'We don't need foreign coaches': Former Olympian on the exponential growth of Shooting

Shooting is a sport that keeps on giving. With 7 Gold, 9 Silver, and 6 Bronze, the discipline fetched 22 Medals in the ongoing 19th Asian Games. Over the years the sport has developed exponentially and now it is one of the leading fields in India's quest to becoming a sporting superpower. However, how did India followed the upward trajectory is a case study that needs to come in front.

While as enthusiasts we take pride and celebrate when our athletes produce the magical performance that raises the tricolour at the top, however, to cater to such a query only an expert who has been there and done that will have the clear answer. Thus, on the course to find answers, republicworld.com got the opportunity to have a conversation with former Olympian Joydeep Karmakar.

Karmakar, who qualified for the finals in the 2012 London Olympics and came 4th in the category of men's 50 metre rifle prone, was a host at a roundtable media conference recently. There along with other prominent media organisations, republicworld.com was also there. Upon getting the chance to pose a query, we asked Karmakar how the spectrum of shooting has changed over the years from the time when he became a pro to the present scenario. We also asked Karmakar to state what more can be done for the wellness of the sport. He addressed our queries and elaborated quite comprehensively.

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On the spectrum of chance in Shooting

There is a sea change. I can’t imagine to compare our situation to these kids nowadays. they gotta a lot of support secial thanks to the government involvement. I would like to name Khelo India, the national center of excellence (NCOE), TOPS scheme, National Development Funds (SDF), Development Group Program. These programs from the Govt end is doing amazing because they are supporting young athletes from KHELO India schemes and other talent search schemes. And that is the impetus with which we are getting from the grassroots level and which is very very important for grooming hem to be senior shooters all like making them elite shooters. So, I think this is a huge change that comes in from these schemes and earlier ones also. But those were not affective I would say. Those were there were very very ornamentary. Now I think there are solid schemes which is delivering, which is giving real support to athletes. And that is giving that whole big platform, much needed platform to the young athletes what they didn't get at the initial stages of their journey. So, I think this is the biggest change that is taking place right now. 

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What can be done additionally for the wellness of the sport?

I think what we are getting, the new crop of shooters, I think I would say that is great. I haven't crib for much more than this, I think they been given enough but what should be there is the protection of their talent. See, we have a process of selecting athletes or shooters by their performance of course. But once they fall out of their bracket perhaps it's a bottomless fall, so they will not be taken care of because somebody else will take their place of course we are happy because we have new talents but whenever that old talent has fallen off we would not get to know why he/she failed and we will just take him out of the scheme and forget about him. So, there should be a protection net get those athletes back also. And to really understand what has gone wrong. So, I think that safety net has to be there, we should not be that emotionless about the athletes. They are no horses, they are athletes. So, I think that needs to be needed. And from the funds perspective, I think we are getting enough. There are private sponsors as well whoever they get to the elite level, that is also there also to help. We have a lot of govt support from the base. I think that is about it, we don't mean in few sports, we don't need foreign coaches anymore. Indian coaches are good enough for that. Sports like shooting has grown from such a place to still here and we have a plethora of ex-athletes, who have done great. Who have been there and done that, I think they are good enough.

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