Positive effects of Abinavs Beijing gold medal
Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2008 6:49 pm
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Citi ... 358661.cms
CHANDIGARH: Call it the Abhinav Effect. In the 24 hours since the shooter shot for gold at the Beijing Olympics, 65 air rifles have flown off shelves from just one shop in Chandigarh. ( Watch )
Fresh orders have been placed for 50 more and there has been, according to happy faced attendants at Ahuja Arms Company, telephone queries from about three dozen anxious parents, excited children tugging at their sleeves for the latest must-have.
"Our stock has exhausted," said a beaming Ravi Ahuja from Ahuja Arms Company, the region's sole distributor of air rifles recommended for shooting.
"Last Friday we received 68 pieces of such rifles from Ahmedabad but with Abhinav winning gold, we have already sold 65. We anticipate a huge interest in the sport. In 2007, we sold close to 1,000 rifles. This year till July 31 we sold 400, but in the four months from now we are looking at about 2,000."
Attending back-to-back calls Ravi Ahuja, who is also general secretary of Chandigarh Arms Dealers Association, added,
"The phones haven't stopped ringing. Right from dealers to individual buyers the queries are piling up. Dealers are calling up from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and are demanding rifles in a big way. Now we have placed bulk orders with an Ahmedabad-based manufacturing unit to supply us more rifles."
Overnight the local boy's win, India's first individual gold in 112 years, seems to have woken up an entire region, maybe even the whole country, to shooting – not a sport that tops the popularity chart, what with its prohibitive costs and lack of interest in the media.
No wonder Gurpreet Bhandari from Bhandari Gun House is gung-ho. "We haven't done too badly either," she said, grinning widely. "In one day we have sold 10 rifles and received 15 queries. It is amazing that even five-year-old kids, accompanied by their parents of course, are talking about shooting. Sale has increased tenfold for us and we have just asked for another 50 air rifles from a Kolkata manufacturer."
At Ludhiana, Satwant Singh Garewal of the Garewal Gun House said the change has been both immediate and drastic. "Till now we used to sell 20 guns a month, but now I am anticipating to sell at least 50."
While the Indian brands on display and sale are SDB Guns, Tommy, Aimco and National, all coming for about Rs 3,000, the German Diana, at Rs 25,000, is also being picked up.
Both varieties are .22 bore air rifles, needing no licence.
Abhinav apparently spent over Rs 1 crore last year in training, but in flush-with-funds Punjab that would hardly be a deterrent for hundreds of families. "We certainly would like to expose our kids to this sport," said Sangeeta Bhargava, a mother of two, 9 and 14, as she ran her fingers over the barrel of a Diana.
The younger one, Ramit, is a national under-nine squash champion. Ecstatic Pretty Verma, a public relation consultant, said,"My boy is fascinated with the gun. I won't mind at all if he wants to pursue the sport." Neither would seven-year-old Arush. Glued to news channels, he squealed, "Every body is talking about Abhinav bhaiya and all are giving him money."
There is talk of upgrading infrastructure at the Chandigarh shooting range and Vijay Pal Singh, general secretary, Chandigarh Rifle Association, says the government will provide opportunity to youngsters by way of competitions and training.
"The administration would upgrade the Patiali-ki-Rao shooting range and set up an academy here." He knows that the prize for hitting bull's eye, unlike in the England of 1890s, is no more a leg of mutton bought by the losing team.
CHANDIGARH: Call it the Abhinav Effect. In the 24 hours since the shooter shot for gold at the Beijing Olympics, 65 air rifles have flown off shelves from just one shop in Chandigarh. ( Watch )
Fresh orders have been placed for 50 more and there has been, according to happy faced attendants at Ahuja Arms Company, telephone queries from about three dozen anxious parents, excited children tugging at their sleeves for the latest must-have.
"Our stock has exhausted," said a beaming Ravi Ahuja from Ahuja Arms Company, the region's sole distributor of air rifles recommended for shooting.
"Last Friday we received 68 pieces of such rifles from Ahmedabad but with Abhinav winning gold, we have already sold 65. We anticipate a huge interest in the sport. In 2007, we sold close to 1,000 rifles. This year till July 31 we sold 400, but in the four months from now we are looking at about 2,000."
Attending back-to-back calls Ravi Ahuja, who is also general secretary of Chandigarh Arms Dealers Association, added,
"The phones haven't stopped ringing. Right from dealers to individual buyers the queries are piling up. Dealers are calling up from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and are demanding rifles in a big way. Now we have placed bulk orders with an Ahmedabad-based manufacturing unit to supply us more rifles."
Overnight the local boy's win, India's first individual gold in 112 years, seems to have woken up an entire region, maybe even the whole country, to shooting – not a sport that tops the popularity chart, what with its prohibitive costs and lack of interest in the media.
No wonder Gurpreet Bhandari from Bhandari Gun House is gung-ho. "We haven't done too badly either," she said, grinning widely. "In one day we have sold 10 rifles and received 15 queries. It is amazing that even five-year-old kids, accompanied by their parents of course, are talking about shooting. Sale has increased tenfold for us and we have just asked for another 50 air rifles from a Kolkata manufacturer."
At Ludhiana, Satwant Singh Garewal of the Garewal Gun House said the change has been both immediate and drastic. "Till now we used to sell 20 guns a month, but now I am anticipating to sell at least 50."
While the Indian brands on display and sale are SDB Guns, Tommy, Aimco and National, all coming for about Rs 3,000, the German Diana, at Rs 25,000, is also being picked up.
Both varieties are .22 bore air rifles, needing no licence.
Abhinav apparently spent over Rs 1 crore last year in training, but in flush-with-funds Punjab that would hardly be a deterrent for hundreds of families. "We certainly would like to expose our kids to this sport," said Sangeeta Bhargava, a mother of two, 9 and 14, as she ran her fingers over the barrel of a Diana.
The younger one, Ramit, is a national under-nine squash champion. Ecstatic Pretty Verma, a public relation consultant, said,"My boy is fascinated with the gun. I won't mind at all if he wants to pursue the sport." Neither would seven-year-old Arush. Glued to news channels, he squealed, "Every body is talking about Abhinav bhaiya and all are giving him money."
There is talk of upgrading infrastructure at the Chandigarh shooting range and Vijay Pal Singh, general secretary, Chandigarh Rifle Association, says the government will provide opportunity to youngsters by way of competitions and training.
"The administration would upgrade the Patiali-ki-Rao shooting range and set up an academy here." He knows that the prize for hitting bull's eye, unlike in the England of 1890s, is no more a leg of mutton bought by the losing team.
saved him some time at the airport.
