GNSPF signs up Peter Sidi, hopes to produce Olympic medallists
The Hindu
shooting
London Olympics bronze medallist Gagan Narang’s quest for glory took another significant step when he signed up a long-term contract with former World champion Peter Sidi of Hungary with the specific intention of producing Olympic medallists.
The 45-year-old Hungarian shooter is in the City training a select batch of 30 shooters (both boys and girls) in rifle and pistol categories, essentially picked from the national selection trials and dreaming big.
“Me and Sidi have competed together at many competitions. He is a dedicated master at work. The shooters are fortunate to be able to get the knowledge. There will be a special session for the budding and upcoming shooters of Telangana during the camp,” Gagan explained in a chat with The Hindu.
“This is part of our Project Leap programme, supported by Olympic Gold Quest, which aims at ensuring there is a continuity to producing champion shooters who can be potential medal contenders in Olympics,” said Gagan, who is also the vice-president of Indian Olympic Association.
“Most of them will be below 21 years of age and this is part of the Olympic Cycle through which we aspire to produce champions,” he added.
The shooters will be training at the SATS Gachibowli shooting ranges on the University of Hyderabad campus and also at Gun For Glory Academy in Pune to make them acclimatise to different conditions.
“Obviously, I am glad with the way the Gun For Glory has contributed to the success story of Indian shooting, the best example being our own Hyderabadi Esha Singh, who won four medals in the Hangzhou Asiad (one gold, three silver),” he said.
Pakistan coach Gary Kirsten stated that “not so great decision making” contributed to his side’s defeat to India in the Group-A T20 World Cup clash here on Sunday. The batting unit came apart in the chase, after being well placed at 72 for two. With 48 runs needed from eight overs, Pakistan found a way to panic and lose. “Maybe not so great decision making,” Kirsten said at the post-match press conference, when asked to explain the loss.
“We are judges and therefore, cannot act like Mughals of a bygone era ... the writ courts in the guise of doing justice cannot transcend the barriers of law,” the High Court of Karnataka observed while setting aside an order of a single judge, who in 2016 had extended the lease of a public premises allotted to a physically challenged person to 20 years contrary to 12-year period stipulated in the law.