Zirakpur (Punjab), Aug 11 - India's first ever individual Olympic gold medalist Abhinav Bindra celebrated his first anniversary of the Beijing feat in an unusual way. He practiced hard at his world-class private shooting range here at his farmhouse here Tuesday.
Bindra created history August 11 last year by winning India's first individual-category Olympic gold medal in men's 10m air rifle at Beijing, sparking celebrations all across the country.
'I will always remember my gold medal victory and I have become even more focused on my game. As any other day, today also I am busy training strenuously at my shooting range,' Bindra told IANS.
'I have many challenges coming ahead in prestigious tournaments. My aim is to concentrate well on my game, to maintain my practice schedule and to perform consistently.'
Bindra's sprawling farmhouse, spread over an area of 10 acres, is located in Zirakpur town in Punjab's Mohali district, some 20 km from the state capital Chandigarh.
'In the last six months, I have undergone tough training. I also went to Germany to train under my coaches there,' said Bindra.
Bindra's near perfect 10.8 in his final shot at the Beijing Shooting Range Hall gave the country its first Olympic gold in 28 years. The men's hockey team emerged champions in the Moscow Olympics, 1980.
A.