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Ronak Pandit at the MRA yesterday. pic/Vishal Kelkar

The entire nation soaked in the success of Abhinav Bindra yesterday. But ask any shooter what it takes to achieve what Bindra did in Beijing yesterday and you would be astonished.  

Shooting has always been India's medal hope at the Games, but its sorry state of affairs at the domestic level is enough to put off shooters from target.

"He (Bindra) had the necessary set-up. He has a private shooting range in his backyard in Chandigarh. He trains in Germany. So, he does not have to solely depend on government for any help. But not everyone can have such a base," Ronak Pandit, a close friend of Bindra told MiD DAY at the Maharashtra Rifle Association (MRA) in Worli yesterday.

"Shooting ranges, targets, pistols/rifles and ammunition are the basic requirements of this sport. If these things are not available, then what can one do," asked the 22-year-old, who clinched gold at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games and also a silver medallist at the Doha Asian Games. The two-time Asian junior champion, was also miffed at the fact that every time a shooter goes to buy weapons to train, the first question that is shot is 'why do you need it'?

Joke

"Sometimes I feel it is some kind of a joke. If this is the case for a proven performer like me, imagine the plight of beginners," he said. "If you don't have these basic amenities in place, how do you expect the sport to grow?
"At MRA, we have the best of the guns available but again, that is not enough. Other centres are not as privileged," he noted and added: "Can you believe, targets were not working at Delhi's shooting range during a national coaching camp recently."