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Rathore in Time list of athletes

New York: Athens Olympics silver medallist shooter Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore finds a mention in the Time magazine’s list of 100 most compelling athletes to watch out for in the Beijing games.

Rathore is the lone Indian in the list of ‘100 Olympic Athletes to Watch’ which features athletes from different participating countries including Australia, China and Zimbabwe.

American basketball player LeBorn James, Chinese diver Guo Jingjing, Jamaica’s Asafa Powell, Germany’s handball player Pascal Hens and Australian swimmer Stephanie Rice are also part of the list.

Writing on Rathore, Time noted that the 38-year-old double-trap shooter is among the country’s best hopes for a medal. “A colonel in the Indian Army, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore is among India’s best hopes for a medal in Beijing... He picked up the sport after training as an Army marksman and won a silver in Athens, but that feat didn’t change India’s long history of indifference to sports other than cricket and field hockey games against Pakistan,” the magazine said.

On his preparation, Rathore said it has not been easy considering that shortage of ammunition has been one of the major problems in the run-up to the games.

“We did have some hiccups,” Rathore is quoted as saying.

A recent surge of corporate sponsors have stepped up to offer their support for some of India’s elite athletes, something Rathore calls “a positive change for the country.” — PTI

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