The International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach has thanked champion shooters Abhinav Bindra and Niccolo Campriani for their project ‘Taking Refugee’, under which they are helping refugee athletes to qualify for the Tokyo Games.

Bindra had hosted two refugee shooters — Khaoula and Mahdi — at his Foundation in Bengaluru in December last year.

Bindra, India’s only individual Olympic gold medallist, is actively involved in the project along with his Italian friend Campriani.

Through the initiative, the duo aims to train the refugee shooters in air rifle and help them participate with the Refugee Olympic team, which made its debut at the 2016 Rio Olympics.