He got glory to India by shooting to fame at the Olympics. Now, a week after Abhinav Bindra's epoch-making performance in Beijing, where he got India its first individual gold, the achievement has triggered a gun craze in apnu Amdavad.
There has been a huge rise in demand for air rifles in the city as starry-eyed parents walk into stores to pick up rifles to let their kids take a shot at fame.
"We have sold about 90 rifles in the last seven days and are flooded with queries," says Rahul Bahety of Gujarat Police and Military store, while attending back to back calls. Air rifle sellers in the city, who are upbeat about Bindra's gold, see at least 30 to 40 increase in sales in the coming months. "We had parents accompanied by even eight to nine-year-olds looking for air rifles. This is undoubtedly a welcome change," adds Bahety, who sells guns in the range of Rs 400 to Rs 3,500.
Aniket Parikh, an engineering student in the city, too has bolstered his dream, inspired by Bindra's dazzling show. "I had done a short training course at the Rifle Club but left the sport as I felt there was no future. But, I can see a ray of hope now. So, I bought this gun and have begun practising again," says Parikh. Bindra has also fired the imagination of 20-year-old Pradeep Khatri. "I always wanted to have a gun and Bindra's show in Beijing gave me the reason. I have bought an air gun for Rs 2,750 and will first set my aim right and then go for a professional training after getting a gun licence," says Khatri, whose father runs a textile business.
"I aim to become the next Bindra. I bought an air gun on a day after Bindra's model-medal show in Beijing. I have already spoken to a shooting coach in Nagpur and would be soon joining his academy and will initially practice on air gun," says 21-year-old businessman Nikhil Advani.
And, it's not just limited to the city. Dealers in air rifles are even getting calls from rural areas around the city. "One needs to put in a lot of money to take shooting as a sport, but for cash-rich Gujaratis that shouldn't be a deterrent. All they needed was inspiration ," says a dealer in air rifles.
An Ahmedabad-based air rifle manufacturer , who supplies around 7,000 air rifles, in the range of Rs 3,000 to Rs 14,000, a year across the country, has even started getting bulk orders from other states.
"We have seen a 15 to 20 per cent jump in sales in the local as well as national market," says Shyam Makhija , deputy manager, National Rifles, who for obvious reasons is gung-ho about Bindra's feat.
"After Rajyavardhan Rathore bagged silver for India in 2004 at Summer Olympics the number of youngsters trooping for the shooting training camp increased by at least 15% to 20% but Bindra's feat seems to have doubled the rush and many are showing interest in the sport. But only time will tell Gujarat produce an Olympic champion," says shooting champion and police inspector Atul Barot.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Ahmedabad/Gujaratis_trying_to_emulate_Bindra/articleshow/3387280.cms
