Shooters needed to show patience: Sports Minister

Gill, however, said he has taken note of their demand and had asked his ministry officials to look into the matter.

“I wish people would have showed more patience. I have given direction to SAI Joint Secretary Pravir Krishn to sort the coach’s matter as early as possible,” the Sports Minister told reporters on the sidelines of the inauguration of Dr Karni Singh shooting range.

“Foreign coaches have big demands. We had appointed three foreign coaches for shooting but they left the job after they were offered better money. So one can’t blame SAI or anyone for this.

“This was a little bit of exaggeration on the part of the shooters,” he added.
Sports Authority of India Joint Secretary Pravir Krishn, on his part said, they have pinpointed a new foreign coach and he would be appointed within a week.
“We had earlier appointed three coaches but they left the job for their own reasons,” Krishn added.

Gill’s statement came after six top pistol shooters — Samaresh Jung, Ronak Pandit, Amanpreet Singh, Heena Sidhu, Ruchit Kapadia and Upasana Parasrampuria — miffed with NRAI’s functioning, hired renowned Ukrainian coach Anatoli Poddubni on their own expenses.

Even though the step has upset the Sports Minister, ace shooter Jung said “necessity” forced them to take the step after their repeated appeals fell on deaf ears at the National Rifle Association of India.

“It is a case of necessity. We required a coach badly to train us at par with the best shooters in the world. We had that opportunity before our hand and we availed it rather then wait for the federation to wake up,” he said.

“Our last coach Czaba Gyorik of Hungary left just after the Beijing Olympics and till today no one has replaced him,” he added.

His views were supported by Athens Olympics silver medallist Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and country’s ace double trap shooter Mansher Singh, who feels its high time for NRAI to adopt a professional approach if the federation expect more medals in mega-events like the Olympics.