Shooting star

Sir — Abhinav Bindra winning the Olympic gold in 10-metre rifle shooting will go down as one of the most memorable events in India’s sporting history (“Abhinav Bindra is new toast of India” Aug 12). By winning the country’s first-ever individual gold, Bindra has shown to the world that India is not a one-sport nation. In fact, Bindra’s achievement is much more important than the successes we have had in World Cup cricket. The principal reason for this is that Bindra has won a gold medal in an event that does not enjoy much organizational support. Cricket and cricketers, on the other hand, are pampered by various bodies like the BCCI and ICC. One hopes that Bindra’s success will goad non-cricketing sporting institutions to introduce proper training facilities for athletes.

Yours faithfully,
Ambar Mallick, Calcutta

Sir — Abhinav Bindra’s unexpected success in the Olympics has thrilled the nation. His near-perfect 10.8 hit helped him beat China’s Zhu Qinan and Finland’s Henri Hakkinen to the gold. In the process, Bindra bettered his own performance at the Athens Games where he came a poor seventh. His performance is all the more special because India’s last Olympic gold came in hockey when the men’s team triumphed in 1980. Hopefully, the young lad will do the country proud in the future as well.

Yours faithfully,
A.R.K. Pillai, Mumbai

Sir — The ace shooter, Abhinav Bindra, deserves praise for ending India’s long wait for an individual Olympic gold. The young man’s family too deserves credit for the manner in which they have supported the young man in his career so far. Bindra’s spectacular achievement will surely inspire other Indian sportsmen to try and win laurels for the country in future events.

Yours faithfully,
Satyajit Chakraborty, Falakata, Jalpaiguri

Sir — A lot is being written about Abhinav Bindra and his showing at the Beijing Olympics. However, in the commotion, we seem to have forgotten an important fact. Only the rich can succeed in a game like rifle shooting, which involves costly training and equipment. Unfortunately, for the less privileged sportsmen, India’s sports budget ends up putting all the money in the wrong pockets thereby robbing them of their chance to take to an expensive game.

Yours faithfully,
Tuneer Banerjee, Calcutta

Sir — The morning after Abhinav Bindra won his gold medal, I had before me three English dailies. The Telegraph stood out because while one of its editorials praised Bindra for his accomplishment, the other was critical of the injustice that has been done to Monika Devi by corrupt sport officials. It was disappointing to see the other two dailies ignoring Monika Devi’s plight altogether. I am not from Manipur but I have been deeply saddened by what has happened to this female weightlifter.

Yours faithfully,
H.C. Johari, Calcutta

Sir — Isn’t it ironical that even as India gushes over gold winner Abhinav Bindra, Kuheli Ganguly, one Bengal’s top shooters, is still facing numerous problems. Shooting equipment of international standard are hard to come by, as are money, career counselling and training facilities. Can one gold medal be an answer to all our infrastructure problems in sports?

Yours faithfully,
Biswajit Ganguly, Calcutta

Sir — Abhinav Bindra’s victory in the Olympics is a marker of a resurgent India. On the one hand, our nation is now poised to don the mantle of a superpower. On the other, India is all set to conquer greater sporting peaks. Bindra has now become a household name after his triumph. But the most notable thing to cherish about Bindra is his humility even in his hour of pride. Perhaps Bindra can teach our cricketers, who roar like a medieval warriors after taking a wicket or scoring a few runs, a thing or two about humility and grace.

Yours faithfully,
S.W.M. Rizvi, Renukoot, Uttar Pradesh

Sir — Golden boy Abhinav Bindra stunned the nation with his showing in Beijing. Bindra’s win tasted all the more sweet because of its unexpected nature. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore in Athens and Bindra now have set the momentum for the Indians to win more medals at the Games.

Yours faithfully,
Ashok Kumar Ghosh, Calcutta

Sir — Abhinav Bindra has made history by being the first Indian to win an Olympic gold in an individual event. Bindra’s performance in Beijing has boosted India’s image in the international sporting arena and is a wonderful Independence Day gift to the nation. Bindra’s perseverance, dedication and passion for his sport helped him win the coveted prize. The nation is proud of his magnificent achievement.

Yours faithfully,
Narayan B. Iyer, Mumbai

Sir — After Abhinav Bindra’s olympian feat, it is now time for the country to shower money on its new hero. Bindra deserves all the accolades but hailing from an affluent family, he does not perhaps require the largesse coming his way. The money should be used instead to develop sporting facilities and infrastructure so that gifted sportsmen will be able to hone their skills.

The myth that an Indian can never win an individual gold at the Olympics has also been broken. It is now time for corporate houses to get involved in sports in India in a bigger way. Youngsters showing promise should be given the best possible training and guidance. If the Mittals, Ambanis, Tatas and Birlas take even a clutch of sportsmen under their wings, India will surely win many more medals in prestigious international events in the days to come.

Yours faithfully,
Raj Bagri, Calcutta