Abhinav Bindra, India's legendary shooter, was bestowed with the esteemed Olympic Order award by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on August 10. Notably, Bindra happens to the country's first individual Olympic gold medallist and received the honour at the 142nd IOC Session in Paris before the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics 2024.
To put things into perspective and realise the gravity what Bindra has achieved, the Olympic Order which was established in 1975, recognises individuals who have made stellar contributions to the Olympic movement. It is the highest honour that is bestowed by the IOC and Bindra is the only Indian to receive this to date.
But Why Did IOC Choose Abhinav Bindra?
Bindra has been given the prestigious Olympic Order recognition as much for his on the field achievement as for his off the field work. Apart from being the first individual gold medallist in the Olympics for India, he is also the first Indian with a World Championship gold in air rifle shooting. That is far from it, over the course of his illustrious career, Bindra won 150 medals.
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A long servant of the game, Bindra received the Blue Cross recognition in 2018 which happens to be the highest honour by the International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF). Off the field, Bindra has made rich contributions in the field of sports governance, having served as the chairman of the ISSF Athletes Committee for eight years.
In addition, Bindra is the founder of the Abhinav Bindra Foundation Trust (ABFT), a nonprofit organisation which workds entirely for the support of the grassroot athletes in India. The trust was formed after Bindra retired from professional shooting.
Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP) is another major programme which has come to life under Bindra's leadership. Of course, the International Olympic Committee's Olympic Foundation for Culture and Heritage (OFCH) and state governments in Odisha and Assam have helped Bindra in this vision which aims to instil the OIympic values of excellence, friendship and respect in over 11,000 schools.
The Odisha Ridley Forest Project, an intiative of the ABFT, reflects Bindra's commitment to sustainability and environment. The project is aimed at preserving the natural habitat of the Olive Ridley turtles along the coastline of the west Indian state. Meanwhile, Bindra has been elected as the Second Vice-Chair of the IOC Athletes Commission.