Surprised, it took so long... hope it’s changed forever now: Bindra

Chandigarh, August 16: In terms of behaviour, Saddam doesn’t live up to his name or size. This ferocious looking Tibetan Mastiff doesn’t have even a figment of menacing air around him and is the favourite pet of Abhinav Bindra. Even as six of his other pet dogs of different breeds created a racket in an attempt to vie for his attention on Saturday morning when he returned to his ten-acre home, Saddam got the first pat and fondle.

Abhinav’s friends tell that its cool composure makes Saddam so endearing to him. “Abhinav himself has always been ice cool. Nothing would ever ruffle him,” says Sukhmanpreet Sidhu, childhood friend, schoolmate and teammate in Punjab shooting team. His sangfroid might be pretty obvious to people he has grown old with, but to a nation that has gone in a frenzy over his achievement, his reticence and calmness appear odd.

The man himself though just can’t understand what the fuss is about. “Acclaim and honour are justified, but to be honest the whole hype around me is a bit ridiculous,” says Bindra.

Try reason with him by explaining the enormity of his achievement. Isn’t it one of those times when hype is justified, when victory means much more than a mere sporting achievement? All countries have seen moments like this. Jesse Owens’ victories at Berlin in 1936 were much more than an athletic feat as America rejoiced over the ineptness of the Fuhrer’s superior race theory. Maradona’s twin goals against English in Mexico 1986 were treated by Argentines as nemesis for Falkland wars. So aren’t the reactions of Indians understandable as they feel that they finally cast off the albatross, which perennially mocked them as a country of one billion people and no gold medal?

Even before he arrived, the media was there outside his home. His cavalcade included family’s choicest sedans (Bindras own close to a dozen private cars) including a Volvo SUV, a Mercedes and a Skoda. The 10 private security guards hired by his father had a tough time in shooing the media and admirers away. Once home, he joined his family in a joint prayer at the house’s in-built gurdwara.

In fact, his father A S Bindra ensured that all that Abhinav ever wanted was present in his house only. So this farmhouse with backdrop of Shivaliks where his pets have air-conditioned kennels has Abhinav’s private shooting range, a personal swimming pool and a gymnasium along with other amenities.

... contd.