Making his mark
Tun Naung guns for Myanmar’s maiden medal
YANGON: Standing stock-still, right arm outstretched, eyes unblinking, Myanmar’s only Olympic qualifier squeezes the trigger and sends a pellet slamming into a paper target – a skill honed during military service in the formerly junta-run nation.
Ye Tun Naung, 33, is gunning for a medal in Rio this summer, where he travels as an outside bet for a podium finish in two pistol shooting events.
A medal would be a first for his impoverished nation, which was run for decades by a junta that lined its pockets while all other areas of society – including sport – shrivelled.
But in a twist of fortune, the junta years accidentally unlocked Tun Naung’s hidden talent.
He stumbled upon a knack for shooting during mandatory target practice sessions in the navy, an institution he joined to escape poverty and a lack of jobs.
He first picked up a pistol in 2005, stunning more experienced military marksmen with victories at naval competitions.
Now more than a decade later sport’s greatest stage beckons as he travels to the Brazilian mega city of Rio de Janeiro to compete in the 10m and 50m air or “free” pistol events.
“It’s not easy to have a chance to participate in the Olympics and it’s very difficult to win a medal,” he said.
“I am hoping for the best. But this is a sport where mentality is key to success ... even the best cannot be sure how they will perform on the day,” he added.
The discipline sees shooters fire 60 times at long intervals.
It is sport requiring an almost meditative control of body and mind, Tun Nuang explains, relying on a dead eye, perfect control of breathing and ice cold nerves.
“The decision must be certain and the mind must be stable,” said Tun Naung.
“Some people meditate and some do yoga, but for me mostly I read books,” said the shooter of his extra-curricular training.
“If you don’t concentrate, you can’t get the meaning of a book. I read to train my mind to find the concentration I need to shoot.
“People watching might think shooting is boring ... but my mind is at peace when I shoot,” he added. — AFP