Gagan plans shooting stars from Hyderabad
Nine years after shooting a bronze at the London Games, Gagan Narang is gung-ho about the Olympics again. No, he’s not wielding the gun in Tokyo but has loads of hopes in the 15-strong contingent, a fair bit of which is made up of his protegees.
This is India’s largest event participation in shooting at the Olympics, where the tri-colour will flutter at 15 medal events in 50m Rifle, 10m Air Rifle, 25m Rapid Fire Pistol, 10m
Air Pistol, Trap and Skeet.
Gagan’s biggest bet is Elavenil Valarivan, who will train her guns in the
10m air rifle women and mixed team events.
The 21-year-old is World
No.1 and goes into the competition as a firm favourite. A trainee at Gagan’s Gun For Glory academy, Elavenil is likely to trigger joy for India as she bids to set the Asaka Shooting Range on fire.
Tejaswini Sawant, supported by Gagan Narang Sports Promotion Foundation, is another hope in the 50m Rifle 3 Positions event.
Besides, Apurvi Chandela (10m Air Rifle) and Rahi Sarnobat (25m Sports Pistol) have been associated with Gagan’s academy on their way up the sport. There are two in the Paralympics as well — Swaroop Unhalkar and Rubina Francis.
India also has high hopes on world number ones Yashaswini Deswal and Abhishek Verma (air pistol) and world number twos Manu Bhaker, Saurabh Chaudhary (both air pistol) and Divyansh Singh Panwar (air rifle). Anjum Moudgil is world No.3 in the rifle category.
“We are working on talent search and grassroot development and hope to bring shooting to the level of badminton in Hyderabad,” Gagan said in a media interaction on
Wednesday at Gun For Glory Shooting Academy at the SATS Shooting Range in Gachibowli, Hyderabad.
“Hyderabad should be the base for at least half of the Indian team at the next Olympics,” Gagan added.
Telangana Sports Minister V. Srinivas Goud promised all help from the State government. “Gagan has contributed a lot to Telangana as well as Indian sport. We will upgrade facilities not just here but all over the state for the benefit of sportspersons,” he promised.