India celebrates first solo Olympic gold

India's first ever individual Olympic gold medal won on Monday was greeted at home with disbelief and joy -- as well as renewed hope the country could break with its total obsession with cricket.

Abhinav Bindra, a 25-year-old businessman, was lavished with praise and a huge cash bonanza after taking gold in the men's 10m Air Rifle, in one of the most thrilling shooting finals in Olympic history.

India, winners of eight field hockey golds, had never won an individual Olympic title before Bindra's feat.

"This is an individual medal. It's a greater achievement. I was the captain of a team that won a gold but this is far bigger," said Vasudevan Bhaskaran, captain of the Indian hockey team that won gold at the Moscow Games in 1980.

Tributes were sent by President Pratibha Patil, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and ruling Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi, while Bindra's family home in Chandigarh in northern India was thronged with well-wishers.

"Abhinav has shown the world that an Indian can also stand on the podium," said Indian track and field legend P.T. Usha, whose best was an Asian Games gold.

Several Indian states were quick to announce cash awards totalling four million rupees (95,000 dollars), with an additional three million rupees from the central government and 2.5 million from an unlikely donor -- the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

"Hearty congratulations to Abhinav Bindra for winning India's first ever individual gold medal at the Olympics. He has done the country proud," BCCI president Sharad Pawar said.

India is currently facing its four-yearly dilemma of watching cricket or switching to the Olympics -- although this time the Beijing extravaganza appears to have gained ground.

A poll conducted by one of the Games sponsors found that almost 70 percent of city-bred Indians will closely follow the action in Beijing despite a clash with India's cricket tour of Sri Lanka.

本周一，印度迎来了本国历史上首枚个人项目奥运金牌，举国民众不敢相信，却为之欢欣鼓舞——同时也为打破板球运动独霸印度的局面带来一线希望。

商人出身、现年25岁的阿比纳夫•宾德拉斩获男子10米气步枪金牌，同时也因此赢得赞扬和巨额现金奖励。这是奥运史上最激动人心的射击决赛之一。

在宾德拉之前，印度曾是八届奥运会曲棍球金牌获得者，但是一直与奥运会个人金牌无缘。

曾获1980年莫斯科奥运会曲棍球冠军的印度曲棍球队队长瓦苏德万•巴斯卡兰说：“这是一枚个人金牌，是一项更伟大的成就。虽然我曾是奥运冠军队的队长，但这枚金牌的意义更加重大。”

印度总统卡帕蒂尔、总理辛格和国大党主席索尼亚•甘地纷纷致电表示祝贺。与此同时，在印度南部昌迪加尔市宾德拉的家里挤满了前来道贺的人。

印度田径传奇人物P•T•乌莎说：“阿比纳夫向全世界证明，印度人也可以站在领奖台上。”她的最好成绩是亚运会冠军。

印度好几个州立即宣布将提供总额高达400万卢比（合9.5万美元）的现金奖励，此外，中央政府将颁发奖金300万卢比。出人意料的是，印度板球管理委员会也将发放250万卢比奖金。

印度板球管理委员会主席夏拉德•帕沃说：“衷心祝贺阿比纳夫•宾德拉获得印度首枚奥运会个人金牌。他是我们国家的骄傲。”

印度人民目前正面临他们四年一次的抉择，接着看板球还是改看奥运。不过，这一次北京的体育盛宴似乎已经占了上风。

据某奥运赞助商进行的民意调查显示，在北京奥运会比赛与印度和斯里兰卡的板球对决相冲突的情况下，有近70%的印度城市居民表示会密切关注北京奥运会。