Nagoya, Sep 25 A last-minute change to India’s shooting line-up turned into a golden call as Kamaljeet, drafted just 48 hours before the deadline after Kedarling Uchaganve’s slump in form, partnered Suruchi Inder Singh to win the 10m air pistol mixed team gold and end the country’s six-day wait for a top-podium finish in shooting at the Asian Games here on Friday.
The unexpected pairing delivered a Games and Asian record 484.6 to comfortably beat South Korea, giving India its first gold at the shooting range after a string of disappointing performances had steadily increased the pressure on the contingent.
The switch came just before the deadline for changes to the Indian line-up, with the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) deciding that Kedarling’s fading form was enough to break up his pairing with Suruchi and bring in Kamaljeet.
Kedarling, from the Army Marksmanship Unit, had earned his place in the 30-member Asian Games squad through the domestic trials and a strong showing at the National Championships. He was also part of the national squad for the year. But his form dipped after selection, forcing the selectors into a late rethink.
A senior coach told PTI on condition of anonymity that Kedarling’s form had slumped after his selection and that the decision to replace him was taken after the necessary consent from the NRAI selection committee, its president and secretary-general, as well as the Sports Authority of India.
The gamble could hardly have worked better. Kamaljeet stepped into the line-up with barely any time to settle into a new partnership, while Suruchi arrived at the mixed team event determined to put behind her disappointment in the individual competition. Together, they produced the goods when India needed it most.
The gold also came at a crucial time for a contingent that had watched several of its big names, including double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker and Esha Singh, fall short of expectations. With each passing day without a top podium finish, the pressure on the shooters had grown.
Kamaljeet, handed an opportunity almost by accident, made sure he did not waste it.
For Kedarling, meanwhile, the mixed team switch came against the backdrop of an extremely difficult outing in the men’s 10m air pistol competition on Thursday. He finished 35th with 568, a score that left India out of medal contention in the team event alongside Kamaljeet and Aakash Bhardwaj.
Kedarling’s struggles were visible on the firing line. He was seen adjusting the settings of his pistol midway through the qualification on Thursday, drawing concern from national coaches watching from the spectator area.
His personal coach Himmat Singh, a former shooter with the Army Marksmanship Unit in Mhow, was at the venue but could not watch the qualification from the range because personal coaches are not accredited at the Games. Only national coaches are given accreditation.
Singh eventually bought a ticket to be there, only to discover that it provided access to the finals range and not the qualification range. The two ranges at the Aichi Prefectural General Shooting Gallery are housed in separate buildings.
“I had come to watch Kedarling shoot, but unfortunately I could not and missed watching his qualification,” Singh told PTI.
Singh did not say whether his presence could have made a difference to Kedarling’s performance.
(PTI News)
