Abhinav Bindra, India’s first individual Olympic gold medallist, became the first Indian to be conferred with the Olympic Order.
Bindra was conferred with the prestigious honour for his outstanding service to the Olympic movement as decided by the International Olympic Committee in an Executive Board Meeting in Paris on Saturday.
For the unversed, the Olympic Order is the highest award given by the IOC to a former athlete for their meritorious service. The Beijing 2008 gold medallist was informed about the honour by IOC president Thomas Bach on Monday.
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“It is with great pleasure that I inform you that the IOC Executive Board has today decided to award you with the Olympic Order for your outstanding services to the Olympic November,” IOC President Thomas Bach informed Bindra in a letter on Monday.
The award ceremony will take place on August 10.
“May I take this opportunity to address you my most sincere congratulations on this award. Looking forward to seeing you in Paris,” Bach said in the letter dated July 20, 2024.
