CHENNAI: With his untidy, twirled-up moustache and glasses that appear a tad too big for him, Abhishek Verma doesn’t exactly look like a professional shooter. But that is only natural, considering he has been one for less than a year.
Lost amidst 16-year-old Saurabh Chaudhary’s gold-winning effort in the 10m air pistol event was bronze-winner Verma’s incredible story. The 29-year-old started shooting as a hobby three years ago at an age when most professional shooters are described as being past their peak. For the first two years, he spent 15 minutes a day at the shooting range while completing his law degree. Only over the last 12 months did he put shooting first.
And now, he has an Asian Games medal! Verma’s infatuation with guns has a curious origin — his father, a sessions judge, always had gun-carrying bodyguards around him. “They used to let me fire those guns sometimes,” Verma laughs. “But I could not develop my interest further when I was a kid. My father was a judge and he used to get transferred every three years. I had to frequently change schools.” It was not until he was 26 that Verma started shooting as a hobby and he did not imagine it would ever go beyond that. “I used to spend 15-20 minutes a day at the shooting range,” he tells Express.
“Then, I got better than so many others who were devoting all their time to this and my seniors suggested that I take this up full time. But I never ever imagined that I would represent India at an event like the Asian Games and win a medal here.” His imagination, though, has now kicked into overdrive and Verma is mapping out a full calendar ahead that culminates in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. There’s an unfortunate casualty though — his law career.
“I was supposed to start my practice by now,” he says. “When I started concentrating on shooting full time, those plans took a backseat. Luckily, my parents were very supportive and told me that I should concentrate on shooting for now. “I think I will be a part-time lawyer for now,” he laughs. “Maybe I’ll go to court a couple of days a week.” But does he ever regret, especially when teaming up with a 16-year-old Manu Bhaker or competing against Saurabh, that he did not start sooner? That he wasn’t able to take advantage of those years between 16-25, normally thought of as a shooter’s physical peak? “I have no regrets,” Verma says. “I am just happy that I have a hobby that has given me an Asian Games medal!”
vishnu.prasad@newindianexpress.com