Followers of Asher Noria's fortunes on the international shooting firmament may have been bit disappointed. That because, after winning the world junior double trap shooting crown twice at Suhl, Germany in 2009 and 2010, he slipped to a bronze in the same competition in May.
A closer look will reveal he had had just 18 days of training prior to that competition. His participation in the Commonwealth Games at Delhi and the Guangzhou Asiad last year had thrown his academic schedule at Georgia Tech, Savannah in the United States, out of gear.
Competition at Suhl was never easy. Taking on the world's best was no cakewalk either. The bronze that Asher won was no mean achievement, considering that he had not had enough practice and may have been pretty rusty from an almost six-month hiatus from the sport. Coach Marcello Dradi's mentoring continued at Bologna, Italy, where the entire Indian squad trained. The coaching apart, the additional practice would soon provide the results. After a fortnight in the Italian city, Asher went to the International Junior Shotgun Cup championship at Orimattila, Finland.
When competition got under way on June 30, the Hyderabad lad had raised the bar for himself, stepping up his performance for silver. Here again the field was certainly not slack, with several of the world's leading crack-shots converging on the Finnish city. There's little doubt of Asher's talent. Not yet 19, one can rest assured that this youngster packs enough potential to do the country proud for years to come.
