Done with shooting , I may turn my backyard range into vegetable garden: Abhinav Bindra

Rio de Janeiro: Saying that he was very serious about his planned retirement ace shooter Abhnav Bindra said that  he will not have anything to do with the  sport  now. “I will not indulge even in hobby shooting. It  is over and done with.”   Talking to media persons after finishing fourth in the 10m air rifle event here  Abhinav said he  has yet to decide what he will do for a living .   “Why you people are so curious about my future. It has not  been more than an hour  for the  Olympic event in which I took part and you are asking me what I will in future   adding : "If I start coaching, my students will run away in two hours," He made it clear that   though   he has yet to  chalk out his future plan , but shooting would not be any part of it, even as a hobby. About  his   missing the medal by a  whisker  , Abhinav said  he  did his best  but   my  all efforts could not get me the medal, This is life, This  is sports  .   He admitted that not getting a medal did "hurt a little bit", but added "that's life. It's part and parcel of the game".   Abhinav surprisingly looked very relaxed after the tense match and was forth coming with answers to all the queries by the media persons.   To a query whether he will be at least shooting in his backyard range, he: gave a very amusing reply “I am turning that into a vegetable garden.   Are you serious? he was asked, "don't I look like a serious person," he shot back.   Media persons wanted to know how could he be so cool and unruffled after narrowly losing an Olympic medal, "What else can I do. What do you want me to do, start crying?" he replied adding, "Yes, I did well." Coming fourth in Olympics was not a mean achievement he had earlier said minutes after conceding the bronze in a play-off. "One tries to shoot the best in every shot."   The only gold medalist India had produced an individual event, Abhinav said after twenty years, five Olympics and  a gold medal  he deserved to take it easy.   Smiling and joking with the reporters outside the shooting arena because non-rights holding TV crews are not allowed inside, he said he had to work hard and practice constantly for Olympics as "my job is not as easy as yours".   Interestingly when two TV presenters were trying to pull him away towards their own cameras, he told them: "I have been struggling with myself all morning, I can't struggle for you. You decide among yourself."   To a question as to how he kept on going, despite some injuries over the last couple of year, Bindra said: "I think motivation is very intrinsic thing. I wanted to do well trying to overcome challenges, have faith and live in hope."   He said the sight of the original gun, made especially for the Rio Olympics, had broken when it fell in the morning, so he had use the spare gun. But he did not think that had any effect.     So how would he give back to the profession or help the young, he was asked. "I already help about 30 young shooters through my foundation. I will do my best for them," he said. His message for the young: "Work hard, persist and succeed."   Asked about the future of Indian shooting, he said he would wait and watch. "May be next time I will come to the Olympics as a journalist. Anyone willing to give me a job?" he asked with a broad smile. (The writer is a senior sports journalist)