Khel Ratna is an award for popular athlete, not the best: Gagan Narang

Gagan Narang, who recently qualified for London Olympics, tells DNA that he was not sure he wanted to shoot in the final after he learnt of being ignored for the Khel Ratna award again.

It must be a great feeling to become the first Indian athlete to qualify for Olympics 2012
Yes. I have gotten back from Germany with bitter-sweet memories, the high of winning the bronze and the Olympic quota and the low of missing the Khel Ratna.

Were you sure of a medal after being tied at 5th position in the qualification round?
I knew that if I was able to shoot my regular finals, I would come back with a medal. I could have shot better and won the gold, I guess, but overall I am satisfied with my efforts. It is all a process.

Be it the ammunition, the gun or visa, it seems nothing went your way.
Well the best thing that happened just before the championship was getting the desired ammunition. I have been struggling without it for a while but suddenly my performance picked up by a few notches when I got the ammo. The rest, yes, fell in place.
You missed out on the Khel Ratna award this year also.

It is almost like film awards that are distributed on the basis of public and media perception. They rather call it an award for popular athlete than the best athlete. It is a shame how it is given. Guess sooner or later, the media too will get a wind of this scam.

The medal and qualification news came just a day after the awards were announced.
I was in the running and was confident. If the criterion, strictly, was performance in 2009, then I far outshine the rest. But clearly, it seems that the criterion is something different. I was very disappointed to the extent of being disillusioned when I heard of the news hours before my match. I was reconsidering my decision to shoot. But perhaps, the bronze was to be mine so I shot. But I was not at all in the right frame of mind.

Do you think you proved a point or two to the panel with that medal?
I hope that the performance in Germany reaches out to those deaf ears and they reconsider.

Do you consider yourself a product of the system?
I am a product of the system and I would say that the NRAI has done its bit to promote the sport. Of course there are perils in the system and I do not deny that.

What do you think is the reason for this negligence?
I am not aware of the issue.

Do you think shooting is promoted well in the country?
No, it is not promoted at all. The public perception is built around the sports that are promoted. Cricket is popular despite being a non-Olympic sport because of the way it is marketed. And some other sports are being marketed well but not shooting. If shooting was marketed well, people would have known that the world record holder in 10-m air rifle is an Indian.

Do you have any suggestion for the government?
The government needs to see to it that the best athletes are looked after and nourished because they are country’s best bet.

How much help you are getting from Olympic Gold Quest?
They are helping me for training and preparation. OGQ is bridging the gap between the government and my training needs. Their support has been absolutely fantastic.

Does the NRAI discriminate among the shooters?
There is no favouritism on the part of NRAI but it’s shown by the media. See, we all love champions and performers but the truth also is the performers need to be nourished well and media plays a huge role in that.