PM Modi congratulates Abhinav Bindra on Olympic Order; IOC to honour him on penultimate day of Paris Olympics

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra on being awarded the prestigious Olympic Order by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

In a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), PM Modi stated, “It makes every Indian proud that Abhinav Bindra has been awarded the Olympic Order. Congratulations to him. Be it as an athlete or a mentor to upcoming sportspersons, he has made noteworthy contributions to sports and the Olympic Movement (SIC).”

The Olympic gold medal-winning shooter received the award on Monday. It was awarded to the sports legend for his outstanding services to the Olympic Movement. The accolade will be officially presented to Abhinav Bindra during the 142nd IOC Session in Paris on August 10. The day is noteworthy as it falls just a day before the concluding ceremony of the Paris Olympics.

Abhinav Bindra secured first place in the men’s 10-metre air rifle event at the 2008 Beijing Games and became India’s first individual Olympic gold medallist. He served as Chair of the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) from 2014 and was its member from 2010 to 2020. Besides this, he has been a member of the IOC Athlete Commission since 2018.

A letter dated July 20, addressed to the 2008 Summer Olympic champion, stated, “It is with great pleasure that I inform you that the IOC Executive Board has decided to award you with the Olympic Order for your outstanding services to the Olympic Movement.”

The Olympic Order is the highest award of the IOC, given for distinguished contributions to the Olympic Movement. It recognises an individual's remarkable and meritorious achievements in sports.

Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, in a post on X, congratulated the sportsperson and said, “Congratulations to Abhinav Bindra on being awarded the Olympic Order for outstanding contributions to the Olympic Movement! “His achievement fills us with pride and is truly well-deserved. His name alone has inspired generations of shooters and Olympians.”

(With agency inputs)