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CHATEAUROUX: A few notes in the diary, positivity and targets were some of the things Sarabjot Singh and his coach did just the day before the bronze medal play off in the 10m air rifle on Tuesday. On Tuesday, Abhishek Rana, Sarabjot’s childhood coach was a touch emotional after his ward won a bronze medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team event with Manu Bhaker. But at the same time, he was wondering whether he would rue a chance of winning an individual medal. Even though he reached Chateauroux on July 21 he could not meet his ward until the day of the qualification on July 27 in shooting the lane.
“He maintains a diary, where he writes positive notes daily,” explained Rana. “Nothing negative, just positive. He notes it down every day before going to bed — what he did well on the day and what can he do better. And he refers to that dairy daily. We discussed whatever was written there on Monday, a day before the bronze medal playoff.”
Rana was loitering around in the corridors of the shooting ranges listless at times because he was not allowed to meet Sarabjot. “I met him only on the day of the qualification,” he said. He did not have the necessary accreditation and was not allowed to be at the ranges during training. He did not know what to do and there have been occasions when he was turned away from the gates. He, like his ward is at the Olympics for the first time. He met Sarobjot for the first time on the lane.
“I could not meet him a day before the qualification round because I did not have an accreditation so I had take a day pass or take a ticket to enter,” explained Rana. “The preparation a shooter needed a day or hours before the event I couldn’t give. That would be a regret. Because you don’t know what would have happened if I had met him.”
Though he acknowledged that only a handful of coaches will get accreditations but he felt if he could have worked a bit harder maybe he too would have got the accreditation that would have allowed him to be with his ward. When asked if spending time with Sarabjot would make any difference, he said that it could have. “Since his early years I used to accompany him to all tournaments and he is used to my presence. So definitely if I would have been there physically things would have been different.”
Even though he was present here in Chateauroux, he was speaking to Sarabjot on the phone. “I discouraged him from using the phone during competition and now I am asking him to speak on the phone. It is not correct,” said the coach. He came to Luxembourg after training in Ambala. I was there and had a with discussion with Samresh (Jung) sir who will be behind him during games. Whatever information he needed I have provided him. But my presence would have been different.”
Even in Manu’s case there have been quite a struggle to get Jaspal Rana’s accreditation. Shooting is an individual sport and shooters are generally considered very private people. They enjoy their solitude. Most shooters in the camp don’t usually stay on their own like a recluse. Their bonding with personal coaches is different. It is sacred and every shooter yearns for one to be by their side.
The coach flew with him to the Munich World Cup and was there with him during the Luxembourg training camp. His travel expenses have been borne through Sports Authority of India’s TOPS. “I had to do my own bookings but SAI and TOPS have taken care of my expenses,” he said, adding that OGQ also lent a helping hand. He believes that if coaches are allowed to open up and do the things the way it is ideally done, it will help a lot.
“Taal-mel (rapport) of shooter and coach is really important. And that was proved by Jaspal and Manu. But the government has also helped a lot in funding our training and sending us to a few international tournaments,” he said.
Rana wandered off once again. Clad in a white shirt and with a wide grin on his face. One part of his coaching career in guiding is over. As he enters into the next he is cautious. “Till now he has never gone to any meeting or events. Missing practice is a big no,” he said. Now that he will be a star, the challenges will be bigger.