Farmer’s son is India’s new golden gun
PALEMBANG/NEWDELHI: Still not 16, Saurabh Chaudhary became an Asian shooting star when he won the 10m air pistol gold at the 18th Asian Games, his first senior international event, beating a multiple Olympic gold medallist. Abhishek Verma made it 1-3 for India, bagging the bronze in the same event.
Showing no sign of nerves, Chaudhary ’s record score of 240.7 quelled the challenge of, among others, South Korea’s redoubtable Jin Jong-oh, who has four Olympic golds, is a three-time world champion, and has three Asian Games gold.
At 15 years and nine months, Chaudhary is the youngest Indian gold medallist in Asian Games history. The record previously belonged to Jaspal Rana, who was 18 years and four months old when he won gold in the 25m centrefire pistol event in Hiroshima in 1994.
Chaudhary is an unlikely hero at several levels. His journey started with a borrowed weapon in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh, and perhaps with an eye on a job in the Indian Army. That is what many in that region aspired for and the son of a homemaker mother and a father who tilled a small patch of land in the Kalina village in Meerut district was no different. That was in 2014.
“Since there were two weapons at the range, shooters had to wait for their turn,” said Amit Sheoran, a former state shooter, who started his own range in 2011 to make a living, trying to exploit the spike in interest in shooting following Abhinav Bindra’s Olympic gold in 2008.
Chaudhary was introduced to shooting by his father Jagmohan Singh; his first ‘weapon’ was a dummy pistol made of cast iron. “He made rapid progress,” said Sheoran. On Tuesday, Chaudhary shot with a top-end Morini pistol worth over Rs 1 lakh bought by his father.
“It was tough, but we managed somehow,” said Chaudhary’s brother Nitin.
Maybe all this explains why Chaudhary was so reticent in his hour of glory. Even as the range erupted in celebrations, Chaudhary packed his gun and equipment and headed to the rest room. “I played without pressure,” he said simply.
“It’s been an hour-and-ahalf since my competition ended but still I haven’t been able to speak to my parents. We have a landline at home, so I’ll call them once I’m through with the ceremony,” he said.
Even during the presentation ceremony, Chaudhary looked stoic as the Indian tricolour went up. Was he overawed? Had it still not sunk in? Chaudhary didn’t elaborate. He didn’t need to. His pistol had done the talking.
Back home, his family remained glued to the television to watch his event. Minutes after Chaudhary won gold, his mother, Brijesh said: “What you see is an outcome of three years of Saurabh’s hard work and elders’ blessings.”
The feat earned him a cash award of Rs 50 lakh and a job promise from Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: “16-year old Saurabh Chaudhary illustrates the potential and prowess our youth is blessed with. This exceptional youngster brings home a Gold in the Men’s 10m Air Pistol event at the @asiangames2018. Congratulations to him!”
India’s only individual Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra, who won the 10m air-rifle at the 2008 Beijing Games, tweeted: “Superb show by young Saurabh !! Many many Congratulations. We must pledge support to these young athletes for a sustained period of time irrespective of results. They have the ingredients for Olympic success. Needs persistent support irrespective.”
India’s first individual Olympic silver medallist, double trap shooter RVS Rathore, tweeted: “The INCREDIBLY talented #SaurabhChaudhary has truly arrived! WELL DONE, young man! Proud of you!”
Clinching an Olympic quota for India at the world championships in Changwon, South Korea, next week is Chaudhary’s next target. “But first, I will fly to India to meet my family and coach Amit Sheoran. He has been my mentor for three years and the medal today is because of the efforts he’s taken to train me,” he said.
Jaspal Rana, India’s fourtime Asian Games gold-medallist who is now the junior national coach, hailed Chaudhary’s performance: “Excellent. One of the best performances I have seen,” he said.
Asked whether it reminded him of his Hiroshima glory, Rana said: “That was 24 years back. Now shooting is a different ball game. But Saurabh thoroughly deserved the medal. It was unexpected with so many top names competing, but something like this has to be unexpected. Such performances don’t happen every day.
“Saurabh is quite a balanced boy. He is not the gadget guy who will be engrossed in video games, etc. He has a phone but rarely uses it. There were ups and downs last year when he was neither in the junior or senior team, but he made it with his hard work.”