Desire to know, attention to every detail will be key
Abhinav Bindra tells his younger self Olympic dream is an obsessive search that will define you
Dear 14-year-old Abhinav,
I sit here today knowing you better than you know yourself and that’s what makes writing to you all that more difficult. But, ‘difficult’ has never scared you and it doesn’t scare me either.
By now, you have already experienced a lot. You started off as a lively, gregarious kid but then slowly became insular, happier to assemble scale models of planes and ships one tiny piece at a time while the other kids ran around the neighbourhood playing. You don’t know yet but this attention to detail, to assembly, the desire to understand how the little things work — these are your friends and allies of the future.
You often say you hate sports but you are already proof that there is a sport for everyone. Colonel Dhillon, who is coaching you right now, will be the giant on whose shoulders you will always stand on. His will be that voice that gives you belief — whether at the upcoming inter-district event or the Olympics. Use every minute you have with him productively.
Papa will always be your biggest fan and will make sure no stone is left unturned in your path. Mama will play an equally important but different role in unquestioning, private ways that you will begin to understand much later. Divya will be the sort of sister who says enough but not too much to show her love and support. This will be your core group, in good times and bad.
Yours cannot be the conventional story of adversity to redemption. Never mind. You do this for yourself. You will need to earn your every success and no one else can do it for you. This will make you the man you aspire to be. I will tell you no more because that would spoil the fun. If you knew the future, you may not go on the obsessive search that will define you.
You will meet many people along the way. Some who want you to succeed, others not so much. Coaches like Uwe (Riesterer), Gaby (Gabriele Bühlmann) and Heinz (Reinkemeier) will shake your foundations and help you rediscover yourself. They will show you, in their own unique ways, how little you know about shooting, and about yourself. You won’t like them, you may even use the word “hate”. But respect them you will. And learning from them is inevitable. In the sport that you have chosen, it is obvious that you will dream of Olympic gold. No Indian has ever achieved it in an individual sport. You will be reminded of this again and again. What you have the power to do could change what it means to be an Indian. No pressure there, but all I want to say is that the quest is worthy and you are an equally worthy contender.
May the force be with you. Best, Abhinav Bindra