The shooting star: Gagan Narang

Ace shooter Gagan Narang speaks to DNA about the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, the dejection he faced in the past two years and his next goal, the London Olympics. Excerpts:

Congratulations on being recommended for the highest sporting honour. What was your first reaction when you heard of the news?
I was told by my academy director and friend Pawan Singh about the award and I was delighted to hear the news. It feels good to know that my performances have been recognised. However, I have bigger targets set for myself next year and that is where my focus will be. 

You missed out on the last two occasions. How disappointing was it for you?
I was quite disappointed about missing out last year. When the award was announced, I was in Munich for the World Championship. Unfortunately, the awards were announced a day before my match. I was disappointed and disillusioned. I didn’t feel like playing my match and my roommate Samaresh Jung, coach Sunny Thomas, and Stanslav Lapidus had a hard time convincing me to shoot.

I went and shot there, and won the bronze medal and India’s first Olympic quota. I consider that win a special one, as it came at a time when I was low. The whole experience taught me a lot. It taught me how to handle adverse situations.

And since then, I have always let my gun do the talking and I am happy that I shot well in the Commonwealth Games and the Asians after that.

After the disappointment of not getting the award last year, you won four gold medals at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. Were emotions involved in that performance?
Performing in front of the home crowd was indeed special and it was an  emotionally charged moment. I am happy I could live up to the expectations of the country.

How will this award help you to prepare for the Olympic Games?
Well, awards are a huge form of motivation for Olympic athletes and definitely motivate the players to perform better in the future. It will definitely help me push the limits higher.

Olympic Games are scheduled next year. How are you planning your preparations?
I have a plan charted out for the Olympics with my coach. Last year was a bumper year for me and this year, I have been more or less experimenting with my rifle and equipment. This year, I will be testing the right ammunition and then start preparing for next year.

You have started your shooting academy in Pune. What is the whole idea behind it?
I have seen a lot of struggle in the initial days of my career. My father had to sell his land, where he had planned to build a house. He had to sell it to buy a rifle for me. After I got medals at the international level, people used to ask me about where to send their kids for shooting and I had nothing to suggest. Today, I am in a position to give it back to the society. Through this academy, we will train talented shooters, and support them in future, so that no other father will have to sell his land to buy rifles.

How do you manage both, your practice and the academy work?
Well, as of now, we are looking for a title sponsor for the academy. Once that is done, I will be able to focus fully on my training. But as of now, Pawan is handling the day-to-day routine of the academy. 

Your academy will also be organising a national level championship in August. How is the preparation going for that?
The preparation is going fine, and we have managed to bring some foreign companies on board to sponsor the event. But finding Indian sponsors is becoming difficult for us. As of now, we have managed to bring Oakley, Walther, Eley, Holiday Inn, Capapie and others to sponsor us, but we are still looking to find other sponsors, who can help us conduct the event.

Apart from shooting, is there anything else you wanted to do?
As a child, I always wanted to become an air force pilot. Even today, I have a dream, a dream of flying a Sukhoi jet. It will be a dream come true if I fly one.

Your first memory of Olympics...
I was a nine-year-old when I saw an archer shooting an arrow into a bowl. That bowl was lit as soon as the arrow fell in it. That was the first time I came to know about Olympic flame and the Games. It was in 1992, and I had no idea that after 12 years, I will participate in the Athens Games.