My mother wasn’t happy with my Olympic bronze medal, she wanted a gold: Gagan Narang

Gagan Narang might have given joy to millions of Indians by setting the pace for India’s medal surge by his bronze medal win in London Olympics but his mother was disappointed as it did not turn out to be a gold medal, said the shooter on his return to the country.

“She wanted me to win the gold medal. I hope to fulfill her wish in the future,” said the star rifle shooter at a felicitation ceremony here after arriving from London to a rousing reception, says a report in Deccan Herald, adding that Narang was felicitated at the ‘Gun for Glory’ academy by Maharashtra Sports and Youth Welfare Minister Padmakar Valvi. Woman shooter Rahi Sarnobat, who was part of the London Games shooting squad, was also honoured.

Narang said he felt a bit anxious during his event in London and used his coach Stanislas Lapidus’s iPad to settle his jangled nerves. “I felt a tad bit nervous. Hence, I started half an hour late. My coach made me play a ‘secret’ game on his iPad. I stepped back from my mark, relaxed, and checked everything before shooting again.

According to a report in The DNA, Gagan Narang said on Wednesday his journey from the Beijing Games to the London Olympics had been a roller-coaster ride. The rifle-shooter failed to qualify for the final eight by a whisker, on a countback, in Beijing, where Bindra won the gold. But destiny had something in store for Gagan in London as he went on to clinch the bronze while Bindra failed to qualify for the final round of the men's 10-metre air rifle event.
"It has been a roller-coaster ride for me in the last five-six years. I have achieved finally what I deserve," Gagan said after landing here.

Meanwhile according to a report in The Indian Express, Narang said that the public and the government should support sports and it should be made a part of school curriculum.