Interview with ace shooter Vijay Kumar: "IPL-style league should be introduced in every sport in India"

Vijay Kumar was the silver lining for India in the 2012 London Olympics when he brought home a silver medal in the 25m Rapid Fire Pistol event. He has received a lot of accolades for his achievements. He now has his eyes set on the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games, which will take place next year.

You suffered a minor injury recently. Are you fine now?

Yes, I am completely fine and in good health. I did some MRI scans and it showed that I had strained my shoulder muscle a little. It was nothing major. I spoke to my doctor and coach about it and they suggested me a week’s rest. Therefore, I took a week’s rest to recover .

How has life changed for you after winning the silver medal in the 2012 Olympics?

Well, there haven’t been any drastic changes as such. However, the recognition I have received because of winning the medal has been good. It’s good when people and kids recognize you and tell you they are proud of you and want to be like you.

You have been receiving a lot of awards. How does that feel?

For any person, it’s like a dream. I am lucky to have been living that dream. It’s a great feeling, of course. Also, it acts as a great motivation and encouraging factor. I have received Arjuna award, Padma Shri award and the Rajeev Gandhi Khel Ratna award, and I feel honored. All the sacrifices and hard work done over the years have borne fruit.

Will it be too early to expect a medal from you in future competitions?

I would say yes, for now. I won an Olympic medal after 10 years of practice. A lot of preparation and hard work is needed to win a medal. It’s not an overnight thing but a slow process. Also, I have a job in the Army and I have to juggle between my sport and my job. I participated in three World Cups recently and none of the Olympic medal winners were there, or even if they were there, they did not win a medal. They all want to spend time with their families and loved ones. After all, every sportsman has a personal life to take care of. As a shooter, I need proper rest and recovery time in order to prepare for the next tournament. However, with tournaments throughout the year, it gets difficult to settle down.

What type of injuries are faced by shooters?

Mostly shooters face injuries like Tennis elbow, shoulder pains and strains. This is why, for every shooter, a proper recovery period is of great importance. Shooting is a tough sport and without proper rest and fitness, one can’t perform to the best of his level.

How important is fitness for shooters?

Well, if you ask me about fitness of shooters in general, I would say many are not very fit physically. However, I am a fitness freak. Also, I am an Army person so I love to be fit. I can’t go a day without hitting the gym. Even if I am touring, I would take out time for my workouts even if it means doing a round of push ups in my room. Fitness is important not only for the body but also the mind. Shooting requires a lot of mental toughness along with physical strength. My Russian coach, Mr. Pavel, always pushed me towards fitness and told me how important it is.

Have you resumed training?

Yes, I have joined the camp which is being held in Delhi for the upcoming tournament in Spain. It’s an intense training camp and I am looking forward to the upcoming tournaments. My main targets are Commonwealth Games and Asian Games which are to be held next year. Therefore, I am training very hard nowadays.

Do you think shooting has finally gained the popularity it deserves?

Not really. There is still a long way to go for it. We have four individual International medals from the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and Olympics. We can still achieve a lot more. I think shooting can gain more popularity if certain things are done right, like advertisement and PR of the game, more media coverage and live broadcasts of the matches. The only time shooters come into public light are during Commonwealth and Asian Games, or during Olympics. That too only for a span of ten days. We can’t expect people to remember the players throughout. Also, something like an IPL-style league can be introduced in Shooting. In fact, it should be introduced for all the other sports.

What would you like to say about the recent fixing and betting scandal which hit the IPL?

I am not fully aware of the whole incident since I was in US for a tournament, but it was sad to hear about it. Every Indian sportsperson is the face of his country and represents the country, and indulging in wrongful activities projects a bad image of the nation. Every sportsman should focus more on their game and not be greedy.