Two Men and a Target

Shooter Vijay Kumar Sharma remembers the first time he met coach Pavel Smirnov.

Shooter Vijay Kumar Sharma remembers the first time he met coach Pavel Smirnov. It was at the Army marksman training unit at Mhow cantonment in Madhya Pradesh. The conversation was not a long one. The Russian knew only a smattering of English; Sharma knew nothing of Russian. After a quick hello,Smirnov got down to examining Sharma8217;s pistol. Five years later,the shooter and his coach have not become anymore garrulous. But it8217;s a partnership that has resulted in 34 international medals for Sharma,including the Olympic silver in the 25m pistol event in London.

Shooting is a lonely sport,with the marksman and his target locked in concentration. The coach can only watch and then suggest changes. On the first day of training,Smirnov would just murmur an occasional yes or no,or point to me to adjust my pistol or my head position, says Sharma.

In the last eight months,as Sharma travelled to Germany,Poland and England for training sessions,sometimes his only companion in those difficult conditions was the soft-spoken and laconic Russian,who brought his vast experience in coaching teams from Turkmenistan,Syria and Thailand to his job.

Initially,I did not know much English. We would train daily but we spoke little. But I saw the eagerness in him. Vijay was always eager to learn and ask me about European shooters.

At the Games Village in London,Sharma benefited from Pavels tips on self-control and concentration. We went to London after a training stint in Poland and Germany. Once we reached the village,Pavel made sure that I spent my time wisely. He would wake me up and watch me train for hours. Both of us knew that the format is different this time and we trained according to it. When I reached the final round,he told me to focus on one shot each and that worked in my favour. It was an elimination round and when I made it to the top three,he just smiled and did not say anything. He wanted me to win gold, says Sharma.

Over the years,their travels to Brazil,Kuwait,Russia and USA for various international championships have brought them closer. Once at an airport,Smirnov had trouble dealing with immigration officials as he could not understand English. Vijay came to my rescue and sorted things out, says Smirnov.

The Russian has got used to life in the sleepy cantonment at Mhow,and developed a taste for Indian food,from accompanying Sharma on his trips to local restaurants. At the Army mess in Mhow,we have a set menu. Vijay would often take me out and binge on kebabs and biryani. I have started liking Indian food and when we are staying at the Games Village,I did not go to the Russian food counter at all, says Smirnov.

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As Smirnov travels to his home in Moscow before his contract is renewed,he says he will pack some Indian movies and readymade Indian dishes for his family in Moscow. I will be going to Moscow this month and plan to come back in October. The shooters Vijay,Gurpreet Singh and Omkar Singh have been very good pupils for me. Sometimes,they play some pranks but they have never disobeyed me. Apart from the good memories,I will be taking back some Hindi movies for my family in Moscow. Bollywood movies are still popular in Russia and we all love Bollywood, says Smirnov.

In October,shooter and coach get back to work as preparations for the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games begin. Sharma,who can just about say hello in Russian,plans a surprise for his coach. I will be learning some Russian before he returns, he says.