20 May,2010 07:01 AM IST | | Malini Banerjee
Malini Banerjee turned up for her first lesson at Mulund Gymkhana's brand new rifle shooting range launched BY Olympian Deepali Deshpande. Here's why you should sign up for slam-bang weekend action for beginners before dropping by for a Punjabi thali at hotel Vishwabharati
I am visually challenged. Well almost. Without a pair of contact lenses or spectacles on hand, I can just about figure basic shapes and sizes.
I was the girl who copied an entire Chemistry class work session on 'donut' atoms (instead of donor), sitting a couple of feet from the blackboard.
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This pointless anecdote should prove that I'd make a very unlikely Abhinav Bindra.
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And yet, I was chosen from a team of eight to try my hand at a weekend basic training course in rifle shooting.
Mulund Gymkhana, a thirty-year-old institution that brings together the community is one of the few clubs in Mumbai to boast a rifle range. "There's no such facility from Kurla to Thane," says theu00a0 proud Makarand Lonkar, President.
In the Firing Line
When I arrived for my hour-long session, most of the rifles were being serviced for a bunch of non-members and beginners who were set to drop in.
Coach Deepak Surve and national level player Vibhuti Gunjal were my trainers, and Vibhuti's rifle, my weapon.
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We headed to the shooting range located on the first floor of the building and I was introduced to two rifles a Peep Sight Rifle made in Germany, (Vibhuti's) and an Open Sight Air Rifle.
What's your score?
The scoring system allows 60 shots within 105 minutes for men, and 40 shots within 75 minutes for women. During this phase, a maximum of 10 points are awarded for each shot. You earn ten points if you hit the ten-point circle and cumulatively lesser as you hit it outside.
The Open Sight Rifle is Indian-made. It weighs about two kilos, has a definitive jerk or recoil with a hard trigger. The Peep Sight weighs a hefty five kilograms, has very little recoil with a feather touch trigger.
Participants at the Basic Training Course all train with the Open Sight rifle. The Open Sight is so called because the backsight is in the form of a 'U'. A protrusion at the barrel, called the front sight, makes the 'U' align with the 'I' to look like a 'U' with a divider (or if you want to sound like a geek, an epsilon pointed downwards) when you take aim. The three lines are expected to be just below the target.
Taking Aim
My first problem it wouldn't align! "That's because you are shutting the wrong eye," Vibhuti smiled. Point. Even as I aimed, with the right eye shut, it felt as if the target was constantly shifting.
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"This will continue to happen, which is why fitness is such an important part of preparation. Your breathing gets uneven with stress, and your hands begin to shiver.
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Running helps you get used to movement and helps build up an even breathing pattern," Vibhuti explained. Special gear that Vibhuti wore during practice also aids stability.
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The shoes are thick-soled, and don't bend. This is necessary to arrest movement while taking aim.
Once I figured the problem had to do with steadying my aim, I couldn't keep one eye closed for long. By the time I managed to shut the right eye, my hands were shivering. Trouble.
To make matters a shade more humiliating, I was practicing with a "bachcha target" a 17x17 sq cm paper target, used for pistol shooting.
One of the kids pulled in by the coach looked rather professional. He picked up the rifle confidently, stood form with legs apart, hip postured to the right, and aimed steady. Bang! He hit the target. Me? I hit the wall.
We switched on the pulley to check the target paper.
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It showed two holes one, near the edge (that was the result of coach Surve's aim) and the second, on the last concentric circle in the black patch marked on the paper.
"Where is my bullet hole?" I wondered, hoping that I may have hit the same point as Vibhuti's shot, which is why a third hole didn't show up. "You hit the wall," she confirmed.
My one-hour session was almost up. I tried once again, and this time hit the paper nowhere near the target though. Zero points.
Curious, I asked Vibhuti, "What's been your lowest score in 10m range?" I was hoping for an inspiring underdog-beats-odds story, one where she travelled from a score of 20 to 393/400 (her highest so far).
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"It's been 383," she said, quickly adding "...but it depends on you. Shooting doesn't need any other extra quality. You just have to keep at it, stay focused."
The optimistic can take a train to Mulund.
Basic Training Camp for Air Rifle Shooting starts from May 21 to May 30. Three batches will be conducted at 5, 6 pm and 7 pm, respectively.
Cost: Rs 1,250
AT: Mulund Gymkhana, Navghar Road, Mulund (E). CALL: 21635114 / 9046
Quick chat with a champion
Former Olympian, World Champion and Arjuna Awardee Deepali Deshpande is the driving force behind Mulund Gymkhana's new shooting range, where she supervises training.
What are India's chances at the 2010 Commonwealth Games?
We've been doing pretty well since the 1998 Games. We've performed well at the Olympics too, so the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi should be small fry.
Is India doing enough? Would you like to see more state-of-the-art ranges?
It's an individual sport. You can practice with cardboard targets on your terrace, initially. But yes, you can't do it on your own. Now with more attention to the sport, things are looking better.u00a0
Can rifle shooting become more of a spectator sport?
Every sport needn't be a spectator sport. Sometimes, a sport has its own innate glamour. The glamour of the gun and the power behind the weapon is enough to bring more people to the game.u00a0
Why did you decide to associate yourself with training at a basic level?
I'd say for two reasons. One, there is untapped talent in India. Also, when we started, there were good coaches, but they lacked exposure. So, we had to figure out most of the stuff on our own. I want to pass on what I know to the next generation.
Grab a bite
For a sumptuous bite after your training, stop by at Hotel Vishwabharati. Pioneers in authentic Udipi food for over five decades, the restaurant owned by Sudhakar J Shetty serves piping hot meals to the hungry.
Apart from the Idli-Dosa fare, the Dahi Vada and Lassi are the fastest moving items. They whip up a pretty good Punjabi Thali (Rs 130) too. A meal for two should set you back by about Rs 200.
AT: Jeevan Niwas, opposite Mulund Station, Mulund (W). CALL: 25610193/ 25683438. Tuesdays closed.
