The Hindu : Sport / Shooting : Required: ammunition for training

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jan 09, 2005

Sport

Sport - Shooting

Required: ammunition for training

By V.V. Subrahmanyam

HYDERABAD, JAN. 8. Dronacharya awardee Prof. Sunny Thomas narrates a startling tale of official apathy. He reveals that the Sports Authority of India has not imported any ammunition for more than three years now, leaving the shooters to train without adequate ammunition.

The reasons are not known.

According to Prof. Thomas, this lack of ammunition throws a spanner in the works, considering the fact that the shooters have a hectic schedule this year, including four World Cups where nothing short of a gold medal in different categories will ensure the national team a slot in the 2008 Olympics.

Haven't the shooting federation officials and coaches discussed the issue with the Union Sports Ministry? "We have sent more than 10 letters requesting import of ammunition but nothing has happened," Prof. Thomas says with a tinge of disappointment.

This may sound incredible if one takes into account the fact that that the Indian shooters returned with a rich haul of medals in the Commonwealth championship, despite the lack of ammunition for training back home. In fact, they purchased ammunition for training at the venue.

What is frustrating is the fact that it's not impossible to organise a full-fledged National camp for some big events where ammunition worth Rs. four lakhs would be required, the shooters say. The major hurdle is that most of it has to be imported either from Germany or Italy. Then the question of why the Government, which spent close to a couple of crores on personal training for some of the big names in shooting before the 2004 Athens Olympics, is lukewarm to the plea?

"Well, we don't really understand. But, at every major review meeting they never shy away from asking the simple question — how many medals have we won at international events?" says Prof. Thomas.

"It really saddens me to say that we have not given a single round of ammunition to any shooter of repute for home-range training," he laments. "And whatever ammunition is available it is being immediately disbursed."

Have not things changed for the better after Major Rathore's silver medal-winning performance in the Athens Games? "Not really. But we are optimistic of a change in the attitude over a period of time. The one good sign is that the Centre has cleared two foreign coaches — Laszlo Szucsak (rifle) and Csaba Gyorik (pistol) — for our shooters preparing for the international events," Prof. Thomas says.

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