Ace shooter drops gun to take up fish farming
Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 3:03 pm
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city ... 289830.cms
Once, he was the toast of the town shooting his way to fame and glory. Today, Arimardan Shahi has switched to prawn farming to make a living. Reason? There is neither any sponsor to support this budding shooter nor any shooting range in his home state of Bihar for him to sharpen his skills.
"I yearn to turn out for my home state. How long can I sustain myself on borrowed turf?" he rued. "I used to practise at the Dr Karni Singh Range in Tughlaqabad (New Delhi)," said the young shooter, bemoaning that renovation of the shooting range in New Delhi for the Commonwealth Games has deprived him of crucial training.
Arimardan pursues an expensive sport. That is olympic trap or clay pigeon shooting. "I need 30,000 cartridges and 15,000 clay pigeons a year to practise regularly. I cannot afford all this without sponsorship," he says, adding that each imported cartridge and clay pigeon costs Rs 20 and Rs 6, respectively. Compared to his event, Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra's 10 metre air rifle shooting costs a fraction.
Among his string of trophies won at various national championships, the team silver medal Arimardan won for India two years ago at the XI Asian Shooting tournament in Kuwait shines the brightest.
Winning his India colours shooting for Uttarakhand, a baby state that welcomed this Bihari sportsman, this prodigal shooter from rural Champaran has not shot for the past year as there is no shooting range in Bihar.
"I've skipped the nationals this year," Arimardan said when TOI caught up with the Delhi University graduate.
"I've borne his expenses as best as I could. But I cannot support his regular training fully," said Arindam Shahi, the shooter's father, himself a national bronze medallist, adding that even Jharkhand has built a state-of-the-art range for the national games.
"We are promoting sports in a big way and would definitely support the talented shooter whenever a proposal comes," said Bihar sports secretary Vivek Singh.
Certainly, the state's sponsoring this sportsman playing India's lone gold medal-winning sport in the last Beijing Olympics would be modest investment in the building of Brand Bihar.
Once, he was the toast of the town shooting his way to fame and glory. Today, Arimardan Shahi has switched to prawn farming to make a living. Reason? There is neither any sponsor to support this budding shooter nor any shooting range in his home state of Bihar for him to sharpen his skills.
"I yearn to turn out for my home state. How long can I sustain myself on borrowed turf?" he rued. "I used to practise at the Dr Karni Singh Range in Tughlaqabad (New Delhi)," said the young shooter, bemoaning that renovation of the shooting range in New Delhi for the Commonwealth Games has deprived him of crucial training.
Arimardan pursues an expensive sport. That is olympic trap or clay pigeon shooting. "I need 30,000 cartridges and 15,000 clay pigeons a year to practise regularly. I cannot afford all this without sponsorship," he says, adding that each imported cartridge and clay pigeon costs Rs 20 and Rs 6, respectively. Compared to his event, Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra's 10 metre air rifle shooting costs a fraction.
Among his string of trophies won at various national championships, the team silver medal Arimardan won for India two years ago at the XI Asian Shooting tournament in Kuwait shines the brightest.
Winning his India colours shooting for Uttarakhand, a baby state that welcomed this Bihari sportsman, this prodigal shooter from rural Champaran has not shot for the past year as there is no shooting range in Bihar.
"I've skipped the nationals this year," Arimardan said when TOI caught up with the Delhi University graduate.
"I've borne his expenses as best as I could. But I cannot support his regular training fully," said Arindam Shahi, the shooter's father, himself a national bronze medallist, adding that even Jharkhand has built a state-of-the-art range for the national games.
"We are promoting sports in a big way and would definitely support the talented shooter whenever a proposal comes," said Bihar sports secretary Vivek Singh.
Certainly, the state's sponsoring this sportsman playing India's lone gold medal-winning sport in the last Beijing Olympics would be modest investment in the building of Brand Bihar.