When Abhinav Bindra walked out of the shooting range, almost two hours after the 10m air rifle event got over on Monday afternoon, he was mobbed by Indian journalists. "Guys, I have had enough of this fight with myself ¡ª the whole day. I don't want any more fights please. I will talk to everyone, all of you please come together."
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A row over first right to exclusive bites continued but soon a compromise was worked out. One senior journalist insisted he was 'live'. Bindra took a deep breath and gestured at the cameraman to let it roll.
Pat came the first question: How much does it hurt? "It always hurts, but it was a good showing over all... three Olympic finals. No complaints."
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He continued, on some prompting: "My job is not as easy as yours. But yes, we all make sacrifices. You would have learnt that the sight of my gun broke in the morning, after it fell down. But I had a surplus, so I replaced it. That's life, you try to adapt constantly. I finished fourth here and cannot change it. So why complain and make excuses. And do I have a choice? I'm proud of myself."
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Is he always like that, whispered one. So blank... with a wall around him like a thick blanket?
Another one tried to ask him about his struggles over the past two decades, and Bindra said: "I have had a decent career. So I would like to thank everyone for supporting me. I would want the younger guys to work hard, keep hammering at it."
Well... What next Abhinav? Coaching? "My students will run away in two hours," he joked. On a serious note, he added: "I support 30 young Indian shooters. I just keep telling them to have faith in their abilities. "
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No temptations to return to the range? "I am done." Well, is he done? He said he was a hobby shooter two years ago and almost grabbed a medal here - he sniffed at it, but it floated away. Is he really done?
You ask him then: Will you shoot in your backyard at home? Is it really over? "I will have a vegetable garden there."
Touche! He won't and you know that. No one can take a gun away from a shooter. He will be back there, that backyard of his, and take aim at the target and relive beautiful moments, ugly moments, inspiring moments. He does not know anything else. It's part of his system, like a disease. Take that away and he will bleed.
So we will wait on that one, and leave a question hanging: Will Abhinav Bindra come back again?