On this day in 2008: Abhinav Bindra creates history in Beijing, wins first individual Olympic gold by an Indian
Ace shooter Bindra won the 10-meter air rifle event at the Beijing Games with a total score of 700.5 to win India its first-ever individual gold medal at the Olympics.
File image of Abhinav Bindra. Reuters
On this day, 11 August 2008, Abhinav Bindra made history by becoming the first Indian to win an individual gold medal at the Olympics.
Bindra clinched the gold in the 10-meter air rifle event at the Beijing Olympics, shooting a total of 700.5.
Watch the historic moment unfold in the following clip:
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On this day 1️⃣5️⃣ years ago, @Abhinav_Bindra clinched the Olympic and etched his name in a billion hearts forever. ♥️#OnThisDay | @WeAreTeamIndia | @Media_SAI | @OfficialNRAI
— Olympic Khel (@OlympicKhel) August 11, 2023
Before Bindra India had won eight Olympic gold medals, all of which came in men’s field hockey (1928, 1932, 1936, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1964 and 1980).
The next gold for India came in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with Neeraj Chopra clinching the top medal in Javelin Throw.
Besides the gold medals won by Bindra and Chopra, India have 19 individual medals in events such as wrestling, tennis, weightlifting, boxing and badminton.
The first individual medal in India was a bronze by KD Jadhav in wrestling at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. And then after a lull for four decades, tennis player Leaden Paes won bronze at Atlanta 1996 Olympics.
In the next edition of the biggest sporting event in Sydney in 2000, Karnam Malleswari clinched a bronze in weightlifting. Ever since, India have had individual medals in every Olympics.
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