Champion shooter Gagan Narang's Gun For Glory academy in Secunderabad is on its way to recovery, less than a month after a relentless downpour flooded the facility and damaged equipment.
The initial estimate of losses ran into Rs 1.3 crore but that has now been minimised, thanks to some timely assistance. The scene was, however, very different on October 14 and 15 when the academy in Trimulgherry lay submerged under 6 feet of water after a torrid 24 hours.
Equipment worth more than a crore, including 80 brand new rifles and pistols procured from Germany and Italy for the new range, were adversely affected.
But 2012 Olympic bronze-medallist Narang refused to give up.
"We had called the Walther and Pardini Service team to Hyderabad. They were stationed here for 10 days and opened all the parts, replaced and serviced all the weapons and tested them before they handed over the guns to us," Narang revealed.
"I am thankful to the Walther and Pardini service team for their help through HUB Sports in India. As for the loss, we will still lose between Rs 15 to 20 lakh in electronics and the shooters training data, which we are still trying to recover."
Team GFG has written to the Telangana government for assistance and they are considering the case, according to Narang.
However,
"We have decided to shut down the academy due to very low number of students coming as they are busy with school and we have decided to focus on the Gachibowli Shooting Range with the support of the Telangana government.
"In that regard, a special training camp under World No 1 Elavenil Valarivan's (women's air rifle) coach Neha Chavan is being organised.
"Few national squad qualified shooters are attending this camp and it is open to the shooters of Telangana state as well.
"Abid Ali Khan, who is in the national squad for prone, has joined the camp for air rifle as he is starting out in the air rifle event. This will boost the local talent to train with the best," Narang, a multiple gold medallist in top international tournaments, said.
"More such camps are planned in the future."
World Cup gold medallist Elavenil resumed training in Gachibowli on Tuesday after the long COVID-19-induced break.
Gun for Glory is an initiative of Narang and Pawan Singh to promote the sport among young talent and train them at the right time.
Narang has been actively mentoring young shooters for some years now and has produced medal winners, including Elavenil, in marquee events across the world.
"I have dedicated myself to win medals and me and my team is dedicated to promotion and development of this sport. Wherever, whatever little the opportunity we get to push and nurture the sport, we will give our best.
"It was important to resume training in Gachibowli and develop that centre so we started the next day of the inauguration (of academy) in Odisha. Soon the new electronic targets will be installed and it will be ready for a soft launch."
"Operations of the Trimulgherry range will resume only next year post the students exams," he added.
