Indians For Guns

Press Trust of India
Tuesday, November 18, 2008 (Bhanu (Haryana))

Olympic gold medal winner Abhinav Bindra on Tuesday had a different experience altogether shooting with different guns at the ITBP's shooting range here during a police sports meet.

"It was my first experience, a different one, shooting using an (indigenously built) Insas rifle and a .9 mm pistol. After firing from the rifle, there was this big bang," Bindra told reporters after opening the 52nd All India Police Duty Meet-Shooting hosted by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police at the its Basic Training Centre in Panchkula.

Asked if he had given tips to the shooters present at the range, the 25-year-old ace marksman quipped, "I was actually taking tips from them myself".

Bindra has been using a Walther-make air rifle for the past 10 years.

Twenty eight teams belonging to Central Police Forces and State Police Organisations, holding aloft their respective flags, gave a sterling display of their parade and honoured the ace shooter.

ITBP's Inspector General PP Singh stressed the significance of the meet, saying "it would be a precursor to future shooters who would bring glory to the country in the days to come".

Asked that the Armed Forces were facing shortage of officers, Bindra said the youth should be encouraged more to take it up as a career.

"I have great respect for the Armed forces. My grandfather was in the Army. I think we need to encourage our youth more and motivate them to join the forces as they offer a secure career full of thrill and adventure and at the same time one can serve the nation the best," Bindra said.

Asked if he had any plans to join the Territorial Army like legendary cricketer Kapil Dev had done, he said there were no such immediate plans though he added if any offer comes his way he would think over it.

On a question pertaining to his rare feat at the Olympics, he said, "I feel happy about it and it gives me a great sense of accomplishment.

"At the same time, I also feel that it (his feat) has brought about biggest change in the mindsets of sportspersons, a big psychological change. More and more sportspersons have started to think in terms of that they can do it too and achieve the best at the highest level. The fact that it has inspired and motivated budding sportspersons, I am happy about that," he said.

Asked that many sportspersons lack support from the system despite having abundant talent, he said, "I know challenges are there, but we are improving.

"I think we need to have more accountability in our system. We will need to set goals and work towards achieving them. Even if we don't achieve them, but what is important is take a clear path and follow that and success will surely come one day," he said, adding "we also need to have support at the grassroot level to have a strong foundation laid".

To a question, Bindra, who is endorsing a leading consumer brand, said few more offers were in the pipeline and soon one would see him endorsing more brands.

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