Gagan down, but not out

Gagan down, but not out
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He had an low-key tournament, finishing sixth in the men’s Air Rifle shooting event at the Belgrade World Cup in Serbia recently but ace shooter Gagan Narang wants to shrug it off as he gears up for the 10-day-long World Championships that commence in Munich from July 31.
But that will not be easy. The World No.2 in the 10m Air Rifle category faced some issues with the customs during the import of a spare .177 rifle as his rifle had broken. “Gagan was definitely disturbed because of all the developments taking place back home while he was trying to give his best shot at Belgrade,” informs his father B.S. Narang in a chat with this newspaper.
By his own admission, Gagan said that these issues do prove to be a hindrance during or before a big event such as the World Championships. “The Worlds is a premier event and any athlete taking part in it needs to be in his/her best shape or else he/she may not be able to perform to the potential,” says Gagan.
Gagan points out that the customs officials wanted to see the import licence for the .177 rifle when the government ruling states that .177 rifles can be imported for free. Gagan’s father mentions that his son may have been troubled by the incidents at home. “Shooting is a mental sport and any issue can take away your concentration on that particular day and you may lose focus,” he says. Gagan shot 101.1 in the final, for a total of 698.1, placing the ace shooter 2.3 points away from bagging a bronze at the event.
But, if you thought these issues will hinder his concentration at the upcoming event at Munich, then you are mistaken. “Gagan will need to pull his socks up and I am sure he will do a great job at Munich,” his father states.
On his part, Gagan sounds optimistic. “At the end of the day, I am expected to keep India’s flag flying high and I would definitely give my best at Munich. I was disturbed initially due to the issues back home but now I feel better and will hopefully come back with a medal,” Gagan says. Gagan left for Hanover in Germany for a training programme to prepare for the big event. Expect the Hyderabadi to gun for nothing less than the yellow metal in Munich