What’s in a name? For 10-year-old Abhinav Shaw, who became India’s youngest national champion in shooting, his name might just be his destiny.
The shooter from Asansol in West Bengal was destined to make a mark with the rifle from the very beginning. Born in 2008, after India won its first individual Olympic gold medal, Shaw was named after the greatest rifle shooter in the country – Abhinav Bindra. The veteran had won the gold in men’s 10m air rifle at the Beijing Olympics, which remains India’s only individual gold to this day.
And in a way, Shaw is fulfilling the purpose of his name as he shot his way to double gold at the ongoing 62nd National Shooting Championship in Kerala.
The 10-year-old won two national titles in 10m air rifle when he won the gold in the junior and youth mixed team partnering Mehuli Ghosh. The West Bengal duo scored 498.2 in the junior mixed final and 498.8 in the youth gold final.
This is Shaw’s first national medal but the 10-year-old is already the senior state champion in West Bengal at 10. Like Ghosh, he is a product of the Joydeep Karmakar Shooting Academy. Run by the former Olympian, the JKSA in Bengal is turning out to be the cradle for budding shooting talent.
Shaw has been shooting for the last four years, having picked up the air rifle at the age of six. Since air rifle is not a firearm, the age limit of 12 does not apply. Originally from the Asansol Rifle Club in his native town, he has been training under Joydeep Karmakar for the last three years.
The experienced coach said that Shaw has shown great results over the last two years and has a promising future ahead of him.
“At times we go there, since we train shooters from Asansol as well. I saw him there about three years back,” Karmakar told Scroll.in, “but now he often trains at our academy in Kolkata.”
“His father [Rupesh] was a keen shooter himself and wanted to play the sport. But the conditions were not favourable for him to continue because of the financial aspect involved. So he put his son into it, and even gave him a name accordingly,” he added.
But Shaw has not taken up the sport merely to fulfill his father’s dream, he has a prodigious talent and skill required for it as well. And Karmakar is helping in many ways, including with equipment which can be an expensive business in the sport of shooting.
At the 51st State Shooting Championship in Bengal held in July this year, he won two gold and a silver in the three individual categories. Shaw also scored 395/400 to set a new record in youth category.
Shaw is the youngest in India to qualify for the senior nationals and has shot good scores in big matches including the KSS Championships in Delhi and the West Bengal School Shooting Championships this year, according to JKSA.
With the results young shooters in India have shown over the last year, there can be no doubt over the quality of talent pool. And with the right guidance, Shaw could join the list of young sporting prodigies in India soon.
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