'Don’t expect too much at the Asian Games'

Despite a rich haul of medals (14 gold, 7 silver, 3 bronze) from India’s shooters in the recent Commonwealth Games in England, ace shooter Ashok Pandit has come up with a warning: Don’t expect too much at the Asian Games in Busan.
For, it’s a different cup of tea altogether. �I’m happy for the shooters,� says Pandit, a Commonwealth gold medallist in three successive events and the vice-president of the Maharashtra Rifle Association.‘‘But I have my reservations.� Pandit, 48, who is likely to participate at the centrefire and standard pistol events in Busan, says, “The common man and the government is interested only in medals. But I’m interested in scores. If you look closely at the score of our shooters at the Commonwealth Games, it’s not that encouraging.
We managed to win gold medals, despite our below-par efforts. But we won’t get this advantage at the Asian Games. If we compare our scores at Manchester with some of the top Asian shooters, the medal chances at Busan are almost nil. It’s altogether a different matter that we will try our best and anything can happen on a given day.� Indeed, Commonwealth countries are not known for their shooting,weightlifting and wrestling prowess. And India capitalised on that.
But when it came to athletics, India returned with one silver and a bronze from Manchester. Pandit lamented the fact that the shooters were not getting the much-needed ammunition for practice due to some intriguing policy decisions of the government. “ Ace shooter Ashok Pandit shoots down hopes of future glory For last two-and-a-half years we have suffered because of that,� he says. “Things are getting better only now. Those errors have not been punished at the Commonwealth Games but the Asian Games could show the correct picture. We can’t go one step forward and two step backwards.�
The Arjuna awardee was also critical of the role of the media and the government. ‘‘Nobody cares a damn about shooters before any major event,� he says. “And then we come up with knee-jerk reactions after the event. If we win, we are hailed. Rs 20 lakh are awarded per gold medal. But ties have to improve,� points out Pandit. “We need drastic changes. The key is optimum use of time before the Asian Games so that we go there well prepared and without any hassles.�
In other words, what he is saying is simple: Don’t get carried away by the Commonwealth euphoria. There are many hurdles to overcome before we can claim ourselves as shooting superpower. bombaytimes@timesgroup.com when we lose, we are completely ignored. We hardly get any encouragement prior or during the Games. We have to set these things right.� On whether this is India’s most promising team for the Asian Games and on chances of Mumbais world No 1 Anjali Vedpathak-Bhagwat at Busan, Pandit continues with his cautious approach. “This team is 90 per cent right,� assures Pandit.
“Anjali is a very good shooter. But let’s not get carried away by her ranking. What matters is your score on the day. It’s extremely difficult to perform up to one’s potential on the foreign soil. There are 10-12 shooters which are on the same level like hers.
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