CHENNAI: Indian shooters seem to be bearing a different aura at the moment. Rivals and fellow shooters look at them with awe and they are considered to be one of the benchmarks. Over the last few years or so, they have broken new ground. It's a tale of a process executed with utmost care. They can be considered one of the model sports in the country. They have silenced the doubters with their medal-winning runs at the elite level. Three medals at Paris Games courtesy of Manu Bhaker, Swapnil Kusale and Sarabjot Singh only seems to have added fuel to their pursuit for excellence.
The Indians have continued to set the bar high this season with medals at multiple World Cups. Personal records have tumbled in the process. But the highlight was the World Championships in Cairo, Egypt, where they medalled in seven Olympic disciplines (rifle/pistol), which is unprecedented. Add trap shooter Zoravar Singh Sandhu's bronze to that list, it becomes mighty impressive.
They might be making it look like child's play but this prolific run hasn't come overnight. Like woodpeckers trying to break the tree trunks, the shooters, coaches and everyone involved have displayed perseverance over the years. They kept knocking on the door. In the process, they have shed tears and endured heartaches — most notably during the Olympics in Tokyo and Rio. Despite noteworthy outcomes at world level, there were many doubters, valid to some degree, after those misses.
High performance coach Manoj Kumar, who has been part of the coaching setup for over a decade, recalled one such day when his wards were looked at with scepticism. "In 2023, one of the fellow reporters whom I knew well had commented saying, 'the shooters can't go to China and beat them'. My prediction was 5 to 6 medals then. So that person had taken it as a joke. But I was hopeful as our preparation was really good and in the 50m discipline, we could have won a maximum of six medals and we ended up with five. Sift (Kaur Samra) had also set a World Record then," Manoj, who specializes in small bore events, said.
It had been an arduous journey but those victories had gradually added to shooters' belief. That persistence slowly started to pay off and now, with good dosage of confidence, they are on solid grounds to win more admiration in the days to come. The naysayers have gone quieter and the likes of Sift is considered to be a genuine contender at the highest level.
"At the world level, India has gained a lot of respect and everyone knows that India has a high chance of winning a medal. If I go back to my playing days, (2004-2012) those days we used to observe athletes from other countries. We were eager to learn about their technique, how they would prepare for the finals etc. It was kind of daunting to walk up to them and speak out. But now things have changed. Now, shooters from other countries are watching us, they want to learn about our training schedules etc. They'll be recording videos of our athletes, their training, and pre-match preparations. That has been the case for the last five years or so. But that doesn't mean we have stopped learning," Manoj assessed.
Reaping benefits of junior programme
To the uninitiated, Jaspal Rana might be a more well-known public figure because of his star pupil Manu. But the vocal coach has been instrumental in providing a platform to many youngsters. He, along with few other coaches like Deepali Deshpande, initially worked with junior shooters, helping the country build a strong foundation. That foundation was put in place after the 2012 London Olympics and has continued to help the country churn out talented shooters. Manu, Esha Singh, who bagged two medals during the World Championships, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar and Samrat Rana, who captured world title in Cairo, came through the junior programme.
"There was a junior programme before but there were no designated coaches and all. I chose the junior programme because that was the place we were lacking and we needed to work a lot. If the base is not strong, no matter how you fly, you are not stable. That was happening before," Jaspal, who's currently the High Performance coach of pistol, said.
If one takes a glance at the scores, the standards have risen constantly. That has meant the Indians have not rested on their laurels and continued to deliver. "The world is moving forward and the scores are getting higher and it's getting tougher. At the same time, the shooters have their own expectations, the country has its own expectations, even the media has its own expectations. So that puts a lot of pressure on them. But still, they have to learn to perform and they have been doing it. It's a good sign. But at the same time, we cannot depend on one or two. We need to have a backup plan and we need to have a base again," the Dronacharya Award winner noted.
Good funding
Shooting was one of the top-funded sports during the Paris 2024 Olympics cycle with the Indian government spending over Rs 60 crore through SAI and Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS). Moreover, there are other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) who have also spent plenty to ensure that the athletes' needs are met. Jaspal was mindful to highlight that. "Another factor that has made this possible is the support from all sides. The government support, Khelo India programme, the amount of money spent on elite shooters from the TOPS and NGOs like OGQ, GoSports and Reliance Foundation and JSW."
Merit-based selection
Unlike numerous other sports, where the criteria of selection can get subjective, the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), the governing body of the sport of the country, had adopted meritocracy in regards to picking teams for international competitions. There are rare exceptions of course, but the grading system is straightforward. It's open for the shooters to figure out where they stand and move forward accordingly. "Fortunately, it is score-based. If you put up a good score, nobody can touch you," Jaspal said.
Apart from experienced hands like Jaspal, Manoj and Deepali, there are other dedicated coaches and support staff. There is also a dedicated sports science team who cater to the needs of the shooters. India high performance manager Ronak Pandit is one of the persons who's involved in auditing the current system in place and ensuring the shooters stay sharp. "Our policies and our calendars are attuned to ensuring that the shooters are peaking at the right time. At the same time, we are also developing the next line of shooters. For instance, there's Group A & B when it comes to trials. That division was done last year," Ronak, who has also been closely guiding Esha since 2022, said.
The devil lies in the details. International match-like simulations during national selection trials has been one of the conscious efforts of the team think-tank to provide the shooters an edge. "That was also to ensure that the top athletes get a feel of an international competition when they are doing their selection trials. So we are trying to simulate as many conditions as possible, as many international-like conditions as possible in the domestic arena also. Now, I think results are there for everyone to see," Ronak said.
Hunting in packs
Another thing that can't be discounted is the familiarity the shooters have with each other. The sizeable performances seem to rub off on each other. It's not just the medals but their performances that has had the coaches beaming. Abhinav Bindra's historic gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Games, Vijay Kumar and Gagan Narang's medals (silver and bronze, respectively) at the 2012 London Games was not just a life-changing occasion for them, it was a momentous occasion for India. It had left a Goliath impression on the young guns and those pathbreaking hits had given them something that can't be quantified — belief that it's possible. Similarly, a medal for Manu or rifle shooter Elavenil Valarivan has tended to indirectly lift the standards of other shooters. The shooters seem to be hunting in packs, that's what the coaches aspire for. "Now, we are having two-two people qualify for the finals. And in some events, both of them end up with a medal. That is phenomenal. Looking at the strength of the team, I'm extremely happy with the number of athletes that have done well," Ronak said.
"And even in the finals, they have been able to maintain their performances. So I think that is a very positive thing. And what happens is, going forward, this makes it easier for the others."
The confidence is sky-high but the general theme among the coaches and shooters is that the process is still on and they won't stop learning. That's a good mindset to hold before the all-important 2026, where the chase for Olympic quota — Los Angeles Games — begins. However, their immediate assignment will the ISSF World Cup Finals, which is scheduled to be held from December 4 to 9 in Doha, Qatar.