A Shot At History: My Obsessive Journey to Olympic Gold

by Abhinav Bindra

I took a long while to comprehend this feeling. Gaby and Heinz came to India, so did Uwe, who wrote me the most sensitive and perceptive letter after Beijing, which in part read: Now you will enter ‘another’ world and the world ‘out there’ does have expectations. You are the only ‘white Bengal tiger’ left in the universal Indian circus. Depression: indeed this is called ‘post victory depression’ and in fact symptoms are very similar and closely associated to ‘post war syndrome’. Your ‘war’ is over… nothing more to fight for! Batteries are done, head is empty, been left ‘alone’ and inner emptiness is prominent… Like sitting in the movies trying to look at your own film and not knowing the script… Nevertheless its part of your ‘new life’. Peace and quietness associated with some relaxing physical activities will create the environment of limiting the depressive moods… If you feel its getting too much consider a ‘time out’…. Don’t try to match up with the Indian society’s hopes and expectations! They will ‘eat you alive’… and I do know a good number of people which did never recover from that experience.