India
GLASGOW: India’s shooters are whipping up a storm at the Commonwealth Games – gunning down medals in most of the events they are competing in.
And their pistol coach Pavel Smirnov has attributed it to a combination of two factors – raw talent and sheer dedication.
So far, India have featured in seven finals and won three golds and four silvers – with the promise of more to come.
“There are many talents in India. They are like raw diamonds – all they need is constant polishing. They are very hard-working athletes,” said Smirnov, who has been with India since 2007.
“We have a good system of training these shooters. We spend four to six hours a day in training. For us, the Commonwealth Games are part of our preparations for the World Championships in Spain in September.”
Smirnov also stressed on the importance to have professional coaches.
“Most countries compromise on this … by turning a retired athlete into a coach. It takes more than that. Shooting is technical and a coach has to be of good quality,” he said.
On how he has adjusted to being a coach in India, he said: “I cook my own meals because the food here (in New Delhi) is spicy.
“The weather is quite hot, so much so that I cannot handle the cold weather in Europe any more!” he joked.
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