By IANS,
New Delhi : Abhinav Bindra’s Olympic gold medal might have triggered a surge of emotions in the country, but the man himself has his feet firmly planted on the ground. For the media he has become an sporting icon overnight, but the required bytes were not easily forthcoming from the great man.
Nicknamed “comatose” by his fellow shooters for his powers to shut out everything while shooting, the reserved Bindra gave a glimpse of his wry humour, giving a rare insight into his inner self, at a packed press conference, his first, after returning home.
When asked whether there is any particular diet for a shooter, Bindra said: “Yes we do follow a diet structure.”
When prodded, Bindra quipped: “Don’t worry. I take only diet, no dope,” bringing the packed hall to splits. The poker faced 25-year-old, too, had a hearty laugh.
Giving an insight into Bindra’s character, his mental trainer for 12 years, Amit Bhattacharya, said that he has not met a more determined person.
“He is in a sport that requires a lot of calmness. Bindra is very honest and dedicated and his concentration is a gift.”
“The way he made a comeback after that back injury speaks volumes about him. A normal person would have to walk with a support. But he has worked so hard to lift the gun and shoot again. I have not seen such inner strength in anybody.”
Bindra’s coach J S Dhillon said his silence is sometimes mistaken.
“He has always been like that. He never speaks much. Even as a child when he used to score perfect rounds, I used to tell him ‘you should tell your parents, they will be happy.’ But his reply used to be ‘I don’t think I have done anything great that it needs to be told.'”
“He is such a great talent, and yet you will never see him boast about himself. He has always believed in letting his actions speak for him.”