GUNS & GLORY: IT’S MEERUT
For youths of Meerut region, their ancestors’ love for hunting has transformed into a quest to win medals in shooting events
▪ With three of its youngsters winning back to back medals, Meerut is basking in the glory of its Asian Games success in shooting. While the first gold was won by 16-year-old Saurabh Chaudhary in the 10m air pistol event, it was followed by Shardul Vihan’s silver in the men’s double trap and a bronze by Ravi Kumar (with Apurvi Chandela in 10m air rifle mixed event).
▪ While shooting connoisseurs had long back declared Meerut as the potential goldmine of talent, very few would know that the seeds were sown some 64 years back when Syed Abdul Naeem, a boy from district’s Falawda locality, defeated country’s ace shotgun shooter Maharaja Karni Singh in a tie shoot match in Delhi in 1954.
MEERUT: With three of its youngsters winning back to back medals, Meerut is basking in the glory of its Asian Games success in shooting.
While the first gold was won by 16-year-old Saurabh Chaudhary in the 10m air pistol event, it was followed by Shardul Vihan’s silver in the men’s double trap and a bronze by Ravi Kumar (teaming with Apurvi Chandela in the 10m air rifle mixed event).
While shooting connoisseurs had long back declared Meerut as the potential gold mine of talent, very few would know that the seeds were sown some 64 years back when Syed Abdul Naeem, a boy from district’s Falawda locality, defeated country’s ace shotgun shooter Maharaja Karni Singh in a tie shoot match in Delhi in 1954.
“The victory not only brought respect for Meerut’s shooting fraternity but also turned out to be the driving force for youths belonging to families of zamindars (landlords) and fond of hunting,” says Pesh Nawaz Khan, member, Meerut District Rifle Association (MDRA).
“Their bonding with guns helped them develop marksmanship, which ultimately helped in nurturing shooting as sports after hunting was banned in India in 1972. Instead of giving up guns, the hunters turned into shooting athletes or self-styled coaches,” says Khan.
Families of Syed and Mateen contributed a lot in creating a favourable atmosphere for shooting here in the region. “While their three generations got into the sport, Syed Zakiuddin, Syed Mohd Hadi and Zafar Akhtar got themselves established as big names who gave a dimension and direction to the sport in the district,” says Khan.
Meerut District Rifle Association (MDRA), which was established in 1954, proved to be another significant milestone in the development of shooting in the district.
Set up by Khadag Singh, the association dedicated itself for the uplift of the sport.
After him, his son Vedpal Singh and his two sons, Anubhav Pratap Singh and Anant Shiven Pratap Singh, carried on the legacy.
“Though we had limited resources, MDRA have always helped shooters excel,” claimed Singh whose two sons are international shooting athletes and are now coaching in a Faridabad-based university.
One of the turning points in Meerut’s tryst with shooting came in 1994 when a Muslim landlord of Baghpat’s Johri village agreed to spare his property for setting up a shooting range under the supervision of Dr Rajpal Singh.
The success of Chandro Devi and Prakasho Devi, who got popular as ‘Shooting Daadi’ opened the doors of shooting for local girls.
“Shooting was considered a sport for males and girls had no chance in it. This undeclared rule was broken at Johri range and many girls started following the footsteps of ‘Shooting Daadis,” recall international shooter Varsha Tomar and Seema Tomar.
“Meerut is often dubbed as crime prone area and its transformation into a shooting hub is indeed a remarkable journey,” says Rajiv Bhatia, general secretary, f National Rifle Association of India (NRAI).
Sports Authority of India (SAI) certified coach, Vivek Atre, believes that silver medal won by Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore in Athens Olympic in 2004 proved to be a significant turning point for the sport in the region.
“In Rathore’s success, youngsters saw shooting as a medium of earning respect, money and eventually found it a gateway of getting government jobs and sponsorships,” says Atre.
“Shooting has provided jobs to at least 500 youngsters in Army, Navy and other government organisations,” says Varsha Tomar who herself got a job in the Army because of shooting.
Atre, who is also from the Army background, claims that he has helped over 200 shooting athletes get jobs in the Army.
“The possibility that guns could get them jobs drew many youngsters to the sport and ultimately led to setting up of shooting academies in big numbers in Meerut, Baghpat and Muzaffarnagar,”
› Youngsters saw shooting as a medium of earning respect, money and eventually found it a gateway of getting government jobs and sponsorships...the possibility that guns could get them jobs drew many youngsters to the sport and ultimately led to setting up of shooting academies in big numbers in Meerut, Baghpat and Muzaffarnagar VIVEK ATRE, SAI certified coach
says Atre, a witness to mushrooming of many certified and uncertified academies in last two decades.
Many athletes who could not continue playing for different reasons also opened their academies.
Saurabh, who won gold medal in Jakarta last week, learnt the nuances of shooting in one such academy set up by Amit Syuraan in Baleni.
Pankaj Choudhary, who practices with Saurabh, claims that at least 12 to 15 youngsters of the village practice at Baleni shooting range.
While over a dozen shooting academies have come up in Meerut and Bagpat districts in past 15 years, of late, many schools also have established shooting academies.
The popularity of the sport could be well gauged from the fact that even a school for special kids in Meerut has recently established a range for their students.
“The academies may be mushrooming but they have played a vital role in producing international players like Ravi Kumar, Shazar Rizvi and Saurabh Choudhary,” says Vedpal.
30-year-old Ravi, who has teamed up with Apurvi Chandela in the 10m air rifle mixed event has won bronze in ongoing Asian Games in Jakarta.
Interestingly, they all belong to modest families who have achieved success by their sheer dedication and hard work.
A shooting range in Palhera village set up in 1997 on a piece of government land is also credited with giving the sport a fillip in the region.
“It was the first range where facilities for shotgun, pistol and rifle shooters were provided under one roof,” says Ali Bin Hadi, while claiming that machines used during Delhi Asian Games were procured in auction and brought here for installation here.
“It helped in organising first National Championship at Palhera range in 2000, which again popularised the sport,” says Hadi.
Proximity with Delhi also helped youngsters in honing their skills.
Hundreds of shooters from the region still go to Delhi for their routine practice in world class Dr Karni Singh Shooting Ranges in Tuglaqabad area.
Players like Mohd Asab, Sheeraj Sheikh, Sania Shekh, Seema Tomar, Shapath Bharadwaj, Hamza Sheikh and Ahvar Rizvi have proved themselves by winning medals in international events.
Abha Dhillon, also from the region, is credited with being the first woman athlete who participated in Barcelona Olympics in pistol event.