‘It is important to practise shooting with singular focus’

“All over India,shooting is becoming really popular but there are not enough people to guide these young shooters. Due to this lack of guidance a lot of bad habits as far as technique creep in and then shooters gradually begin to lose interest.” says Bhagwat.

The 42-year-old,originally from Mumbai,has relocated to Pune in order to utilise the shooting facilities on offer in the city. It was in Pune that Bhagwat first gave thought to the idea of getting into coaching. “I have always tried to help young shooters but earlier,with me being an active shooter,it wasn’t always possible to devote as much time as I would have wanted to,” she says. “Now I have gradually slowed down as far as my shooting goes and that has allowed me to coach and guide a few promising shooters.”

Bhagwat is currently coaching nine shooters under the Maharashtra government’s Krida Prabodhini scheme. She says that along with these nine budding shooters,she also tries to help out anyone who comes to her with queries. Bhagwat,who has won 13 Commonwealth Games gold medals in various rifle events,says that she believes in understanding her shooters first before actually training them. “Shooting is a very personalised sport and you need to understand how a particular shooter’s mind works before giving him or her tips and setting up a training routine,” she says.

The former World Champion trains shooters at the Balewadi shooting range but also allows them to use her personal range at home to perfect their techniques. “It is important to practise shooting with singular focus. Sometimes the range is shut,or there are other problems. Then the shooters come home to train at my range. I also encourage my shooters to put forward all their doubts,however small,because in international competitions even the smallest technical fault can be fatal,” she says.

Bhagwat has been a very vocal votary of mental prowess in precision shooting. She has incorporated yoga and meditation exercises for her charges and says that mental strength is of paramount importance in international competition. “My shooters need to learn to channel their thoughts. Their mind will have a profusion of thoughts but through yoga and meditation I am trying to teach them to channel their thoughts in the right direction.” says Bhagwat.

The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna awardee says that hiring foreign coaches cannot be the only solution to improve India’s shooting performances. “Foreign coaches do help but it is important that senior shooters give back to the sport,” she says. “Shooters have felt the pressure of international competitions themselves,and can make a big difference by passing these experiences on to youngsters. For example,there are times when I have aborted a shot because I felt something wasn’t right,and I was going to shoot just because the crowd wanted me to. If I had taken the shot that time my score would have been much lower than it ultimately was. These are the kind of practical tips I can pass on.”