Bhubaneswar: Olympian Joydeep Karmakar who finished fourth in the 50m prone event at the 2012 London Games will be helping out the budding young shooters of Orissa. The ace shooter will be visiting the city intermittently from November onwards confirmed Orissa Rifle Association secretary (ORA) Hari Patnaik on the sidelines of the VIIth State Shooting Championships which concluded here Sunday.
“Yes, he (Joydeep) has confirmed us that he will be coming in November and will be training our young shooters. He will come virtually every month over an extended period,” informed Hari.
Since the inception of competitive shooting in the state nine years back, the number of shooters have been on the rise. Each year, the state level championships attract a large number of participants and the one which concluded Sunday was no exception. However, even then, shooters from Orissa have failed to make a mark for themselves in the national arena.
Former National Games record holder in the men’s 50m prone rifle event, Ashish Naik is of the opinion that the sport will not develop in Orissa unless the state government steps in.
“Most of the shooters of Orissa are self-funded and it is an expensive sport. A proper competition rifle costs approximately Rs 8,00,000. So it very difficult for a youngster to pursue the sport unless there is government or corporate support,” Ashish pointed out.
However, Hari was quick to point out that the government has implemented certain steps to encourage shooting as a sport. “The government has already built one shooting range at the Kalinga Stadium. Two more are on the anvil. Once that happens it will be a great fillip to shooting in Orissa,” said Hari.
Meanwhile National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) jury member Amitabh Chatterjee, who attended the meet said to promote shooting in Orissa proper infrastructure is a must. “Maharashtra showed the way 20 years back and today they are reaping rich rewards. So the same route should be adopted in Orissa also,” said Chatterjee. “Also grassroots level talent should also be encouraged,” he added.
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