Gagan Narang is more relaxed these days than many of his contemporaries. The reason? The London Olympics bronze medal-winning shooter has his eyes trained on other targets: those using the camera.
During the break from sport imposed by the lockdown because of the coronavirus pandemic, Narang, who is also known for his photography skills, is digging deep into his archives and reliving the magic of nature and reserved forests captured through the lens.
“Yes, I feel the best way to beat boredom while staying indoors is to have a glimpse of all those wonderful moments which I captured on my camera and spending invaluable time with my parents,” the 36-year-old said in a chat with Sportstar.
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“Well, besides those priceless moments when I won the honours for the country, especially given the sense of pride we have when the national tricolour flutters while standing on the medal podium, for me, the other moments of joy are clearly when I am out there in the wild or shooting some of nature’s gifts to us,” Narang said.
“For any athlete, it is important to be mentally fresh and it is just not all about physical fitness. So, I am sure everyone aiming high is conscious of the importance to stay in touch with their respective disciplines maintaining minimum fitness levels,” he felt.
“No doubt, it will be a huge challenge for any athlete to start all over again as they have tuned themselves for a specific Olympics schedule before the Games were postponed to next year,” said the former World Cup champion. “So, the athletes have to stay focused, reset their training programme accordingly, and prepare for the new qualification norms without taking too much of pressure. The ability to take things in your stride is what separates you from the crowd,” Narang said.
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What does he miss the most now? “I miss my young champions. Given the kind of results my trainees at the Gun For Glory Academy have produced, it is disappointing to have this kind of break for sure,” he said, even while hoping the young talent stays focused. “Once this lockdown is lifted, I will be visiting all the centres to resume intensive training sessions again to cover up for the lost time.”
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