Opinion Shift focus to young shooters

This ‘core group’ scheme – part of the Rs 678 crore outlay by the government – was first floated in June 2008 with its closest target being medals at Delhi 2010. The shooting federation fleshed out its own plans in the September following Bindra’s gold medal in Beijing: to include a blanket group of 150 marksmen and women. Bindra,Rathore and Bhagwat were initially and naturally included,and have subsequently been removed because they didn’t turn up at some of the national camps.

While it would be silly to keep Bindra out of selection reckoning on the grounds of absenteeism,what does remain sketchy,unfortunately,is the future of India’s other Olympic medallist — RVS Rathore,the silver winner in Athens in 2004. The 38-year-old armyman hasn’t been spotted at any competitions and camps and there’s no news from Rathore’s elusive camp to indicate that he has resumed training or set sights on his next target.

Olympic history is sprinkled with champions who stepped onto the podium for two successive editions: 10 m air rifle’s Artem Khadjibekov (gold in 96,silver in 2000),Aussie trap legend Michael Diamond (twice gold in 96 and 2000),Russell Mark (gold in 96,silver in 2000) and the Chinese who Abhinav Bindra reduced to tears at Beijing,Zhu Qinan (gold in 2000,silver in 2004). There are not many examples,though,of shooters hitting the bull’s eye in three quadrennial cycles. A third successful Olympics for Rathore,under the circumstances,looks ambitious right now. If he does go on to,it’ll be heroic and legendary. But for now,India would do well to focus more on two other double trap shooters.

There’s Ronjon Sodhi,who heart-breakingly missed qualification for Beijing. He’d shot the best scores in 2008,but our quotas had brimmed over.

But the new kid striding confidently off the blocks is Hyderabad teenager Asher Noria – a boy of 17 who hero-worships his coach Sodhi and believes there’s no better offering than bettering his scores. Noria has booked a spot at the Minsk World Cup after equalling the record score of 143 at the recent selection trials in Pune,following up on his Commonwealth Youth Games performance where he bettered Rathore’s Athens score,shooting a 180.

With young shooters from around the world – most notably China – unleashed in this one year when upcoming talent can be tried out internationally and given exposure stints,the ambiguity over Rathore’s plans,and the shock over his omission might just pale in comparison.