Indian shooting icon Abhinav Bindra was awarded the prestigious Olympic Order for his "distinguished contribution" to the Olympic movement.
Bindra, who became India's first-ever Olympic individual gold medallist in the 2008 Beijing Games with his top finish in the 10m air rifle event, was conferred with the honour by the International Olympic Committee during its 142nd Session here on Saturday.
“When I was a young boy, it was these Olympic rings, which gave meaning to my life,” Bindra said.
“And it was a privilege to be able to pursue my Olympic dream for over two decades. After my athletic career, it has been a great passion of mine to try and contribute back to the Olympic Movement. It has been a privilege and an honour,” he added.
The 41-year-old, who is also the vice chair of the IOC Athletes' Commission, said, the award will inspire him to continue to work even harder and keep contributing to the Olympic Movement.
The Olympic Order, established in 1975, is the highest award of the Olympic Movement. It is awarded to individuals for their distinguished contributions to the Olympic Movement.
Bindra appeared at the Summer Games in five editions, beginning in Sydney in 2000. He made his mark for the first time at Athens in 2004 when he made it to the final of the men's 10m air rifle.
In Beijing 2008, he beat defending champion Zhu Qinan of China to win the gold medal. He also made the final at Rio 2016 but finished fourth.
Bindra has been a part of the IOC Athletes' Commission since 2018.
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