On target, but far from bull’s eye

But circumstances have changed, and lack of government support has forced the young shooter to quit shooting and get back to his studies.

“I have to spend money from my own pocket as the ammunition and equipment are very costly and it becomes very difficult for me to practise every day,” Jaysinh says. “The government is not helping, and Rs 1000-odd every day becomes very difficult for one from a middle class family.

“And that is the reason why I have quit shooting for past six months so that I can finish my engineering this year and then apply for a good rank in the Services where I won’t have to spend money from my own pocket for shooting,” he said.

The Gujarat State Rifle Association isn’t doing anything either. His father and coach Rajesh Rajput had taken his case to the GSRA two years back but they turned down the application. “They said that whatever we have to do we have to do it on our own,” Rajesh Rajput said.

“When he returned from the International Junior Championship, where he finished fifth overall and the best among the Indians (589/600) at Germany in April 2005, he wasn’t even congratulated by the NRAI,” Rajesh said.

When contacted the Gujarat State Rifle Association president Nanu Bhai Surati said: “The state government is not willing to spend money on the shooters. In fact they don’t have any money to give to the shooters, what can we do about it?

“The former president Udayan Chinu Bhai never made any rule according to which the state association should provide any kind of support to the upcoming talent then why should we change it? Moreover, there is no such law existing in Gujarat,” Nanu Bhai added.

“We should be getting funds from National Rifle Association of India which we are not getting,” he said.

Calling this an internal matter of State Rifles Association, NRAI secretary Rajeev Bhatia said, that NRAI cannot do anything about the matter. “Jaysinh no doubt is a talented shooter but what can we do? We cannot sponsor every Tom Dick and Harry. There are shooters who are better than him we cannot do everything for everyone,” Bhatia added.