Plough deep for rich harvests, says Thomas

With the Asian Games8217; shooting events coming to a glorious close for India, national coach Sunny Thomas feels it is time for a fresh look at the potential and problems of the sport in the country.

With the Asian Games8217; shooting events coming to a glorious close for India, national coach Sunny Thomas feels it is time for a fresh look at the potential and problems of the sport in the country. 8220;I was appointed national coach in 1993,8221; he told The Indian Express today, 8220;and those were the dark days of the sport in our country. This transition, till today, has placed the country in a position from where we can look forward.8221;

What is the basic change that has been achieved? 8220;Courage,8221; said the coach. 8220;Today we can dream big, and seriously believe that we can win medals, even gold, from World Cup, World Championships and the Olympic Games.8221;

A situation Indians are finding themselves in today in diverse fields, and increasingly moving to the top. 8220;We have had tremendous success at the Commonwealth Games level. But I will not be putting that in perspective when we look ahead. Like athletics at the Commonwealth Games is tough, shooting is easy. The Asian Games is as near to Olympic Games8212;strengthwise8212;as it can be. That8217;s what makes me proud.8221;

How does one look ahead from here? 8220;That is the difficult question. The government and the SAI know all our problems and needs, it has been mentioned in several reports. We need modern equipment 8212; today our shooters have their own guns, but the country needs to have modern guns if the quantity has to be achieved 8212; ammunition, and all attendant facility.

8220;Actually the fund pool does not grow. Every time you ask for more, there is an objection, with the note that other disciplines will be starved,8221; Thomas adds. Such pseudo-socialist tendencies of the men in power intends to regulate every aspect of Indian sport. 8220;Accept it,8221; says Thomas, 8220;shooting is a very expensive sport. But if it is fetching you top international honours, why not invest in it? Why scrounge in search of the best?8221;

8220;We need to invest heavily now, for the coming years, for the Olympic Games, and more. We need a huge pool to choose from,8221; says Thomas.