The next day after Abhinav Bindra fetched India’s first ever individual Olympic gold medal after 108 years by winning the yellow metal in men’s 10m air rifle shooting, ‘China Daily’ ran a front page story with headline ‘One day in the life of a nation of 1.1b people’ with the Chandigarh-lad and his coach Gabriele Buhlmann’s picture in it.

A lot of people, including journalists, in Beijing and in India were amused by that story. Some accepted the plain truth and some swore the Chinese for poking fun.

The biggies of the Indian Olympic Association and other sports federations chose not react apparently accepting the plain truth (or playing the role of good guests?)

But much has been written on the personality of the Chandigarh lad who had given the one-billion people that one day to smile.
He was called incredibly unexcitable, arrogant lad who achieved success because of his rich father who built a world-class shooting range at his palatial Zirakpur home at the outskirts of Chandigarh, baby-faced loner who muttered only one-liners.

His now famous quote that after winning the gold he felt he was at the top of a mountain where there was nothing but emptiness as reflecting his lonely character. Even the name of his dogs became topics of national discussion.

I also initially thought this lad, who claims that he did nothing except shooting in the last 13 years, could be a snob, a typical Richie-rich but after watching his interviews on television and reading about him on newspapers; it is like I would give him a benefit of doubt (not using as a cricket term against which Abhinav has spoken out for being as the most favoured sport of the media though he is a Sachin Tendulkar fan).

This 25-year-old ‘most eligible bachelor’ (in the words of his own mother) could be someone who would not easily open up at the first meeting but a normal person among close friends. There is no fault in that as lots of people are like that.

He said he was born like a poker face so he could not do anything if he did not show emotions on the victory podium when the national anthem was sung and tri-colour fluttered at the medal presentation ceremony (remember Leander Paes weeping in Atlanta in a similar situation after winning bronze in tennis).

“I’m not a drama person. I’m not a Bollywood actor or something. I’m not the type to jump up and down. I was calm and composed because I realise that there is very little difference between winning and losing and I appreciate the fact that others also work hard and I respect that. I was happy and I was enjoying the moment,” he said.

Read his interview where he said his daily routine and the failures and success in his career had made him a sportsperson who would not care about losing or winning but would only want to give his best without thinking of the result.

“I never took it too seriously. Even winning I don’t take so seriously and even defeat I don’t like to take too seriously. At the end of it what is important is to give it your best shot … to prepare to the best of your ability. That’s all what you can do. What more can you do? I mean, winning requires so many little things to go right and you don’t have control over every little detail. So as long as you prepare to the best of your ability and work hard, I think that in itself is victory and that in itself gives you the most amount of satisfaction … If you achieve it or not, it’s alright as long as you have given it your best.”

We have not experienced a situation like Abhinav had gone through, so I am ready to buy his argument that he did not want to act like in a drama or like a Bollywood actor and he was not the person to get emotional after he won gold.

Abhinav, you can be anybody — an introvert or a youth icon — but thank you for the one day in the life of one billion people.