Abhinav Bindra won GOLD

India’s Abhinav Bindra won a gold in men’s 10-metre Air Rifle event in Beijing. Bindra shot 104.5 to take his total to 700.5 in the final. This is India’s first ever Olympic gold in any individual event and ninth in total.

In ten rounds, Bindra shot 10.7, 10.3, 10.4, 10.5, 10.5, 10.5, 10.6, 10.0, 10.2, 10.8 to clinch the first berth. China’s Qinan Zhu won silver while Finland’s Henri Hakkinen won bronze.

Bindra had shot a total of 596 out of 600, shooting a perfect 100 in 3 of the 6 rounds of the qualifiers. Bindra finished 4th to qualify 2 points behind Henri Hakkinen of Finland.

Abhinav Bindra won GOLD MEDAL

I will carry Olympic torch: Aamir

After footballer Baichung Bhutia backed out on the Tibet issue, Bollywood star Aamir Khan on Tuesday agreed to run with the Olympic torch here though he empathizes with the Tibetan people and feels the games “do not belong to China”.

Declining requests not to take part in the relay, he asked them “to understand that when I do run with the torch on April 17, it is not in support of China. In fact, it will be with a prayer in my heart for the people of Tibet“.

The Indian Olympic Association has roped in celebrities like the actor, former supercop Kiran Bedi and tennis ace Leander Paes although Bhutia has declined to run in the event citing the Tibetan issue.

Former Olympic football captain P K Banerjee has also decided to participate, despite his failing health (given that he is 71) as it is a matter of pride for him.

Aamir said in a statement posted on his weblog, “I have the highest regard for the struggle that the people of Tibet are going through. I completely empathise with them“.