Abhinav Bindra won India’s first individual gold in the 10m air rifle on Monday. This is what some of his fellow shooters, Olympians and other sporting icons had to say (alphabetically):

Vasudevan Baskaran: I saw it live when he won the medal. It was a thrilling win. When the medal ceremony was on and the Indian flag was up, I felt that Bindra’s gold medal is better than my team’s Moscow Olympic gold medal…

Mahendra Singh Dhoni: He has done all of us proud. It is one of the best things to have happened to Indian sport. It’s a proud moment.

Anil Kumble: Winning an Olympic gold medal is something really great and my congratulations on behalf of the Indian cricket team. Congratulations! to Abhinav Bindra for a fantastic effort. It’s a great effort to become a world champion and winning an individual medal in a sport is a greater achievement.

Gagan Narang: I am thrilled at Abhinav’s success. He deserves every bit of it, with the kind of hard work and dedication that he had put in.

Leander Paes: Congratulations to Abhinav. He has made us all proud. It is a fantastic achievement. You know, this is what Olympics is all about... It feels almost as if we have won gold... It is a great incentive for us to do well.

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore: An unbelievable performance. Certainly one of India’s biggest achievements. In 1996 and 2000, we had won bronze medals at the Olympics. In 2004 Athens, it was a silver. This time we have a gold. Since there is no step higher than that, we simply have to do an encore. That’s all.

Manavjit Singh Sandhu: A job very well done. Can only be compared to India’s best ever.

Randhir Singh (IOA secretary and six-time Olympian): Abhinav’s effort will bring in a great change in the sporting scenario. The thinking of sportsmen will change. The mental block that we are not good enough to get a gold will be gone. Abhinav has made us all proud… Achieved India’s greatest sporting success. An Olympic gold is the thing in life. Everything else comes second.