JAIPUR: They have been best of friends but for shooter Joydeep Karmakar, Abhinav Bindra is more of a guide. With barely a month left for the Olympics, the Kolkata-based shooter is now busy preparing in Germany, along with Bindra, who gave India a taste of gold in the Beijing Olympics.
Both the shooters are currently preparing hard under German coach Heinz Reinkemeier, who helped Bindra bag gold, four summers back. And now, Karmakar too feels, Bindra’s advise will help him perform better.”Abhinav and I are practising together, and I am sure this will help me do well in the Olympics,” Karmakar said. The shooter, who scored a 595 in the practice game on Tuesday, also feels that training in Germany is a big boost for him. “Training under Heinz is a big thing. He is helping us work on every aspects of the game, and his guidance will be very important during the Games,” Karmakar said.The shooter, who will be participating in his maiden Olympics this time, also feels it’s important to stay focussed. “This is the most important moment for any sportsmen. For me too, it will be an opportunity to prove my worth. At the moment, all I am thinking is to make the most of the opportunities that come my way,” he averred.Karmakar also feels that this time the shooters have a great chance in the Games. “We have a fair chance this time,” he said. In the last couple of Olympics, it was the shooters who brought laurels for the country. Will history repeat itself this time around? Let’s wait and watch!