Honoured to carry Olympic flame at Winter Olympics: Bindra

Olympic gold medallist shooter Abhinav Bindra on Thursday said he is “truly humbled” and “honoured” after carrying the Olympic torch ahead of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, describing it as a symbol of unity and perseverance.

The Winter Olympics begin on Friday at Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo in Italy.

“Honoured to carry the Olympic flame at @milanocortina26. A symbol of unity, perseverance, and shared human aspiration,” Bindra wrote on ‘X’ along with a few pictures taken on a rainy day.

Bindra, a gold winner in the 10m air rifle event in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, was selected as one of the torch-bearers in October last year.

The Winter Olympics will conclude on February 22, 2026.

This will be the fourth Winter Olympics to be hosted by Italy. The edition will feature 116 medal events across 16 disciplines, an increase of seven events and one discipline from Beijing 2022.