My son did pick the hockey stick: Abhinav’s dad

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Abhinav Bindra, 25, won the men's 10-meter air rifle competition. Ashok Kumar of Expressindia.com talks to the father of India’s golden boy.

When did you first trace the ‘shooting’ skills of Abhinav?

I spotted his shooting skills when he was just 5 years old.

Abhinav practiced in the specially constructed air-conditioned shooting range in his backyard. Do you think he should have been provided such facilities by the system?

That question is a bit difficult for me to answer. In fact you should ask this question to the Government. To excel, in any kind of sport, at any level, you need certain inputs. Now, these inputs don’t come for free. Someone has to provide these inputs, be it any agency, Government, friends or the family. In Abhinav’s case it was the family, which provided him these inputs. If we were to depend on the Government it was not possible for us.

Do you think if Abhinav were born in some middle class Indian family, would he still have won that gold?

I would like to clarify that there is nothing like middle class or upper class if one really wants to excel in the sport of one’s choice. We did it for the cause, to fulfill the desire of that elusive gold medal for our country.

Abhinav has honed his skills and it has not been an easy journey for him right from the start. He has won some games and lost some, and has been a world champion as well. Some of the victories, which came across his way, gave him the encouragement to move forward in his desire to do something big, like he has done in Olympics by bagging gold for his country.

Abhinav’s grandfather Colonel Bir Singh had played alongside Dhyanchand, the wizard of the sport. Was he never inclined towards hockey even in his childhood?

I will tell you he did pick the hockey stick but he did not find any interest in the game.

Since so much money is involved in this sport, do you think common man can endeavour to venture into it?

Common man is not a common man when it comes to proving skills in the sport. If the common man has the talent and can organise the inputs through some sources then he too can possibly strike success in the sport of his choice.

If not in shooting what other sport most possibly could have Abhinav taken?