Sporting Commonwealth Games Indian contingent blazers and movie star looks, Chief Petty Officer Omkar Singh (26) and Petty Officer Harpreet Singh (29) are back home at the INS Agrani naval station, Redfields. They swept through the medals tally, winning five golds and a silver in shooting, at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, earlier this month.
While Harpreet won gold medals in both, the singles and pairs, events of 25m centre fire pistol, Omkar aced the 50m pistol (singles) and, 10m air pistol (singles and pairs) events. He also struck silver in 50 m pistol (pairs) event.
So how did they grow nerves of steel? Omkar, who looks like bollywood actor Abhay Deol, says, “We've been practising for the last one and a half years, spending most of our time in Pune. The last few years we've only been shooting, nothing else.”
So hectic has it been, that they haven't had the time to even get married, adds Harpreet.
Omkar is keen to use some of the pictures of The Hindu for marriage proposals. But until the Asian Games next month, “the pistol is our wife,” he confesses.
Omkar, from Kotma Colliery in Madhya Pradesh's Anuppur district, joined the navy in 2002. Harpreet, from Karnal in Haryana, enlisted in 1999. Omkar is the affable one and Harpreet, the meditative. Both are wary of adulation. But, there is a determined glint in their eyes.
After their talent was spotted in boot camp, they were sent for various competitions within the armed forces, before being selected to the Navy Shooting team at INS Agrani. Coimbatore has been their home for almost a decade now.
“Before joining the navy I wished to handle weapons, but knew nothing about shooting sports,” says Omkar. He explains that the navy gave them everything— arms, equipment, a world class firing range, proper clothing and the best training. “We are grateful to the taxpayer,” adds Harpreet.
The practice paid off. “We just kept winning medals and getting Olympic scores. It was the best we've ever shot in our career,” says Omkar.
“I got a call at 11 p.m. on the day I won my first gold at the games. The caller congratulated me and said that he'd been trying my number for two hours. It was Haryana's Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda,” says Harpreet.
“The spectators couldn't control their emotions,” says Omkar. They cheered loudly, though that can actually distract marksmen. “The tricolour was raised and the national anthem played every time I won. It was in front of my mother who had come to watch the games. I felt really proud,” he adds.
“The CWG village, our seniors say, is the best games village they've seen anywhere. They had everything you can imagine- chaat stalls, a disco, and pop stars, like Daler Mehndi and Hariharan, came every evening,” reveals Harpreet. While most white athletes kept away from the chaat and golgappa stalls, the Africans enjoyed them the most, says Omkar. “They are fantastic dancers. All of them dance like Shakira. Since both of us can only dance the Bhangra, we used to only watch them,” he adds.
Sniper bonding
Most shooters from Singapore, Australia and England are civilians, but South Asian snipers are usually from the security forces, they say. “Almost everyone was very friendly. Our competitors came and congratulated us after every event. We're quite friendly with those from Pakistan's defence forces too. Harpreet gels well with them as he knows Punjabi,” says Omkar.
“On our flight back, on October 16, the captain announced ours and our coach's names before take off. Our photo was out in the papers that day and people asked us to pose for pictures with them,” he adds. At Coimbatore Airport they got a hero's welcome from their comrades and commanding officer Commodore A. S. Baghel of INS Agrani, the airport staff, the district collector and the press.
“I love the climate here. The people are cool and it now feels like home,” says Harpreet about Coimbatore. Omkar agrees, and says, “People are honest here. There's no crime or street fighting. The police are strict and citizens are disciplined.”
Most of their social circle is within INS Agrani. In their free time these sailors love jogging around Race Course. Outings are usually to Black Thunder or Madukkarai or, to the movies. The duo has watched Hindi film 3 idiots about 50 times. Harpreet readily delivers Chatur Ramalingam's lines from the film. “We laugh and laugh every time we watch Chatur,” says Omkar, still laughing.
“I love loud music and I miss the gym if I don't go there,” he adds. Harpreet prefers earthy Punjabi music instead. Omkar says that Harpreet sheds his calm demeanour of the firing range when he plays volleyball. “Here's a very aggressive volleyball player,” he confesses.
Up next for Omkar are the International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup Final in Munich, Germany, next week and, the 45th World Military Shooting Championship at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil next month.
But their heart is set on the Gold at the Asian Games, starting in Guangzhou, China, on November 12. “Yes, there are tough competitors from China, South Korea and Japan, but we are gunning for the gold. If you don't aim for gold you can never win,” says Harpreet.
In the future, Harpreet would like to coach youngsters. “Maybe I'll open a rifle club after I retire from the navy. I want to teach shooters all I know, before I die.” Omkar believes in taking one day at a time. “Harpreet and I are just waiting for our folks to find us brides. We've told them not to send every proposal they get. Just send the one they like and we'll agree.”
I ask them if they've considered acting or modelling. Harpreet, the tall Sikh, blushes and says that he can only shoot. Omkar thinks that maybe he could be a model later on in life. “But right now shooting is good enough for us,” he says.
GOLDEN GUNS
Harpreet uses a German 0.32 Walther GSP Expert pistol
Omkar uses a Russian 0.22 Toz Free pistol and an Italian 0.177 Pardini air pistol
Navy Shooting Team
-Strength- 16
-International shooters- 11
These include Master Chief Petty Officer P. T. Raghunath, current Asian champion. The Arjuna Awardees are MCPOs Satendra Kumar (1998) and Sanjeev Rajput (2010)
-Officer in Charge- Commander S. S. Thatte, formerly with the Indian shooting team
