Load,Lock & Shoot!

A Loaded gun,jolly good supply of pellets,target in sight,and a licence to ‘kill’. If instant gratification has a sport,then paintball shoots straight to the top,and bringing these flying bullets to town are Mumbai-based Piya and Abhitab Dhillon along with Abhishek Khandalkar. “Welcome to Hot Shots Paintball,” after directing us through the winding potholed narrow roads of Nayagaon,Piya and Abhishek greet us at their ‘hunting’ ground designed to suit the paintball battlefield specifications. Tyres,trenches,sandbags,drums,bunkers,hideouts – it’s military exercise alright! And if you ain’t up to the game,you can sit back at the rustic ol’ cafe,sip in a cooler or have a bird’s eye view from top of the machaan. “It’s all Piya and Abhitab’s creation,” tells Abhishek who’s busy training his boys on the rules and regulations of the game. “Chandigarh’s never had a taste of real action. All youngsters do is either go uphill or hangout. So we decided to give the city a whole new sporting activity,” Piya credits the ideation and creation of the massive paintball arena to her pilot hubby,Abhitab. For the clueless,paintball is a two team sport in which players eliminate opponents by hitting them with pellets containing paint usually propelled from compressed gas powered paintball gun/marker. “Don’t worry,the bullets are made of water-soluble non-toxic colours,” tells Piya,while Abhishek adds quickly,“and it’s the safest sport for we make sure the teams have their masks,shock resistant jackets,goggles and jumpsuits on.” With different games like ring the bell,total elimination,retrieve the flag,the game’s a non-stop action dominated less by size and strength,and more by strategic thinking and quick decisions. “And unlike other places,you can play more than once or carry forward your remaining tally of pellets,” tells Abhishek.

It’s been a week,and teams comprising families,teenagers,friends have already given their best shot. “We are open,3pm onwards everyday. Just walk in and book your game,” Piya clears ages 7 and above for the shootout. Ready to lock and load? For more,log on to http://www.hotshotspaintball.in or drop in at Hot Shots Paintball,next to Radha Swami Satsang,Nada Village via Nayagaon.