Olympic gold medalist Abhinav Bindra was honored with the Olympic Order by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Monday. He was awarded the highest honor for “outstanding services to the Olympic Movement”. He will be given the honor at a ceremony at the 142nd IOC Session, which will take place in Paris on August 10.
“Bindra is the first Indian to win a gold medal in an individual event at the Olympic Games”. He achieved this feat by winning the gold medal in the men’s 10 meter air rifle event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. After retiring from sports after Rio 2016, Bindra has actively promoted sports through his foundation – “Abhinav Bindra Foundation”. The Foundation primarily focuses on applying sports science and developing the Indian sports ecosystem.
what is the olympic order
The Olympic Order was established in 1975 and is presented to personalities for outstanding services to the Olympic movement.
The order is classified into three grades – gold, silver and bronze. Gold is reserved for heads of state and exceptional circumstances. Its ceremony takes place at the end of the games. Gymnast and five-time Olympic gold medalist Nadia Conner was awarded the order twice. In fact, former Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi was also awarded the Gold Olympic Order in 1983.
