Abhinav Bindra has officially announced his retirement from shooting

Abhinav Bindra, India’s lone individual Olympic gold medallist, on Sunday officially announced his retirement from shooting, saying ‘it is time to move on and hand over the baton to the younger generation.’

“It is an emotional day for me,” said Bindra at his farewell organised by the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI).
The 2008 Beijing Olympics gold medallist expressed his gratitude to the NRAI, saying the organisation has supported him and others shooters at every stage of their career.

“NRAI has supported the shooters. I want to thank NRAI. Under President Raninder Singh the sport has improved by leaps and bounds,” he said.

“I have always believed in working hard. There is no substitute to hard work. I have given my all shooting and have got even more. Thank you once again everyone,” he added.

President of NRAI, Raninder Singh while felicitating India’s ace shooter, said that it was just a small gesture from the side.

“The devotion, the focus with which Abhinav Bindra trains, is an example for everyone,” he said.

Having started his Olympic journey in Sydney back in 2000, the 33-year-old shooter qualified in three Olympic finals including his golden journey of Beijing in 2008 (Athens being the other one) in his pet 10m air rifle, while he missed out in Sydney and London.

Bindra was last month appointed as the chairman of a review committee formulated by the NRAI to “examine and identify in a cold and ruthless manner” the reason as to why shooting failed to secure any medal at the recently-concluded Rio Olympic Games.