Paris Olympics: Indian Shooting History in a Nutshell - From Maharaja Karni Singh to Golden Generation of Abhinav Bindra, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Gagan Narang

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From the time of the Maharajas, shooting as a sport in India has been popular. The transition, so to say, from firing in jungles at animals (now banned), so many decades ago, to adaptation as a competitive sport, began with Maharaja Karni Singh of Bikaner.

Karni Singh may have not won a medal at the Summer Olympics, but as a trap shooter, he was immensely skilled and could shoulder plenty of load.

For the record, despite his active political career, he represented India in the Olympics from 1960 Rome to 1980 Moscow, with one gap, when he missed the Games in Montreal in 1976. Maharaja Karni Singh left a legacy, and showed that in outdoor trap, Indians could dare, for he had also been part of many campaigns at the World Championships as well. To aim at flying orange clay birds, and pull the trigger, Maharaja Karni Singh was passionate in his training methods and execution.

Later, another Raja, who is a legend in sports administration and acts as the Acting President of the Olympic Council of Asia, Randhir Singh had also set high standards in the same shooting discipline of trap. He won medals at the Asian Games, though not the Olympics.

Today, one man who is no longer an active shooter but contributes to Team India's hottest pistol girl, Manu Bhaker, as coach, Jaspal Rana, had shown that Indians could do well in pistol as well. Rana had it in him to shoot multiple events and win medals with his pistol at the Asian Games level and Commonwealth Games. Sure enough, he is there to guide Manu Bhaker, as she competes in three events in Paris 2024 Olympics - air pistol, mixed and sports pistol.

The question, all along, was, who would fire India's first Olympic medal. Hats off to Colonel Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, the man who answered the prayers of millions by firing a silver medal at the Athens Olympics in 2004. It is a defining medal, a first in shooting. None know much about his particular discipline, double trap, where the marksman had to pull the trigger and 'kill' two orange birds flying out at trajectories which needed to be mastered.

Those who had seen Rathore at practice swear he would slog tirelessly. He was an Armyman, and his voracious appetite for shouldering load was massive. He spent long hours at the ranges in New Delhi and had become almost inert to emotions as he mastered the double trap.

That particular year, 2004, "Chilly" Rathore as people in the fraternity call him, was in hot form. Going into the Athens Olympics, Indian fans thought Anju Bobby George would win a medal in long jump. No, the joy came from Rathore's shotgun. Entire India celebrated, civilians and "faujis" included, as Rathore had won a first shooting medal for India. Concentration, focus, razor sharp mental strength, this was the way Rathore shot that gold. Images of him draped in the India tricolour makes all emotional, even today.

At the same time as Rathore, one more young man had also been serving notice of his potential in a different discipline, Abhinav Bindra. From his debut at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 to finally winning that historic gold medal in Beijing 2008, Bindra had slogged. There are some shooters who are naturally talented and some who attain perfection by slogging hours in a methodical way.

For Bindra, whose methods were so well-defined and scientific, he needed three attempts to win an Olympic medal. From Sydney 2000 to Athens 2004, it looked like he was certain to win a medal. No point blaming luck and so on, Bindra exploded on the big stage in Beijijng, even as Gagan Narang was also there as a competitor, challenging him for many years.

A gold medal in shooting in 2008 Beijing, what Bindra had done was better the effort from Rajyavardhan Rathore, four years ago in Athens. The comparisons end there, as double trap has been removed from the shooting programme and air rifle stays right there on top, even today.

Today, Rathore is recognised as a seasoned politician in Rajasthan even as Bindra gives back to the sport in so many ways. Mentor to many, an important figure in the International Olympic Committee plus his training programmes in India, Abhinav Bindra is a champion in every way.

From Beijing to 2012 London, expectation grew. After winning two successive Olympic medals, in Athens and Beijing, expecting shooting medals was but natural. Yes, London was defining, as Vijay Kumar, almost forgotten today, won silver in rapid fire pistol event. Again, an Armyman, Vijay Kumar has dropped out of the shooting scene, but certainly not the other hero from London 2012, Gagan Narang.

Having waited for his chance to go big, Gagan was in beast mode in London. He had been playing second fiddle to Abhinabv Bindra in his career. When he won that bronze medal in three position event in rifle, Gagan fulfilled his dream. And for India, the variety of medals from shooting had become more explosive.

That Gagan has also given back to Indian shooting and mentors many youngsters today is well known. His 'Gun For Glory' Academies in India grooms youngsters and one product from it is Elavenil Valarivan, who will be among 22 shooters representing India at the Paris 2024 Olympics. A just reward for Gagan's romance with shooting and Indian sport is the reason why he is India's chef de mission for the Paris Summer Games. He knows a lot about the Olympics and the Olympic Movement.

Today, as Indian shooters train in Europe and India, there is hope, medals will come in number from the ranges located 275km away from Paris. The two flop shows in the 2016 in Rio de Janeiro Olympics and the Tokyo edition, held in 2021, has made fans pessimists. Yet, if the performance at the Asian Games in Hangzhou in 2023 is an indication and how the men and women soaked in the pressure at four trials in New Delhi and Bhopal, medal hopes are realistic.

For 22 shooters to have made the cut, with Shreyasi Singh a last-minute inclusion, shooting in Paris does promise medals. For the record, Shreyasi is also a sitting MLA in the Bihar Assembly. Back to Indian shooters in Paris, do not talk of flop shows, talk of hard work done. On the big day and the big stage, each Indian shooter has the skillset and mindset to go for medals, at the Paris Olympics. There is depth and variety. Positive energy and wishes from fans are needed in loads.

Paris Olympics: India shooting squad

Rifle:

• Men's 10m air rifle: Sandeep Singh, Arjun Babuta
• Women's 10m air rifle: Elavenil Valarivan, Ramita Jindal
• Women's 50m rifle 3 positions: Sift Kaur Samra, Anjum Moudgil
• Men's 50m rifle 3 positions: Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Swapnil Kusale
• 10m air rifle mixed team: Sandeep Singh/Elavenil Valarivan, Arjun Babuta/Ramita Jindal

Pistol:

• Men's 10m air pistol: Sarabjot Singh, Arjun Cheema
• Women's 10m air pistol: Manu Bhaker, Rhythm Sangwan
• Men's 25m rapid fire pistol: Anish Bhanwala, Vijayveer Sidhu
• Women's 25m pistol: Manu Bhaker, Esha Singh
• 10m air pistol mixed team: Sarabjot Singh/Manu Bhaker, Arjun Singh Cheema/Rhythm Sangwan

Shotgun:

• Men's trap: Prithviraj Tondaiman
• Women's trap: Rajeshwari Kumari, Shreyasi Singh
• Men's skeet: Anantjeet Singh Naruka
• Women's skeet: Maheshwari Chauhan, Raiza Dhillon
• Skeet mixed team: Anantjeet Singh Naruka/Maheshwari Chauhan