Ravi grateful for Bindra assistance in overcoming injury woes

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Ravi Kumar shot to fame after winning an Asian Games bronze alongside Sanjeev Rajput and Abhinav Bindra in the 10m air rifle team event in 2014. Then 24, Ravi Kumar looked poised to win more laurels and there was a feeling that he could do something in the Olympics two years later in Rio de Janeiro.

But fate had something else in store for the young Air Force man. After a training session, he started feeling pain in the left shoulder and that spread to his back. Then his spinal chord lost its curvature to some degree. The consequence was catastrophic.

Ravi had to abstain from the sport for more than a year and doctors in Delhi couldn’t fix his problem. It took more than 14 months for the Meerut-born shooter to take the gun up again. And that happened because of the benevolence of Bindra, who had immense faith in Ravi and facilitated his rehab at his centre in Mohali.

It was in 2013 that Ravi got the chance to have a serious conversation with Bindra. Ravi had just managed to edge the ace shooter at Delhi and Bindra came to the young man to congratulate him. Thus began the camaraderie that stood through the thick and thin.

So, when Ravi sought Bindra’s help in fixing his shoulder and back, the latter responded immediately. Ravi was summoned to Mohali where he was closely examined and the doctors diagnosed the issue and rectified it. In fact, Bindra had endured pain in his shoulder that ultimately forced him to skip the 2006 Asian Games.

Bindra also fine-tuned Ravi’s techniques and taught him to maintain a holistic lifestyle. “He is a perfectionist and wants others to be like him.

“I was not that much disciplined when I went to him. But after working with him for some time, I felt I need to do better. Eat on time, eat what’s needed, sleep on time and train hard. Really hard,” Ravi said.
Ravi gave a glimpse into Bindra’s life. “He would always say there was no point in thinking about Olympics if you were not willing to work hard. No point in dreaming if you are not hungry enough,” Ravi added.

Ravi’s injury saga is also a grim reminder of how the system often fails is in protecting shooters.
The injury happened because of constant training and there were no physios made available to him even after he won the Asian Games bronze. But Ravi finds no point in whining. The last thing he wants is any distraction.

“When 2016 Olympics was over for me, I always said I’ve to be ready for the 2020 Olympics. I was injured when I was doing well. Now I am back and won a national championship in 2016. I shot 629 in a World Cup this year. I want to reclaim my lost days,” he signed off.

shan.as@newindinexpress.com