Abhinav shows the way

“He is so organised about each aspect of preparation, like psychological, physical and technical that his contemporaries have often wondered if such obsession was necessary. But Abhinav proved his point by winning the gold medal,” says Suma Shirur of her training partner, who brought glory to India. By Nandakumar Marar

Abhinav Bindra’s eye for detail is exemplary. According to Suma Shirur, Abhinav’s training partner for the last two years, it is this quality that separates the Olympic champion from the other shooters in the country.

“The Indian shooters competing at the international level have accumulated a lot of experience, but that is not enough to win Olympic medals. Abhinav has shown us that mastery of technique is vital. He is so organised about each aspect of preparation, like psychological, physical and technical that his contemporaries have often wondered if such obsession was necessary. But Abhinav proved his point by winning the gold medal,” observed Suma, an Olympian herself and a former world record holder.

Suma, who is from Mumbai, was a member of the Indian shooting team at the 2004 Athens Olympics where she finished eighth in the women’s 10m air rifle final. At the same Games, Abhinav ended up seventh in the men’s 10m air rifle event. In Beijing, Abhinav ended India’s quest for an individual Olympic gold medal by shooting a splendid 10.8 on the final shot. The performance underlined his remarkable composure even in the face of stiff competition.

“Abhinav’s control over his emotions helped him shoot 10.8 when it mattered. Any excitable guy may not have managed to do it in such a critical situation,” said Suma, who watched the event on television.

Suma, who had shot 400/400 at the 2004 Asian Championship to equal the world record, failed to qualify for the Beijing Olympics.

“India’s struggle to make a mark in the Olympics has been attracting all sorts of adverse comments. People with such strong opinions should have at least waited for Abhinav’s event to finish,” Suma remarked.

Coach Gabriela Buhlmann of Switzerland has trained both Abhinav and Suma. “We call her Gaby. She coached Abhinav in Germany. I trained under Gaby in Germany and found her methods very different from what I was taught earlier.

“She has played a huge part in the way Abhinav approaches shooting. I messaged her afterwards and Gaby replied that she was happy but totally exhausted,” Suma said.

Buhlmann is an experienced shooter. She participated in the women’s 10m air rifle in the 2004 Athens Olympics.

“Gaby helped me come out of a slump. I would like to continue training but the cost of such specialised coaching is high,” Suma said.

Abhinav’s father had built an indoor, air-conditioned range for his son at home. He also bore his son’s coaching expenses under experts in Germany and elsewhere. “Financial assistance began coming in from various sources only after Abhinav had reached the top. Till then family support kept him going,” observed Suma. Abhinav’s quest for an Olympic medal began in Sydney in 2000 when he was 18. Four years later, in Athens, he missed winning a medal despite bettering the Olympic record in men’s 10m air rifle. But on his third attempt, in Beijing, Abhinav, the world air rifle champion in 2006 and Khel Ratna award winner in 2001, had a successful shot at glory.

“After the Athens experience, Abhinav understood what was needed to win at the Olympic Games and he worked out his own methods in pursuit of his goal,” said Suma.

She lauded the Mittal Champions Trust for its timely support to Abhinav in his career plan. “Long-term planning and continuous training is needed for building on form and experience. The way he prepared for Beijing is an eye opener for us,” said Suma, who was amazed by the progress made by India’s first individual Olympic gold medallist since then.