Beijing, Aug 11: Each and every Indian is proud of this special moment. 100 crores of Indians were eagerly waiting for this moment for the past 60 years. A gold medal for India in Olympics.

Even as the country celebrates its first ever individual gold at the Olympics, Abhinav Bindra sported a wry smile. His expressions betrayed the enormity of his achievement. A look at his career shows that he is no stranger to success at global arena.Bindra proved to be an early bird and, at 15, was the youngest participant at the 1998 Commonwealth Games.

He first made waves when he made a junior world record score of 597/600 in 2001 Munich World Cup and won a bronze there. He hit a purple patch that year, winning six gold medals at various international meets in the European Circuit in 2001. In recognition of his efforts, he was awarded the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna in 2001.

Still in his teens, he won gold in 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games to become the first Indian shooter to win a World Championship gold.

In the 2004 Athens Olympics, despite breaking the Olympics record, Bindra failed to win a medal.

However he rebounded and created history on July 24, 2006 by becoming the first Indian shooter to win a World Championship gold in Zagreb.

Now by winning the gold at the Beijing Olympics, he has really raised hopes for a brighter future for individual sports in sports.

OneIndia News