He had just scored a 600 out of 600 to make the final of the 10 metre air rifle event. A commanding 5 point lead over second-placed compatriot Abhinav Bindra, Gagan Narang was the overwhelming favourite for gold. But there’s a huge difference between a CWG gold and a world record. Once Gagan had scored 703.6, one expected him to be euphoric. But there he was, calm, composed, reserved and focused. At the insistence of the media, the gun was picked , and slowly walked the champion to pose for photos. With both hands holding the gun above the head, Gagan Narang was making a statement to the world-that India, finally, has an athlete capable of winning multiple gold medals at the London Olympics in 2012.
Certainly, it?s a tall order, for CWG is not half the competition that London 2012 will be. But in Gagan’s case, there is a slight difference. He doesn’t need to bother about opponents not present in Delhi. Rather, they need to bother about how best to deal with Gagan Narang. Gagan’s only competition is Gagan himself. Having won everything there is to win, barring the Olympics, Narang now knows he needs to make the London podium his own to transform himself from being India’s top athlete to India’s most loved icon.
Having spent a significant amount of time with him over the past two months and having spoken to him on a regular basis, it wasn’t surprising to see Narang firing all cylinders at the Karni Singh shooting range. Beijing still irks him, more because his mother had to be hospitalised after Gagan failed to make the final on countback, the unluckiest way to lose out perhaps.
The pain, as with true champions, has been transformed into determination, resolve of a variety that is not the norm with most Indian athletes. Gagan Narang, a meeting will instantly tell you, is a man possessed. When meeting him at friend and another legendary Indian shooter Samresh Jung’s house the night before the Games began, I had mistaken resolve for nervousness. It appeared as if mentally Gagan was troubled. I was wrong. It was all going through his mind, the self reprimand for having missed a podium finish in Beijing, the determination to make Delhi his own, the confidence to make a statement to the country about who the country’s best shooter is and the declaration that the country’s sports administrators had made a big mistake by not giving him the Khel Ratna.
By the time this article appears in print, Gagan will have increased his medal tally at CWG 2010. In fact, he is the only Indian shooter going for the magic mark of six golds at the Delhi Commonwealth Games. Ask him about the number and he instantly is back in his shell. ?It is difficult to answer such a question,? pat comes the retort. And he is so right. It is time to concentrate on performance and not focus on the medals. They will come. For Gagan, medals aren’t the end, they are just incidental to him becoming one of the world’s best shooters of all time.
For the soft-spoken Gagan, success has come the hard way. Exceptional talent and amazing determination has led him to make it this far despite a series of lows in the way. Finally, it is Gagan’s moment, it is his stage, his platform, one where he belongs and one which he has made his own.
And, as he slowly continues to winning the coveted six medals it is time India stands up to give him a standing ovation. We finally have a potential Olympic champion who can stand up against the Chinese anywhere in the world.
In cricket, when Australia reigned supreme and would crush us fair and square, we had one answer. ?We have Tendulkar?. Finally, India’s Olympic sport has someone similar. If Chinese colleagues ask you why don’t you produce an Olympic athlete who can take on the might of the Chinese system, we don’t need to run for cover. Rather, we have our answer. We have Gagan Narang.
As CWG 2010 comes to a close, the nation will no longer institute a commission of inquiry to delve into reasons for failure, as is the norm with most mega events. Instead, we are now waiting for London. Gagan is on a march. And with him, we all are.
?The writer is a sports historian