INDIA’S FIRST-EVER individual Olympic gold medallist, Abhinav Bindra, has been selected as a torchbearer for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics Torch Relay. Bindra, who also carried the flame for the Paris 2024 Olympics in France last year, continues to represent India’s enduring connection with the Olympic movement.
In keeping with Olympic tradition, the sacred flame is transferred from Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the ancient Olympic Games, to the host city of the upcoming edition. The flame, lit using the sun’s rays during a traditional ceremony at the Temple of Hera in Olympia, will journey through Greece before being handed over to the Milano Cortina 2026 Organising Committee in Athens on 4 December. From there, it will travel to Rome to begin its nationwide journey across Italy.
Spanning 63 days, the relay will cover 12,000 kilometres and make 60 official stops, reaching all 110 provinces of Italy. A total of 10,001 torchbearers will participate in carrying the flame across the country before it arrives at the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Games on 6 February 2026. The relay aims to promote peace, unity, and the Olympic values of friendship, excellence, and respect, while celebrating the cultural and historical richness of the host nation.
Bindra, who remains deeply involved in the Olympic movement following his celebrated sporting career, serves as a long-standing member of the IOC Athletes’ Commission and was appointed an IOC Mental Health Ambassador earlier this year.
Commenting on being chosen as torchbearer, Bindra said, “Truly humbled to be chosen as a torchbearer for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Torch Relay. The Olympic flame has always held a special place in my heart – a symbol of dreams, perseverance, and the unity that sport brings to our world. To carry it once again is both an honour and a beautiful reminder of what sport makes possible. Thank you, Milano Cortina 2026 for this incredible honour.”
