Satgurudas' tryst with guns
By Asha P Nair
06th September 2010 04:54 AM
The international shooter from the Indian Navy, Master Chief Petty Officer Satgurudas (Pic: ENS).
There are not many records in Indian ranges that haven’t been broken by Satgurudas.
An international shooter from Haryana, who found his career in the Navy and saw his passion resting on rifles, he is living up to his name these days.
Master Chief Petty Officer Satgur, a celebrity coach now, as his name suggests, has earned big credits as a guru. His students in the Navy Club in Fort Kochi and the District Rifle Association, Ernakulam, are some of the best upcoming names in the sport. In Thiruvananthapuram for the 43rd Kerala State Shooting Championship, Satgur relives his shooting days with us.
"Those days, we didn’t have foreign coaches or access to modern facilities. The game itself was not so competitive. Post-Abhinav Bindra, more young people are coming into the game and the sport itself has gained a new momentum," he begins.
Like many of his contemporaries, Satgur’s tryst with rifles began during his student days with NCC. In 1983, he began taking lessons in shooting in Chandigarh, but it was after he joined the Navy in 1996 that his love for pistols met its target.
From the beginning of 2000 till 2005, Satgur represented India in most of the international tournaments. Right from the Commonwealth Games, World Cup, Busan Asian Games, Saaf Games, Asian Games and the list just goes on.. But not the Olympics. There, he often lost to Lady Luck by point one chances.
Then, after the Saaf Games in Pakistan, Satgur was on his way to the World Cup camp when he was thrown to the hospital bed by brain haemorrhage.
It almost ended his shooting career. “Then I thought I needed rest and that’s how I turned to coaching. But the last two years, I have given everything into training these young people. I think shooting is more easy, coaching is a tough job," Satgur says.
It was his student Khusboo Chauhan who won the best female shooter of the year last time.
It is the 50 m prone position that is Satgur’s forte. He thinks that’s where accuracy ranks. Being in one of the most expensive sports, Satgur says its why most people are here for passion and not as a way to a job.
“During our days, we didn’t have shooting jackets, trousers or shoes. But now, they are a must if you are approaching the game professionally. It costs somewhere between Rs 20,000 to 25,000. The air pistols or air rifles are both expensive, between Rs one lakh and 1.8 lakh. The licence is expensive, getting hold of imported ammunition is even more costly," he says. But still, more people are flocking in to learn, which is a good sign, he adds.
Satgur will retire from Navy in January next year. He has plans to open a Shooting Academy in Kochi, but his biggest plan surprises us: "I would train myself again and prepare for the Olympics. It is my biggest dream." Satgur has never stopped being a student.
asha.nair@expressbuzz.com
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