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SportsKeeda editor Atul Bucha recently had a conversation with Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.

Lt. Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore (born January 29, 1970 in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan) is an Indian shooting legend who won the silver medal in Men’s Double Trap at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. He is the first Indian to win an individual silver medal, after Norman Pritchard who won two silver medals at the 1900 Paris Olympics. So, Keedas gear up to read what our Olympic Hero has to say to SportsKeeda. Happy reading!

Olympic 2004 silver medal

Atul@SportsKeeda – The reason behind your inspiration to be Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, the shooting ace of India?

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore – My inspiration is not specifically identity oriented. I feel that we have the potential of doing something and we must do it. The reason why I say this is because as soon as I won the Olympics I mentioned that when we idolize people, it is like armchair hunting or armchair sportsmen. Its alright to get inspired by someone but you have the potential to go ahead and do whatever you want to do. Now, coming specifically to me, whatever I do, I just feel like doing it well, nice and the best. I try to learn from everyone around and see how I can do things better. I just love to keep learning be it the dance classes, improve the vocabulary or learn a new word. Even, in shooting, I am continuously learning how to shoot well.

Atul@SportsKeeda – We are aware that you were a good cricket player during your school days. What made you give up that sport and move to shooting?

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore – Typically in our country, we are so job oriented because of our environment during our school and early college.  Everybody is so focused on getting high grades and getting a job and those are the years when you are in prime of your sporting fitness but unfortunately all those years of 8-12th and early college years, they are so focused and sports is more for pleasure or like something to lighten up the mind so we could get back to studies So, even I had to get back to finding a job and certainly if I had continued, I could have done better right at that moment and anyone for that matter could do well at that point of time.

But sports have not become a profession in India as yet. It is gradually becoming and it will take few more years.

Atul@SportsKeeda – You were selected for numerous awards like prestigious Padma Shri, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal etc and it’s been five years since winning the silver medal at the Athens Olympics. How much has your life changed since then?

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore – It has been a great experience. I have always lived my life like a soldier. After finishing my 11th, I got into National Defense Academy (NDA) so initially I was a student then I became an officer and then lived my life as a soldier in the Indian army and suddenly, I got exposed to the marketing side and people asking my opinion on things, so it has been a experience of sort and whatever I say comes from whatever I have learnt in my life so far and I believe that everybody has the potential and there is nothing exceptional in me except that god has been kind to me and I have to thank my stars ,elders  for giving me  that kind of experience and guidance.

Atul@SportsKeeda – What has been the role of the Indian Army in your success? How has your role with the Indian Army changed after the Olympics?

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore – Like I said, I have lived my life in the army since I was a kid as my father was in Army and then I joined the army, I have seen a lot of a perspective which comes only from the Army, the perception which is of great determination, discipline, ethos, team spirit and is of “we rather than I”.I have grown up with it and so it is certainly a lesson I cant thank enough the army for. I believe that this kind of an experience if students get in terms of NCC or other activities, it is always beneficial.

Atul@SportsKeeda – You have been one of the biggest sports icons India has ever produced, but does it feel bad when   people from cricket get huge accolades and awards every now and then and other sports like shooting are neglected to an extent?

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore – In terms of awards and accolades, I think other sports get probably as much awards or probably more. If you ask a person on the street if he remembers Olympic sportsmen, he would probably rate the Olympic sportsman higher than some of the cricketers but mark my words “If he remembers the name “. Here comes the role of the media and what is saleable.  Now what’s salable is covered even more. That’s the unfortunate part about media and marketing is entirely different. Frankly u have to give out your best and when people come up and congratulate me out on the streets and even now, people come and tell me that you have been our inspiration. That it self is a kind of accolade to me and that is very satisfying for me. I mean how many people get that kind of satisfaction. So, marketing is a different thing, salability is different, media coverage is different and satisfaction what you spoke of is entirely different

Atul@SportsKeeda – So, Doesn’t the media coverage affect the growth of other sports?

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore – It does to somebody who is an upcoming sportsman. It reduces the amount of sponsorship that is coming .It overshadows somebody’s performance because it doesn’t find the necessary media coverage and yeah that happens because of hype of some other sport. So finally, the growth of a young sportsman gets hampered.

I have nothing against the cricketers getting this media coverage because they have had a head start since 1983 when they won the world cup while shooting has grown in India in the recent years.

Atul@SportsKeeda – Has the government come forward and tried to improve facilities after your win at Olympics? How different are the training facilities now as compared to before 2004?

Rajya  Vardhan Singh Rathore –  Understand it this way. There is light in the room but still you can’t read properly if you don’t concentrate and you say I would prefer if there was more light. I don’t agree to the people blaming the government by saying that government is not doing anything. Whatever shooting is today in India, it is because of the government’s support. But it is not the ideal sport. There has to be more in the terms of resources, more in terms of efficiency of delivery of resources. Moreover, the corporates also need to get in .The contribution could be from a non-profit trust or sponsorships from corporates in whichever way it may be. The government can come up with schemes for example: the sports in Australia and UK are funded by a welfare lottery.

The government’s support is there but there needs to be more in terms of efficiency, delivery and creation of resources both at the level of top sportsmen preparing for future competitions and Olympics as well as for mid level and beginners who don’t have much opportunity as of now.

Atul@SportsKeeda – Lets say I am an aspirant shooter and I am 10 -14 years old. How do I go about my career to become next Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.?

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore – This question has been popped up to me by youngsters at large and this is a difficult question to answer. I somewhat think we are on the verge of setting up some sort of a system wherein we can help all those who want to start. It is in the offering and it should arrive very soon maybe in the next 2-3 months but to answer you, first and foremost you should start with an air rifle shooting, an air rifle which is as seen expensive about Rupees 4000-5000 and that a kid of about 8-9 years can start with. So you must learn to shoot an air rifle. So once u do it, you would gather more knowledge and you would be more interested in shooting. Thereon, you start the journey of shooting for example in football, you pick up the ball and start dribbling, the ball remains the same even if you become Baichung Bhutia, you still dribble the same ball but you have better techniques of doing it. Herein the ball keeps on changing so u need to start with the air rifle first .the reason I say it keeps on changing is because the potency keeps changing. They keep becoming powerful. You cant handover a kid a very powerful gun so you have to start small and then you keep graduating from there. Also there are some shooting clubs are coming up. Every big city has a shooting club, which is open to public, but we have restrictions from the government in terms of import of weapons and ammunition. That restriction is gradually coming off. The government is realizing and they need to understand that it is a sport and these are not combative weapons with which you can kill someone. These are more or less harmless guns and only for professional shooting. The government understands that but these restrictions need to be lifted from government’s list. Once that happens, guns will be available on the shelves in India like cricket bats are.

Atul@SportsKeeda – We have heard about your association with a shooting range project of Lucknow Municipal Corporation That looks like a great initiative. How is that going forward?

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore – It’s fantastic actually. I complemented them for coming up with the idea. That particular state has a lot of potential .it always had the culture of guns but I want to bring that culture into sports rather then into petty sheer rivalries. So, it is going to be very nice range, very efficient in terms of delivery .so the function ability of the range will be very high .I believe that things like this happening around is going to bring down the cost of shooting and provide the people an opportunity to access the sport .it is a known fact that where ever the range has come up, the shooters have improved in that area and they have made it to the Indian team .Its just unfortunate that the number of shooting ranges are limited and therefore proximity is   limited.

Atul@SportsKeeda – What has been your connection with shooting in other states in India and would you like to get associated with more projects?

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore – I would love to promote sport anywhere .Its a question of opportunity. When opportunity and skill meet together, there is some sort of delivery; some sort of performance comes up. Opportunity in terms of promoting shooting as I said, involves government in it  .The land requirement is huge and there has to be synchronization of   the government efforts viz. our efforts. Infect the shooting range at Jaipur, if I can say, I am not being boastful but it came up because I won a medal there .I would certainly want it to be more functional but it is not yet. I have been a sportsman all my life and I would hate to restrict myself to shooting and I would love to promote any sport and any opportunity that comes my way.

Atul@SportsKeeda – Any special message for the prospective shooters in India?

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore – I think the basic fact is that you need to believe in yourself .You need to have that one emotion in your life that is your hunger to achieve

That can change everything in your life. If you have that, everything will fall into place.

Atul@SportsKeeda – What a wonderful note to end on! Thank you for your time and good luck for all your future endeavors from the SportsKeeda community. We are sure you will bring greater laurels to India.

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore – Thank you!

So Keedas, let us know how you like this interview and show your passion for shooting and sports. We express our thanks to Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore once again and salute the champion.

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