Abhinav Bindra steps down from TOP Committee

Ace Indian shooter Abhinav Bindra on Thursday tendered his resignation as a member of the Target Olympic Podium (TOP) Committee in order to completely divert his focus towards his training and preparation for next year's Rio Olympics.

The 33-year-old Olympics gold medallist stated that he would not be able to spare time to actively contribute towards the scheme due to his grossing schedule for next year's Rio Games.

"As you are aware that the Olympic Games are about 10 months away. I am completely engrossed in my training and preparations. I agreed to be a part of the TOP Scheme as I wanted to make a meaningful contribution to the scheme specially from the view of the athletes," Bindra said in his letter to TOP Committee chairman Anurag Thakur.

"All my life I have always stood for pursuing excellence and being completely committed towards my tasks and goals. Since I will have no time to spare during the next year to actively contribute towards the scheme, I don't feel it appropriate to continue as a member on the committee," Bindra added.

TOP Committee was constituted last year in order to select and help Olympic medal prospect Indian athletes avail government funds for top-class training and foreign exposure for next year's Olympics in Rio.

Bindra was the first Indian to win a gold medal for an individual event in the Olympics, when he won the 10-metre air rifle event in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.