India’s well-known markswomen Anjali Ved Pathak and Suma Shirur hail from the city and now Ashok Karande, is all set to add his name to that elite list.
MUMBAI: Names of illustrious shooters are synonymous with the metropolis of Mumbai. India’s well-known markswomen Anjali Ved Pathak and Suma Shirur hail from the city and now Ashok Karande, is all set to add his name to that elite list.
Sanjoy Chakraverty, the coach who guided Anjali, Suma and the likes of Deepali Deshpande, has moulded another shooter’s career — Ashok Karande. The 20 year-old, Karande, a third year BA student from Ruia College, struck gold (team event) in his maiden international — the Asian Air Rifle Shooting Championship — held earlier this year at Bangkok.
A farmer’s son, Karande, who hails from Solapur, first held a rifle in 2002. His passion for the sport and skill saw Karande hit the bull’s eye more often than not. For this soft spoken Karande shooting is everything.
“The range is my first home and not the second,” Karande said, after finishing his round at the inter-college shooting (rifle - peep sight) event wherein he is a clear leader.
“At Bangkok, I was fortunate to hear the national anthem being played out, while standing on the podium,” he said.
The Ruia Target Shooting Academy in Matunga provides everything to the students from the rifle to the pellets and also the jacket, shoes, gloves, stand and targets.
“I owe everything to the college and Sanjoy sir,” Karande said. “My best (590pts) was at the Asian Junior trials in New Delhi. It was good enough for the gold but did not bring me any recognition. There was not a single official to receive us when we returned to India.”
The lack of fanfare and bouquets does not seem to bother Karande anymore. He has set his sights on the Commonwealth trials, which is to be held in Hyderabad later this year. Karande said all he wanted to do was hit the bull’s eye.
“I was thrilled when I was told that I would represent the country,” Karande said. “This is just the beginning. I have a long way to go. I want to continue training at this range for some more years and I want to be with coach Sanjoy till the end.”
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