Abhinav Bindra Awarded Olympic Order by IOC in Paris

Tags: Sports News

Abhinav Bindra, India's first individual Olympic Gold medalist, received the prestigious Olympic Order from the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

An Overview of the News

• The award was presented at the 142nd IOC Session in Paris and is the highest honor given by the IOC for extraordinary contributions to the Olympic Movement.

Historic Achievements

• Bindra became the first Indian to win an individual Olympic Gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the men’s 10m air rifle event.

• He also holds the distinction of being the first Indian to win a World Championship Gold in Air Rifle Shooting.

• Throughout his career, Bindra won over 150 individual medals and was awarded the Blue Cross, the highest honor by the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF), in 2018.

Post-Retirement Contributions

• Bindra chaired the ISSF Athletes Committee for eight years and continues to serve as a member of the IOC Athlete Commission and Education Commission.

• His commitment to the sport extends beyond his competitive career, with significant contributions to the development of sports and athletes globally.

Abhinav Bindra Foundation Trust (ABFT)

• Bindra founded the Abhinav Bindra Foundation Trust (ABFT), a nonprofit organization focused on supporting grassroots athletes in India through advanced sports science technology.

• The foundation plays a crucial role in nurturing the next generation of athletes in India.

Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP)

• Under Bindra’s leadership, the Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP) was launched in Odisha in 2022 and Assam in 2023, in partnership with the IOC's Olympic Foundation for Culture and Heritage (OFCH).

• OVEP aims to instill core Olympic values in over 11,000 schools, impacting more than 1 million children, with a goal of reaching 13 million schoolchildren by 2025, positioning India as a leader in values-based education.

International Olympic Committee (IOC)

• Non-governmental sports organization

• Based in Lausanne, Switzerland.

• Governs National Olympic Committees (NOCs).

• Oversees the worldwide Olympic Movement.

  • Formation - 23 June 1894

  • Founders - Pierre de Coubertin, Demetrios Vikelas

  • Headquarters - Olympic House, Lausanne, Switzerland

  • President - Thomas Bach