Sunday, January 11, 2009

Sikhs and Olympics

Sikh shooter wins first ever individual gold for India at OlympicsAbhinav Bindra's father says Gold proves Singh Is King, indeed
Sikh press Bureau


As the world\'s biggest sporting extravaganza unfolds across the planet and billions of eyeballs get fixated on the best and the brightest, the Sikh community has many a reason to be proud. India celebrates the end of a drought as Abhinav Bindra shot for his country its first ever individual gold. He hails from a Sikh family. But what gives even more heart to the Sikh community is that the Beijing Olympics gave an opportunity to the community to celebrate the faith rising above national boundaries. The picture below of turbaned smart young Sardars is from the Opening Ceremony parade, all representing Canada.

The idea of wearing turbans was a considered thought. Sikhs in Canada's squad wanted to challenge this whole \'Identity\' issue that ties them down to India origins. You can wear a turban and still be Canadian, or American, or British. A turban is an article of faith for the Sikhs, not an Indian national symbol. The march of the turbaned players was a celebration of the arrival of the immigrant, of multiculturalism\'s victory and of the great spirit of Human Rights that nations like Canada embody. The message that the non-Indian Sikhs marching in Beijing Olympics 2008 gave to India was clear: Learn cultural pluralism, respect Human Rights, celebrate your minorities and be humane. It is more important than being nuclear, or even shooting Gold. Of course, we celebrate Abhinav Bindra too.

BEIJING(CHINA) / ZIRAKPUR(PUNJAB): A 25-year-old Sikh from Punjab has won the first ever individual gold medal for India at the Olympics, shooting in the 10m air rifle event at the Beijing Games in Beijing on Monday. Abhinav Bindra shot an overall score of (596+140.5) 700.5 in a thrilling finale which went right down to the last shot and proved, as his father said, that Singh Is King indeed. The gold comes hours after his family members and a large number of citizens held public prayers a Chandigarh gurdwara, wishing for the success of the man many had hoped will bring laurels to his community and state.

The silver in the event went to Chinese Zhu Qinan (699.7) while Finland\'s Henri Hakkinen (699.4) had to be content with a bronze.

Bindra improved upon silver medal feat of double trap shooter Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore in Athens 2004. India and Sikhs everywhere exploded in frenzied celebrations and the mood in Chandigarh and elsewhere on the roads was exciting as strangers were seen congratulating each other.

Bindra, a Khel Ratna awardee, had earlier won the gold medal in 2002 Commonwealth Games in the pairs event and silver in the individual event.

In Zirakpur (Punjab), his father Dr AS Bindra, said he had been waiting for this moment for years.

\"We are feeling on top of the world and we cannot put our joy in words. He has done the nation proud and also his city Chandigarh,\" Abhinav\'s parents Dr A S Bindra and Babli Bindra told reporters at their farmhouse on the outskirts of the city.

"My son has proved that \'Singh is King\' in a real sense. He has brought laurels for the whole Sikh community and for the whole nation,\" said father A.S. Bindra.

Dr Bindra said after spending huge sum of money on Abhinav\'s training and other stuff and then hard work put in by the champion had finally borne fruit on Monday.

Abhinav\'s been a tale of sweat and hard work, stuff that is perhaps common to all champions. He overcame a back problem to achieve such a rare feat. Her mother, overcome with emotion, said she had a gut feeling that her son would pull off. Of course, mothers always know better. Chandigarh obviously will now be waiting for big time celebrations and Union as well as the city government were mulling over huge gifts to shower on the star son.

Abhinav Bindra was only 12-year-old and after years of training at home, the Bindras decided to send him to the German School of Shooting. \"He has been in some fine form over the last few months and I guess he will face a stiff competition in Beijing. His event is in the morning, so we all will be glued to our TV sets," Dr Bindra had said on Sunday, speaking during a prayer ceremony for Abhinav organized at Sector 8 gurdwara in Chandigarh.


At the Sydney Olympics, Abhinav was the youngest Indian participant but it was during the Manchester Commonwealth Games that Abhinav hogged the limelight by winning the gold in Pairs event. It was followed by a heart-breaking performance in Athens Olympics where he finished seventh despite breaking the Olympic record. "Abhinav could not forget Athens for a long time. It was bit later in the finals that he realized that he was standing on a faulty board but it was too late. He broke the Olympic record, but was not satisfied with the seventh-place finish.

He had won the gold medal in 2006 World Cup. He has been training hard and his coaches Gaby Bulhman, Timothy Harkness and Uwe Riesters were confident that he will put his best foot forward this time.


Sikh Press


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