I was ready to quit after Athens, says Bindra

Beijing: Abhinav Bindra won India's first-ever individual Olympic gold medal when he claimed the men's 10m air rifle shooting title in Beijing on August 11. Bindra followed his world championship title two years ago to finally win a landmark gold medal for his country. The ace shooter spoke to CNN-IBN's Digvijay Singh Deo about his feat.

Digvijay Singh Deo: It is the dream of every athlete to be an Olympic champion and you are living that dream.

Abhinav Bindra: Certainly I am.

Digvijay Singh Deo: It's been a long journey. Isn't it Abhinav. When you sit back today a day after your competition and think what ever has happened. It's been a hard work getting here.

Abhinav Bindra: Sure. It has not come easy and I have worked very hard for it. I'm just glad that it has happened. I went for it and was committed to it and it went my way.

Digvijay Singh Deo: You had said that you were not in the best form when you came to Beijing, but how did you psyche yourself up. Once you were in that range you were just shooting perfect and your qualification set the tone. We saw that. When you start off very well, you finish very well. It happened in Athens also.

Abhinav Bindra: Yes, I have not been in the best of form. I could be better. But having said that I was good enough even at the present form. I believed that I was good enough to win. I just believed to win and just believed in that and went for it.

Digvijay Singh Deo: It is also because of the training as you have been training abroad for a long time and it takes a lot of sacrifice spending time away from family. You really involve your self a lot in training. That's all paying off. That is worth it.

Abhinav Bindra: Yes you have to sacrifice. Now everything sounds good and everything worked out but it could have been the other way. You don't really know. Your sport is unforgiving and you don't really know what's really going to happen the next moment. I have been committed to it and it has paid off.

Digvijay Singh Deo: In Athens you were in finals, you had a good score but things didn't happen accordingly. You were quite shaken up also. To come back from that did you tell yourself should I continue in this sport, should I come back, what do I need to do. You were telling earlier I need to give the Olympics one more shot.

Abhinav Bindra: No. I was ready to quit after Athens but for some reason I took the plunge and went for it again for four years. I was committed to it and I am glad that it went my way now.

Digvijay Singh Deo: Very satisfied now? You have achieved all you have to. You have got the Khel Ratna, Commonwealth, Asiad - almost every medal in your event.

Abhinav Bindra: I am pretty pleased.

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