On TARGET: Suruchi Singh and Manu Bhaker on fire, clinch gold and silver medals at ISSF World Cup in Lima, Peru

In the good old days, when Abhinav Bindra and Gagan Narang were breathing down each other’s neck and gunning for glory with the rifle, the rivalry was underplayed. As much as shooting is an individual sport and a marksman/markswoman is competing against himself or herself, the target is shoot medals for the country. For this writer, it was privilege to have seen both boys-turned-men shoot major competitions in India and abroad. Both Abhinav and Gagan, who I can proudly call as friends, never wanted the rivalry to be played up.

Deep down, both Abhinav and Gagan were committed and focused. There was nothing like who was better. As I had seen Abhinav shoot at an Olympics for the first time in the Sydney Olympics (2000), it was nice see witness a youngster full of zest and zeal. As Abhinav was packing his rifle kit, the focus was the next Olympics, 2004 Athens. For those who had not bothered to cover shooting 25 years ago, since the shooting venue in Sydney was three hours away from downtown Sydney, the effort was well worth it. At the same time, a certain Anjali Bhagwat, today a shooter-turned-cerebral coach had also done well to enter the final in Sydney.

Twenty-five years hence, recollecting vivid memories of shooters and their journeys, it is heartening to mention, seeing Gagan win a rifle bronze medal in the 2012 London Olympics was satisfying, even as Vijay Kumar won a silver in pistol. There was passion, method in madness and how to spend long hours in training if one had watched Abhinav and Gagan shoot. They handled good and bad press well.

Sadly, today, media is not just media but social media. The narrative is not depth and studying what shooting is as a sport but getting to write sensational stuff. On Tuesday night, three Indian shooters, rising star Suruchi Singh, Manu Bhaker and Saurabh Chaudhary have served notice of their ‘killer instinct’ in different ways.

Competing in the ISSF World Cup in Lima, Peru, which was a four-hour flight from Buenos Aires, Argentina, the Indian shooting bandwagon settled in a new city and new time zone. South America is farthest away, but for Suruchi to come out firing and win a gold medal in air pistol was defining. Her consistency stands out. Add to it the hunger to take on a bunch of Chinese shooters plus queen of Indian shooting Manu Bhaker, the success story is nice.

Hang on, this is just the beginning. Indeed, Suruchi has attracted attention, aroused interest and instilled desire. Don’t ask who Suruchi, is, please. She is also from Jhajjar, Haryana, has worked hard at an old range where Manu had started shooting seven years ago. Many summers have passed, so to see a fresh Suruchi, just 18, challenge Manu is nice. Manu won silver, her first World Cup medal after the highs of the Paris 2024 Olympics.

She has faced ups and down, something she admitted in media as well and social media. For those who think an elite athlete is a robot who shoots like the Chinese, the Indians are different. Manu was on a long break, so to find the ebb and flow in her shooting has taken time. Sadly, a couple of heartless hacks and social media posters on sports websites which use AI had rubbished Manu after her inability to win a medal in the ISSF World Cup in Buenos Aires. What the ignorant are unaware of, she had a great score in qualifying phase in sports pistol and could not go whole hog in the final. On Tuesday, she shot in air pistol. Her score was below Suruchi, but she has taken it well. Her comments on ISSF TV are very clear, she is ready to battle it out with Suruchi and the world. It is this spirit of Manu which the world loves. She had ‘failed’ in the Tokyo Olympics and she was caught on the wrong foot by a TV journo. Sadly, the target in that ‘media assassination’ was coach Jaspal Rana.

Why mention this, now? Well, Jaspal had to spend two years plus in wilderness in penury. He agreed to coach Manu, after this writer had persuaded him take on Manu as a challenge for Paris. That Manu shot and won medals in Paris is well-known but so much preparation went into it. Both slogged, Manu and Dronacharya Jaspal Rana. Results came out so beautifully, now steeped in history.

Today, Jaspal Rana is high performance pistol coach with the team, appointed by the National Rifle Association of India. He had been watching all the shooters at the Nationals in New Delhi, the selection trials and now two World Cups. Some shooters say his training methods are like a boot camp. He does not mind it as he has to bring out the best.

In a chat with One Turf, Jaspal was happy: “Medals coming for India, Indians beating the Chinese shooters, this is great. As I said earlier, Suruchi is shooting great and consistent. As for Manu, she has staged a comeback. She knows she can do more for India, I am always there to help shooters,” said a modest Jaspal Rana.

As team coach, Jaspal has made it clear, he will train those who are ready for his methods. The coach has learnt even better to listen to shooters. “They know more than me, I can only motivate them further. With Manu, it’s letting her come back, the long break was tough. There is no pressure and she is enjoying it. To see Indians challenge one another, that is a delight,” said the Dronacharya. As for Saurabh Chaudhary, his written return from wilderness is a separate story for another day.

Back to the beginning, if Indian shooting saw Abhinav Bindra and Gagan Narang as fierce competitors, why not Manu, Suruchi and Esha Singh. The future looks bright, as the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan and LA 2028 Olympics are big targets.