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Abhinav Bindra won India’s first ever individual Olympic gold medal on Monday, saying it was a reward for “punching holes in a paper target” all his life.

Bindra, a 25-year-old businessman from Chandigarh, followed his world championship title of two years ago by grabbing the men’s 10m Air Rifle shooting gold medal.

Athens Games champion Zhu Qinan of China won the silver and Henri Hakkinen of Finland the bronze after one of the most thrilling shooting finals in Olympic history.

In the ten rounds, Bindra shot 10.7, 10.3, 10.4, 10.5, 10.5, 10.5, 10.6, 10.0, 10.2 and 10.8 to clinch the gold. Bindra started the finals in third position but improved his performance and consistently shot well to claim the first place defeating China’s Qinan Zhu. Finland’s Henri Hakkinen faltered on the final shot and finished third.

The 25-year old lad from the capital is also Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Awardee. He finished joint-fourth with Romania’s George Alin Moldoveanu in the qualification round. The duo had a score of 596/600. The drought of gold medals for India is over. Bindra has made the entire nation proud. The feeling of national anthem being played at Beijing is thrilling for the country. The entire country erupted in joy and celebrations when the reports of his great victory flashed across the television channels. Emotions are high in India, as tearful people welcomed this great news.

Haryana government has announced a cash reward of Rs 25 lakh for Abhinav Bindra, who bagged the first gold medal for India at the Olympic games at Beijing.

Making this announcement, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, chief minister of the state  today said, “Bindra had made every Indian proud.’’