The News Minute | September 22, 2014 | 04:19 pm IST
The first Indian to win an individual gold medal at the Olympic Games has formally announced his retirement. Abhinav Singh Bindra, ace Indian shooter, on Monday took to Twitter to announce his retirement from professional shooting.
He, however, added that he will 'compete as a hobby shooter training twice a week'.
In 2006, he clinched the world championship gold in the 10 m air rifle event at the ISSF World Shooting Championship at Zagreb (Croatia), the first ever gold medal for the country in shooting.
A report in Thaindian News states that in 2008, 'the 25-year-old rifleman came up with a near perfect 10.8 in his final shot to ensure a top podium finish in the 10-metre air rifle event at the Beijing Shooting Range Hall. Bindra’s gold came 28 years after India last won it at the 1980 Moscow Olympics when the men’s hockey team came on top of the heap.'
Tomorrow will mark the end of my professional shooting life ! I will however still shoot , compete as a hobby shooter training twice a week.
— Abhinav Bindra (@Abhinav_Bindra) September 22, 2014And yes I will still try to be at rio and my bio is now most appropriate ! Great times and am sure there will be a few more !
— Abhinav Bindra (@Abhinav_Bindra) September 22, 2014