GLORIOUS TRAIL

He started out quite early and in 1995, at a tender age of 12 years, he won the Ropar District Shooting Championship. In 1996, he won six gold medals at Punjab State Shooting Championship in senior and junior categories. In 1996, at just 13 years, 12 gold medals came his way and he also broke the junior world record (Many organizations didn’t recognize the breaking of world record as it was not in an international event). In 1997 the National record was broken twice and 1998 was more glorious as he became the national champion in both senior & junior categories and re-established national records. In 1999 he broke the World Record in Junior men event, won Gold medal in SAF Games and re-established a World Record as Senior and Junior National Champion and a new National record. Year 2000- Went on to represent country in world shooting Championship in Barcelona and World Cup in Munich, equaling the World Record in World Cup munich-2000 with a score of 596/600(which he broke again in the same competition in 2001, by scoring 597/600). He has been the youngest member of the Indian contingent and the youngest shooter to be ever present at Olympics (Sydney 2000).

Year 2001 was greeted by a volley of 6 Gold, 4 Silver and 2 bronze in the 12 competitions of the European Circuit Championships followed by yet another Gold in the Swiss Open Championship and then a World Record at the World Cup Munich along with the first ever medal at this level for the nation. He was given the opportunity to spearhead the 26 members Indian Shooting Team competing at World Cups Milan & Munich-2001. He was the lone Indian enter the finals at Milan and broke the World Record at Munich, wining the Bronze medal in the process with a score of 597/600. Most recently in the Commonwealth Shooting Championships in august 2001, he spearheaded the Indian squad and shot down the gold in men’s 10M Rifle team event, breaking the meet record and Commonwealth Games record in the process. The individual event gold & record glided in rather easily and the previous record holder & meet champion Cristopher Hector was defeated by an unusual margin of 11.9 points.

All this has not come easily and a lot of dedication and toil has gone into creation of this glorious history. Abhinav looks at the bull’s eye - a dark 5 millimeter spot on a brown piece of paper, at the other end of the hall, as predator looks on at it’s prey. As the finger softly presses the trigger, there is a crackle of sound. The sharpshooter tugs at the pulley and examines the target. Time for another spot. This routine is followed with rigor seven hours a daily plus another few hours for physical training: jogging and stretching exercise. Thus there is complete dedication of body and soul ten hours a day, 365 days a year. "I may not like it but at the end of the day, I am pretty exhausted," says he. Shooting requires a different kind of stamina. The stamina to concentrate hard and retain balance for couple hours while holding a rifle weighing over five kilograms. And a synchronicity of mind, eyes and finger, a slight variance in any of these and you risk loosing all that is so valuable to a shooter - Balance & Self-esteem.

He shoots to success in all other walks of like and is on the top of the heap in studies as well (All parents may please note!). As introduced earlier, he is undergoing undergraduate business management course from IILM, Delhi an affiliate of the prestigious Bradford University, UK and harbors academic ambitions.

Well done Abhinav! The whole nation is proud of you and backs you in your coming victories and at Athens 2004 which is just few years away !