Shooting no more an elite sport: Abhinav Bindra

NEW DELHI: Despite the huge costs involved, ace Indian shooters Abhinav Bindra and Gagan Narang believe shooting no longer caters only to the elite. "The whole scenario has changed unbelievably. People from all walks of life take part in the sport. Of course, the sport is expensive. But government support has been good and the results are there for all to see," 2008 Beijing Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra told TOI on Tuesday."The growth of Indian shooting has been tremendous. Our younger shooters are performing well. It shows we have a good junior programme," added Bindra on the sidelines of the launch of 8th Asian Airgun Championship logo in the Capital.
Narang too felt India had come a long way. "I had to sell a plot of land to buy a gun. Only after struggling for years did I manage to acquire a gun. These days, people are starting off with great rifles. Earlier, it used to take almost one year to import new weapons. Nowadays, we can import weapons in no time. Things are looking up. The sport is more accessible than before," the 2012 London Olympics bronze medallist said.
However, Narang felt more could to be done to uplift the sport. "The sport is highly technical and individualistic. We need to have a grassroots programme to find talent as also a plan to cater to individual needs." When asked if the costs involved could discourage prospects from taking up the sport, Narang said: "It depends on what sport you compare it with. As compared to equestrian, the sport doesn't cost much. You obviously can't compare it to football or cricket." Bindra, who is a member of the Target Olympic Podium (TOP) scheme committee, appreciated the initiative taken by the sports ministry.
"There are a good number of athletes under the scheme. The government has stepped forward to help athletes. It is a proactive, positive step," said Bindra. Bindra also called for more corporate support to develop Olympic sports. "Supporting Olympic sports could be a part of their CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) objectives," he said.