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Sikhs and
Olympics
Sikh shooter wins first ever
individual gold for India at Olympics
Abhinav Bindra’s father says Gold proves Singh Is King,
indeed
WSN Bureau
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As the world's
biggest sporting extravaganza unfolds across the planet and billions
of eyeballs get fixated on the best and the brightest, the Sikh
community has many a reason to be proud. India celebrates the end of
a drought as Abhinav Bindra shot for his country its first ever
individual gold. He hails from a Sikh family. But what gives even
more heart to the Sikh community is that the Beijing Olympics gave
an opportunity to the community to celebrate the faith rising above
national boundaries. The picture below of turbaned smart young
Sardars is from the Opening Ceremony parade, all representing
Canada.
The idea of
wearing turbans was a considered thought. Sikhs in Canada’s squad
wanted to challenge this whole 'Identity' issue that ties them down
to India origins. You can wear a turban and still be Canadian, or
American, or British. A turban is an article of faith for the Sikhs,
not an Indian national symbol. The march of the turbaned players was
a celebration of the arrival of the immigrant, of multiculturalism's
victory and of the great spirit of Human Rights that nations like
Canada embody. The message that the non-Indian Sikhs marching in
Beijing Olympics 2008 gave to India was clear: Learn cultural
pluralism, respect Human Rights, celebrate your minorities and be
humane. It is more important than being nuclear, or even shooting
Gold. Of course, we celebrate Abhinav Bindra too.
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BEIJING(CHINA) /
ZIRAKPUR(PUNJAB): A 25-year-old Sikh from Punjab has won the first
ever individual gold medal for India at the Olympics, shooting in
the 10m air rifle event at the Beijing Games in Beijing on Monday.
Abhinav Bindra shot an overall score of (596+140.5) 700.5 in a
thrilling finale which went right down to the last shot and proved,
as his father said, that Singh Is King indeed. The gold comes hours
after his family members and a large number of citizens held public
prayers a Chandigarh gurdwara, wishing for the success of the man
many had hoped will bring laurels to his community and state.
The silver in the event went to Chinese Zhu Qinan (699.7)
while Finland's
Henri Hakkinen (699.4) had to be content with a bronze.
Bindra improved upon silver medal feat of double trap shooter
Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore in Athens 2004.
India and Sikhs
everywhere exploded in frenzied celebrations and the mood in
Chandigarh and elsewhere on the roads was exciting as strangers were
seen congratulating each other.
Bindra, a Khel Ratna awardee, had earlier won the gold medal
in 2002 Commonwealth Games in the pairs event and silver in the
individual event.
In Zirakpur (Punjab), his father Dr AS Bindra, said he had been waiting for this
moment for years.
"We are feeling on top of the world and we cannot put our joy
in words. He has done the nation proud and also his city
Chandigarh,"
Abhinav's parents Dr A S Bindra and Babli Bindra told reporters at
their farmhouse on the outskirts of the city.
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Gold medalist Abhinav Bindra, center, with silver medalist Zhu
Qinan, left, of China, and bronze medalist Henri Hakkinen, of
Finland |
“My son has proved that 'Singh is King' in a real sense. He
has brought laurels for the whole Sikh community and for the whole
nation," said father A.S. Bindra.
Dr Bindra said after spending huge sum of money on Abhinav's
training and other stuff and then hard work put in by the champion
had finally borne fruit on Monday.
Abhinav's been a tale of sweat and hard work, stuff that is
perhaps common to all champions. He overcame a back problem to
achieve such a rare feat. Her mother, overcome with emotion, said
she had a gut feeling that her son would pull off. Of course,
mothers always know better. Chandigarh
obviously will now be waiting for big time celebrations and
Union as well as the city government were mulling over huge gifts
to shower on the star son.
Abhinav Bindra was only 12-year-old and after years of
training at home, the Bindras decided to send him to the
German School of
Shooting. "He has been in some fine form over the last few months
and I guess he will face a stiff competition in Beijing. His event
is in the morning, so we all will be glued to our TV sets,” Dr
Bindra had said on Sunday, speaking during a prayer ceremony for
Abhinav organized at Sector 8 gurdwara in Chandigarh.
 At the Sydney Olympics, Abhinav was the youngest Indian
participant but it was during the Manchester Commonwealth Games that Abhinav hogged the limelight by winning the gold in Pairs event. It
was followed by a heart-breaking performance in Athens Olympics
where he finished seventh despite breaking the Olympic record.
“Abhinav could not forget
Athens for a long
time. It was bit later in the finals that he realized that he was
standing on a faulty board but it was too late. He broke the Olympic
record, but was not satisfied with the seventh-place finish.
He had won the
gold medal in 2006 World Cup. He has been training hard and his
coaches Gaby Bulhman, Timothy Harkness and Uwe Riesters were
confident that he will put his best foot forward this time.
13 August, 2008
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