After the gold, shooter remembers blast victims

Mumbai: “This medal is for all those who were killed in the Mumbai bomb blasts,” said 20-year-old Navnath Fadtare who won the Junior Air Rifle Gold at the 49th World Championship at Zagreb: He is only the second Indian to win a world championship gold medal, emulating Jaspal Rana who had won the standard Pistol World Championship in 1994. Navnath shot an impressive 596 out of 600 to finish on top.

Talking to DNA soon after the medal ceremony, Navnath said: “I am proud to win the medal but my heart beats for all those who were killed in the Mumbai blasts. I want to dedicate this medal to the victims.”

For Navnath, an inmate of the Krida Probodhini in Kolhapur, this is the second international medal after he had won the Asian Junior Championship 2004 in Bangkok.

“I’m still to get in touch with my parents back home (Beed). I will do that very soon,” added Navnath who is making his third international appearance. “We (shooters and officials) here in Croatia will also be observing a two minutes silence tomorrow as mark of respect, for last year’s calamity (the Mumbai floods).”

“We all are proud of the Navnath. And we wish him all the best,” said his coach Ajit Patil from Kolhapur.