better on other days for sure, definitely felt more fresh, but I wasn’t tired when morning came... We have a lot of energy within, it’s just that we aren’t always aware of how much of the energy we can actually fall back on.

How much of your training is mental and how much is it physical?

Both... It’s a combination and you can’t do without one... For example, you need a very strong cardio system, so that the heart rate doesn’t go high... If it does, then your arms will tremble and the gun will shake... Earlier, I couldn’t run for even 10 minutes, today I’ve trained to such a degree that I can for 90 minutes and still feel okay.

For the mental bit, do you meditate?

I don’t... No meditation, no yoga, no reading something regularly to strengthen the mind... However, as I’ve said, I do rely on the biofeedback training... Thanks to the Mittal Trust, I’ve trained with a South African... It has helped my concentration.

Are you afraid of failure?

No... I believe in fighting till I've got to drop down...

Is the level of motivation higher for certain competitions?

Perhaps, I’m lazy, but I can’t lift myself in every competition... A world championship is different, the Olympics certainly is.

Will setting fresh goals then be a problem?

Don’t know... As I’ve said, I haven’t thought about the future... Haven’t had the time... Everybody has been at me...

If I still asked you, where do you see yourself 10 years from now?

Look, what I can say is that I’d like to change the face of Olympic sport in India... Our thinking has to change and goals have to be set... There’s no point blaming athletes for not delivering... Some of them come from very humble backgrounds, but don’t compromise on training... They deserve opportunities to improve.

Do you have strong likes and dislikes?

I don’t like hypocrites... I’ve grown to love sport and, when I’m at home, you’ll find me channel surfing...

How do you unwind?

Watching movies is one way... Often, though, you’ll find me putting them in fast-forward... Bollywood, Hollywood... I watch everything... I also don’t have a favourite actor, all are good.

The last one: You’re now among the most eligible of bachelors in the country. I suppose many are already in the queue with their kudis...

(Laughs) Did you see a queue outside? There’s nobody in my life... I don’t see marriage happening in the next three-four years.