When you’re a competitive shooter, it’s just you out there, breathing, concentrating, stilling mind and body, gently squeezing the trigger; you hit the bullseye or you don’t.
Heena Sidhu knows that that is true. But she also knows that she has behind her a support team like no other. She has a personal coach who was a top-level shooter himself (with a Commonwealth Games gold medal to prove it), manager, cheerleader, baggage handler, and much else. All in the body of one person, her husband, Ronak Pandit.
Ronak, who also competed in the pistol events, makes sure Heena has nothing to worry about except her shooting: media handling, airport baggage screening, liaison with officials in camps and competitions and of course her training. “Being an international shooter,” he says, “I realise the necessity of having someone to deal with these matters. Only then can the sole focus be on the sport.”
And the travel-heavy life of a sportsperson works in their favour too: they get to see the world and spend a lot of time together. “I like to know the history of each place we visit,” she says, “so when not shooting I like to visit areas of historic interest. Ronak’s interests are different.”
She also has support in their Goregaon home; while her mother-in-law is waiting to hand over the running of the house to her, she is by no means the clichéd saas demanding that her bahu give up her interests after marriage. She understands the couple’s priorities aren’t domestic at the moment. “She and Ronak are away from home for long periods, busy with camps and tournaments” Meenakshi Pandit says, “The focus is on the Olympics, other matters can wait.” It helps that this is a shooting family: father-in-law Ashok Pandit, was a centrefire pistol expert and an Arjuna Award winner — “I used to go on shikars at one time,” he says, sighing, “Now it is difficult” — and their younger son, Rommel is also a competitive shooter. Their living room is dominated by a glass cabinet displaying weapons, medals and awards, softened by flower pots in the corners, something Heena introduced. “I wanted to add a feminine touch to a house which is very masculine,” she says, “I plan to add more colour, when I can take time away from shooting.” Her mother-in-law is pleased: “Earlier the men outnumbered us on decisions to do the interiors. Heena has a way to get things done!”
One thing Heena hasn’t acclimatised to yet is the pace of Mumbai life. “After the peace and quiet in Patiala where I lived, Mumbai is crazy. Everyone is in a hurry to go somewhere!
