Former World and Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra has accepted the honour of carrying the national flag in the opening ceremony of the Olympics on August 5, in Rio de Janeiro, says a report in The Hindu.

The Beijing Games gold medallist, the 32-year-old Bindra who will be appearing in his fifth straight Olympics, had politely declined the request to carry the flag at the London Olympics as it was too close to his event. “Yes, I have accepted. It is my last Games. Was going to go to the opening ceremony in any case,” said Bindra when contacted by The Hindu , on his response for the Indian Olympic Association’s request to be the flag-bearer for the Games.

Meanwhile, according to a report in the Indian Express, Bindra, India’s only individual Olympic gold medallist, has decided to retire after the Rio Olympics. On Friday, he tweeted: “As my sporting career which lasted 20 years draws to a close on the 8th of August, this is indeed special.”

“He was eager about air rifle and the first few days, he would make sure that he spent extra time at my home. Seven months after he started, he won his first gold medal in Chandigarh before winning gold in Punjab Sub-Junior Championships. The same year we went to Ahmedabad where he won the gold with a score of 600/600. Some of the shooters wondered how this boy could do that. He has given India what she wanted for decades and nobody can replace him in Indian sports history,” said Col JS Dhillon, his coach for initial years.