The Hindu : Sport / Shooting : ‘I wasn’t willing to settle for less’

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Thursday, Nov 06, 2008
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‘I wasn’t willing to settle for less’

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: Such was Gagan Narang’s hunger for success that he skipped breakfast to train his sights on the World Cup Finals men’s 10 metre air rifle championship at Bangkok on Wednesday morning.

Following the early morning commencement of competition, he was an exhausted man when he spoke to The Hindu at the end of it, well into the afternoon.

Otherwise a foodie, who relishes cuisines of varied cultures, the goodies of the table he’d placed on the backburner for a crack at shooting glory, which had slipped through his fingers on countback at the Beijing Olympics only recently.

“I had to make it official,” the 25-year-old said of his 600/600 tally in the qualifying rounds, a rare feat that he’d accomplished only in practice earlier.

“I began with a 100 in the first series and I wasn’t willing to settle for less in the remaining five,” he said.

“I ensured I was ahead right through,” he said.

Gagan was quick to acknowledge the support extended to him by coach Laszlo Szcuzak, Dronacharya awardee Prof. Sunny Thomas and Geet Sethi’s Olympic Gold Quest Foundation.

The new world record holder is expected to return to Hyderabad late on Wednesday night.

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