Will decide on Olympics qualification next year: Abhinav Bindra

NEW DELHI: Olympic gold medallist and Asian Games double-bronze medal winning shooter Abhinav Bindra Monday said that he is not thinking too far ahead and will decide next year about his future course of action for the 2016 Rio Olympics qualifiers.

"I will think about it next year. At this moment I don't have any plans. Let's see how it goes. I don't believe in planning much for the future," Bindra told IANS on the sidelines of a programme organised by Samsung to felicitate the 17th Asian Games medal winners, here.

Bindra, 32, had earlier announced his retirement from professional shooting.

"Tomorrow will mark the end of my professional shooting life! I will however still shoot, compete as a hobby shooter training twice a week," he had tweeted Sep 22, a day prior to his participation in the Incheon Asiad.

But then he retracted, clarifying that he is still set on the Rio Olympics.

"And yes I will still try to be at rio and my bio is now most appropriate ! Great times and am sure there will be a few more!"

He won two bronze medals for India at the Asian Games in Incheon, in the 10m Air Rifle team individual and team events.

In 2008, he became the first Indian to win an individual gold medal at the Olympics, claiming top spot in the 10m Air Rifle event at the Beijing Games.

He is the also first and only Indian to have held both the World and Olympic titles at the same time, a feat accomplished by winning at Beijing and at the ISSF World Shooting Championships in 2006.