Olympic gold medalist Abhinav Bindra said India’s shooters should be proud of their performance at the Paris Games, though he believes there was room for "more conversions" into medals.
India secured six medals overall, including three in shooting. Manu Bhaker made history as the first Indian athlete since Independence to win two podium finishes in a single Olympics.
Bhaker won bronze in both the women’s 10m air pistol and the mixed 10m air pistol event with Sarabjot Singh.
Swapnil Kusale added another bronze in the 50m rifle 3 positions event.
"There have been misses, but everyone has fought well," Bindra told Jio Cinema.
He said, "We’d like to see more conversions to medals, but we have a lot to be proud of."
Bindra praised Bhaker for her resilience and her decision to reconcile with coach Jaspal Rana after a challenging period.
"He's a treasure trove of knowledge, a hard taskmaster. I credit Manu for patching up with Jaspal after a difficult couple of years, which is normal in a coach-athlete relationship," Bindra said.
Bindra also highlighted Kusale’s strategic preparation, noting his decision to skip the trip to the opening ceremony in Paris to conserve energy.
"He was very self-aware and didn’t want to waste energy he needed for the competition," Bindra said.
Regarding Arjun Babuta, who finished fourth in the men’s 10m air rifle event, Bindra acknowledged the disappointment but expressed confidence in Babuta’s future.
"He’ll need time to come to terms with it, but that’s life, that’s what sports is all about," Bindra added.
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