Since Abhinav Bindra and Gagan Narang’s heroics on the international stage, shooting has seen a huge surge in interest from fans in India. Nowadays, any Indian sports fan can recite names like Manu Bhaker, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar and Sift Kaur Samra from the tip of their tongue. In Olympic terms, the sport is probably on the same level as cricket for Indian fans. Likewise, India saw plenty of drama in shooting for the Paris Olympics 2024 quotas. One of the main talking points was trap shooter Bhowneesh Mendiratta missing out on a berth. He had bagged India’s first Paris 2024 quota at the 2022 ISSF World Championships, but did not make it to the final team after the national trials. In his place, Prithviraj Tondaiman was given the quota in the category.
At the upcoming Olympics, it will also be the first time that India has secured a quota in every Olympic shooting category. Other than the usual names like Bhaker and Sift, some big names have also missed out on a berth in the Indian shooting contingent. Former world champion Rudrankksh Patil, Tokyo Olympian Divyansh Singh Panwar and Asian Games medallist Ashi Chouksey are some of the big exclusions from the squad. The selection has also created some controversy with Rudrankksh going to the extent of writing to the NRAI. As revealed earlier by Hindustan Times, the 20-year-old cited Sandeep Singh’s inexperience as a reason to send him instead. Patil finished third in the selection trials. Meanwhile, army shooter Sandeep, who doesn’t have much international experience, shocked everyone with a series of high scores in the initial rounds of the trials. He finished ahead of both quota winners Patil and Arjun Babuta, and Tokyo Olympian Divyansh Panwar. Babuta retained his quota but Rudrannksh fell short by decimals.
Speaking to Hindustan Times, 2012 Olympics bronze medallist Gagan Narang put the debate to rest, pointing out that the selection process was ‘fair’ and ‘equal’. In an exclusive interview, the shooting legend felt that the Covid-19 outbreak had a negative impact on India’s shooters as many lost their momentum and form. The 41-year-old also had a special message for two of his students, who will be representing India in Paris. Narang is also India’s Chef de Mission for the Paris Olympics and his experience as an athlete will come in handy. Here are the excerpts-
1. What is your analysis of the performance of Indian shooters at Tokyo Olympics?
I feel we had a good squad in Tokyo, a very young squad and most of them were participating in their first Olympics. When you go to an event of this magnitude, you are bound to get overwhelmed. Many of our shooters were No. 1 in ranking but their momentum was broken by the Covid outbreak. They halted as No. 1s, but when they resumed, the game had changed, the form had changed. They didn’t have time to realise and think about all this. So I don’t blame them. I feel they did the best they could in the circumstances they were put through.
2. Sandeep Singh has been a surprise in the trials. Do you think he can build on it and win a medal in Paris?
Sandeep has proved that he can shoot really high scores, when it mattered the most. I don’t think we can be sure of medals at the Olympics from any athlete. Nobody expected a medal from Vijay Kumar when he went to London, he still got us a silver. You cannot underestimate anyone as every athlete is different and it all depends on their state of mind and the day they perform. I think Sandeep is a very good shooter and a good shooter is always in contention.
3. What are the key differences in the Indian shooting ecosystem between now and when you had started off?
There is a world of differences between when I shot and what it is now. To be precise, it used to be an individual sport and a shooter alone was responsible for his/her results. Having said that, we used to get the federation’s help. The support is now kind of institutionalized and there is constant support and assistance from the government, federation, private sponsors and not-for-profit organisations. There are more and better facilities and ranges, but at the same time, there is a lot of pressure on the shooters as the stakes have gone high.
4. Rudrankksh Patil wrote to the NRAI earlier, citing Sandeep’s inexperience as a reason to send him instead. Do you think that was a good move by Patil and could it further motivate Sandeep?
I don’t think I am the right person to judge what Rudrankksh did was right or wrong. If I step into Rudrankksh’s shoes, I feel he had worked hard in the last three years, became a World Champion and was shooting well. He was unfortunate to see a dip in his form and it is natural to feel bad for not being in the squad after going through the grind, but that is how it is. There is a process to select the team and the quota belongs to the country. The process was followed and Sandeep qualified through a fair process.
There is no right or wrong process, all we have to see is that it gives a fair and equal chance to everyone to prepare and participate ..eventually No process or system can make every individual happy.
5. Even Palak Gulia wrote to the NRAI. Do you think she deserved a spot, as she had already bagged the Paris quota earlier for India.
Again, it is natural for athletes to feel bad, but the quota belongs to the country and everybody is aware of this, even the shooters.
6. Elavenil Valarivan and Ramita Jindal are from your academy, how would you rate their chances for the Olympics?
I would rate them as anybody else would. Fortunately, the scores speak for the athletes in this sport. They have done well to be in the squad, and I am hoping they both, along with the coaches, are working hard to give their best at the Olympics.
7. How do you prepare a shooter in your academy to guarantee Olympic qualification? What is the daily schedule of a shooter in your academy and what makes them different from other shooters from other academies?
There is no guarantee for an Olympic qualification or medals. If it were that simple, we would have sent all our shooters to Paris. Jokes apart, I feel we have a set of coaches, support staff and a curriculum that helps shooters train well and the results become proof of the process. Our goal is to develop processes and systems that provide a conducive environment for overall development of an athlete as an elite .Not just our shooters, even our coaches, physios, mind trainers, they all try to excel and do better than they did a day before. The hunger to beat your own best keeps everyone ready for bigger challenges. This has become a norm at all our academies.
8. What are your expectations from Manu Bhaker for Paris 2024? Are you looking forward to seeing how she performs this time?
I don’t want to put the shooters under pressure by any means. I think Manu is a brilliant shooter. She has won many medals and I am sure she herself knows what she is capable of achieving. She and all other shooters are working really hard and we all are already proud of them. They are the best we have and we should not doubt their ability one bit.. I am definitely looking forward to seeing her at her peak in Paris.
9. How would you rate the Olympics trials which recently took place? Did any shooter catch your eye?
The trials were done as per the policy and I am happy that we got a good team for Paris, based on the parameters set for qualification. I feel the performances at the trials were top class and everybody did their best.
10. Finally, what are your predictions for the Indian shooting team in Paris?
I never like to predict in sport the scenario can change in a millisecond. As a shooter I always wanted to leave no stone unturned and prepare to the best of my ability and delivery my best .. Hoping that my best would be good enough on that day to win… I would be happy to see their body follow their mind and give their best.