Roaring welcome awaits ‘golden’ boy
Saurabh’s ultimate goal is to win a medal for India in Olympics, says fellow shooter
KALEENA (MEERUT): Teenager Saurabh Chaudhary on Tuesday became only the fifth Indian shooter to claim a gold in the Asian Games history, beating a field of multiple world and Olympic champions in the 10m air pistol finals in Palembang, Malaysia.
While his feat earned him a cash award of ₹ 50 lakh and a job promise from chief minister Yogi Adityanath, back in Kaleena, his native village, the reaction is ecstatic.
The entire village was seen dancing to the beats of ‘dhol’ holding pictures of Saurabh and distributing sweets to each other.
“He (Saurabh) has made us proud,” said Neeraj, Saurabh’s neighbour while offering sweets to visitors.
“This celebration is just the beginning. We are now anxiously waiting to give him a roaring welcome back home,” said Suresh Pal, his friend.
Saurabh’s father Jagmohan Chaudhary, a farmer, who own 15 bigha land, too is overwhelmed.
Expressing gratitude to the state government for the award, he said, “Saurabh deserves more like players of Haryana.”
Earlier, the family remained glued to the TV to watch the performance of Saurabh. Minutes after he won the gold, his mother, Brijesh said, “What you see is an outcome of three years of Saurabh’s hard work and elders’ blessings.”
His fellow shooter Pankaj Choudhary said, “Shooting is Saurabh’s life and his ultimate goal is to win medal for country in Olympics.”
He recalls how Saurabh once attended a shooting range in neighbouring Binauli village and got fascinated by their guns.
It was in 2015, when Saurabh told his father that he wanted to join shooting.
Initially his father was reluctant but accepted his demand after much pursuance.
While granting permission was easy, getting his son a sports pistol worth Rs 1.75 lakh was a herculean task.
“I had to borrow money from some of my relatives and friends. In fact, half of the debt amount is yet to be returned,” he said while his uncle Brijmohan insisted on showing a single target shooting range Saurabh has installed in
› This celebration is just the beginning. We are now anxiously waiting to give him a roaring welcome back home.
SURESH PAL, Saurabh’s friend
one of the rooms of his small home.
“The shooting range is a reflection of his commitment and passion. He practices for hours here,” he said.
A ‘desi’ from the heart, Saurabh is fond of using indigenous techniques to improve the strength of hand muscles.
“He used to squeeze wet jute to strengthen his fingers to improve his shooting skills,” said his father.
For his fellow shooters, Saurabh is a composed and calm boy who seldom wastes time in watching movies, television or on smartphone.