Rathore’s new strategy in world cup – shooting for the Gold in Rome
Preeti Zhaveri
May 17, 2005

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore has a new strategy to win Gold in the World Cup meet in Rome.

According to media reports, India's Olympic medal winner will be unveiling a custom made Perazzi DB 81 gun at the World Cup beginning here on Tuesday.

Rathore is part of a 15-member Indian team taking part in trap, double trap and skeet events in the week-long competition at the beautiful Valle Aniene range here.

A total of 436 shooters from 70 countries will be vying for top honours.

Six Indian shooters will compete in trap, five in double trap and five in skeet.

Rathore's new Perazzi DB 81 is a 0.12 bore twin-barrel - over and under shotgun, with raised sights - that is expected to help him enhance his performance in the run-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

"The difference is that with the MX8, the eye used to be 2 mm over the barrel. With the new DB 81 the eye will be 20 mm over the barrel," said Rathore, who won the silver in double trap at the Athens Olympic Games last year.

"It helps better visibility and eases the stress on the eyes during prolonged concentration," said the Delhi-based Rathore, who will also take part in the World Shotgun Championship at Lonato, also in Italy, May 24-31.

The World Shotgun Championship is significant because the gold medallists in each category will secure direct berths for the Beijing Olympics.

Rathore, a lieutenant colonel in the Indian Army, said the change of guns was long overdue.

"I competed in the Olympics with the same gun that I used as a newcomer to this sport six years ago, when I did not know much about guns," said the 35-year-old.

"The new DB 81 is custom made for me and will help improve my performance from good to very good. It takes time to adjust to a new gun but the change is better sooner rather than later," he said.

For Rathore, 2005 is an important year for training as there are three major competitions lined up next year: the Commonwealth Games in March, the World Shooting Championship in May and the 15th Asian Games in Doha in December.

Sandwiched between these competitions are several major international meets like the World Cup, the Continental Championships and the prestigious World Cup Finals.

Rathore, already in Italy to get acclimatised to the local conditions, is following a strict training regime with his Italian coach Luca Marini, who trained him before the 2004 Olympics as well.

Marini is happy with Rathore's progress.

"Chilly (as Rathore is called) is preparing well. The transition to the new gun looks to be promising. He has great potential and is extremely hard working. Without doubt his best is yet to come," Marini said.

The coach, in fact, has a problem of a different kind with Rathore.

"My problem is not in making him work hard, but keeping him away from working too hard and burning himself out. Our focus is on the World Shotgun Championships, yet we will put in our best for the Rome World Cup also," he said.

Marini added: "The other Indian shooters training here like Sandhu are shooting well and show a lot of promise."

Other key Indian team members are Manavjeet Singh Sandhu, Moraad Ali Khan and Ronjon Sodhi, while the rest of the shooters are yet to arrive.

Double trap is expected to be the most keenly contested event with the world's top shooters competing. They include the three Athens Olympic medallists, defending world champion Walton Eller of the US, and world record holder Daniele Di Spigno of Italy.

With low winds and average temperatures expected to hover around 18° C, the conditions are close to ideal for shooting.

The World Shotgun Championship is aptly being conducted in Lonato - the region is home to the largest number of shotgun and ammunition manufacturers. The world fame PERAZZI guns are also made here. At the Athens Olympics, contestants using a PERAZZI won 12 Olympic medals.

Indian squad: Double trap (men): Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Moraad Ali Khan, Ronjan Sodhi, Vikram Bhatnagar.

Trap and double trap (women): Shagun Chowdhary.

Trap (men): Darius Chenai, Manavjit Singh Sandhu, Zoravar Singh Sandhu, Birendeep Sodhi and Anwer Sultan.

Skeet (men): Prithviraj Singh Bedi, Amit Sanghi, Amardeep Singh Rai, Rahul Rai.

Skeet (women): Arti Singh Rao.

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