As 48-year-old Punjab shooter Zoravar Singh Sandhu won the bronze medal in the men’s trap final at the ISSF World Championships (Shotgun) in Athens, Greece, he would bump fists with London Olympics double trap champion and Indian foreign coach Peter Wilson.
It was only India’s third world championships medal after Dr Karni Singh’s silver in 1962 and Manavjit Singh Sandhu’s gold in 2006. For Sandhu, who first competed in a senior world championship in 1998, it was his second medal at the world level after his bronze at the 2007 Changwon World Cup.
Wilson later reminisced about the first time he met Sandhu as a fellow competitor in 2006, after he won the medal amidst a six-shooter field that included Rio Olympics champion Josip Glasnovic, world championships silver medallist and London Olympics finalist Anton Glasnovic, world junior champion Andres Garcia, world cup champion and Olympian William Hinton and Antonin Desert.
“I first met Zoravar in 2006, and over the years, we have bonded as fellow shooters over talks about fast cars and, of course, him making me listen to some Punjabi songs. Today’s final, I mean, there were the best from all over the world here, and to win the medal after the five rounds of qualifications as well as the final speaks of Zoravar’s effort.”
“Over the years, he has kept the faith, and to see him win a historic World Championships medal is tremendous. He gains a lot of experience in terms of his age, and I believe he could keep going for the next ten years if he wants to, and this medal is also very important for trap shooting in India,” shared Wilson while speaking with The Indian Express from Greece.
For a shooter who first competed at the world level in the skeet event at the World Junior Championships in 1994, Sandhu switched to trap within a short time in his international career.
For Sandhu (right), who first competed in a senior world championship in 1998, it was his second medal at the world level after his bronze at the 2007 Changwon World Cup. (Photo Credit: ISSF)
A multiple-time national champion, he shot a score of 122 in the qualification before competing in the shoot-off to decide the bib number. Having finished sixth post the shoot-off and the disadvantage of having the low bib number in the finals in case of a tie, Sandhu maintained his composure in the final to end up with the bronze, a medal which he calls just a start.
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“I see it just as a start. Youngsters in the Indian team, including Bhowneesh Mendiratta and Vivaan Kapoor, keep me motivated to keep going. Aag lagi rehndi hai ki main peeche nahi rehna (There is fire inside me that I don’t have to fall behind) (laughs). But then I am enjoying my shooting. To win the medal among such champions is a special reward, and I respect all of them for giving me a challenge and to make such wins special,” shared Sandhu while speaking with The Indian Express.
Fighting in tough conditions
For Sandhu, who hails from Muchhal village near Amritsar, the qualification saw him just missing one target out of 100 in the first four rounds before he shot a score of 23 in the final round to enter the final.
Missing the second shot in the final, Sandhu would shoot the next nine out of the next ten targets to be fifth post the third series before he missed one shot in the fourth series to be placed second along with Josip Glasnovic at 17 points each, with Garcia leading with 18 points.
Over the next two series, Sandhu would only miss one shot before he was confirmed a medal at least, with Antonin Desert of France and Anton Glasnovic being eliminated. Though Sandhu missed the three shots in the fourth elimination series, the Indian was in contention for the gold and silver medal had he not missed the targets in the series.
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“Having competed in the tough qualification stages, it takes a toll. But Zoravar maintained his calm in the last qualification, including the shoot-off, and saw the final as a fresh start. He had the lowest bib number, and it made his task extremely hard. With the rains and light and shadows coming on the points one and five, and light on two, three, and five, it makes the task of the shooter very difficult.”
“I think Zoravar was more aware than others chose not to wear goggles. He read the conditions better today, and that’s allowed him to battle the light as well as rain,” shared Wilson.
Much of the talk on ISSF commentary over the years, whenever Sandhu has competed, has surrounded his technique. Unlike others, he picks the shotgun from the side and just puts it on his shoulder for 1-2 seconds before he shoots.
While Sandhu says it has evolved with him starting as a skeet shooter, Wilson shares his thoughts on having the advantage of this technique. “I guess his technique is unique. It also means that he has less time to think, and I can tell you that a human mind can make one do funny things in more time. The technique works for him, and I am glad that he is confident about it. I see it as him shooting freely, and that’s what I have tried to help him over the last six months to sort of free his mind as well arms,” he said.
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Training and the LA Olympics
The last six months have also seen Sandhu compete in South America, apart from training at Limassol in Cyprus, along with the Indian shotgun squad, where Wilson tried to mimic the conditions in Greece.
While Sandhu will return home to compete in the nationals next month, Wilson also knows that the next year will allow him to work with the Indian team the way the British shooting team planned and trained.
“We went to Limassol in Cyprus, where they have got almost the same traps, same clay, and same covers to train ahead of the world championships. While there are no covers here in Greece, training in Limassol helped the likes of Zoravar to adjust to the conditions in Greece, and it helped,” said Wilson.
As for Sandhu, who shares his favourite shooter is two-time Olympic champion Australian Michael Diamond, he will be returning to India to spend some time with family before he starts the journey all over again. “I met Michael Diamond in 1994 as a junior shooter and have been a fan of his shooting as well as his mental and physical composure. Yes, the target is a medal in the LA Olympics, but that is still 2-3 years away, and my aim is to continue the fine form,” concluded Sandhu.
