The athlete father R. Bharatidasan wanted his son B. Dharsan to become a great swimmer. But, Dharsan developed a liking for shooting as he had to cross Madurai Rifle Club on his way to the swimming pool in Race Course ground.
Though Mr. Bharatidasan, a head constable with the Armed Reserve of Madurai Rural district, wanted Dharsan to concentrate on swimming, fate had a different story for him.
“Once he met with a minor accident and was medically advised not to take to swimming pool for three months. Then, I had to take him to the Rifle Club,” recalls Mr. Bharatidasan. After two years of sheer determination and hard work, Dharsan has brought laurels to Madurai with five gold medals in the recently concluded 9th South Zone Shooting Championship held in Chennai.
Shooters from five southern States and two union territories took part in the event.
“I won five gold medals in individual events and four gold and one silver in team events,” the 7th standard boy from a city school said.
The boy secured 389 out of 400 points in 0.177 Peep Sight Air Rifle (10 metres) event. “This score was good enough for him to get gold medals in sub-junior, youth, junior men, men and ISSF Youth categories,” his father said.
“His coach says swimming has helped him to have relaxed muscles, much-needed for holding rifles,” he said.
Despite his limited resources, Mr. Bharatidasan has bought him a second-hand rifle for ₹1.60 lakh and was spending a significant amount of money on his practice.
On his part, the 12-year-old boy has sacrificed his desire of playing games on mobile phone to save his eyesight.
“I am not allowed to play on mobile phone for more than three minutes,” he says with a disappointment.
“Madurai Rifle Club gives him all possible help to groom him,” he said.
Mr. Bharatidasan himself has joined the Rifle Club to learn the nuances of the sport to provide additional coaching to his son.
“I am grooming my son not with an eye on a seat on sports quota in professional courses, but to see him victorious on an international platform,” he said.
