Pune: Long before Indian shooting became an Olympic success story, it found an unlikely benefactor in actor Nana Patekar, who passed away on Thursday.When the sport struggled for recognition and athletes fought for basic equipment, Patekar stepped in. His support in the early 1990s helped a generation of women shooters access world-class rifles and shooting kits, laying the foundation for some of Indian shooting’s biggest successes.Among those who benefited were Anjali Bhagwat, Suma Shirur, Deepali Deshpande and Anuja Jung. Unknown to the sporting world in 1993-94, they later became Olympians, international medallists, and even coaches who would go on to shape the next generation of champions.Bhagwat played in the 2000, 2004 and 2008 editions, while Deshpande and Shirur participated in the 2004 Athens Games.In an era when importing rifles, jackets and trousers was expensive and complicated, Patekar personally arranged the equipment. “He donated the rifles and kits to us. Nobody knew much about the sport then and Patekar wasn’t into shooting at that time either, but he did something that changed not just our lives, but lives of many young shooters,” Olympian shooter and coach Bhagwat told TOI.For shooters accustomed to sharing equipment, owning a personal rifle transformed performance levels. Bhagwat recalled her scores jumping from the 365-370 range to 380-plus of 400, a leap considered extraordinary at the time. “It was a great change for us. In those days, touching 385 or 390 was a big thing and it was almost unbelievable,” she said.Shirur, who also started her career from Mumbai at the same time, said she got to know the importance of having her own equipment only when she got one. “We were seven shooters who used to share the same jacket and trousers. They used to smell and I had to wait the whole day to get my turn to wear them and train. It was such a special feeling when we got our personal kits. I would say that it changed my career’s trajectory for good,” Shirur, who later coached Olympians like Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar and Paralympic champion Avani Lekhara, said.Deshpande, who has coached Paris Games bronze medallist Swapnil Kusale, said Patekar not just supported them with the equipment, but also taught them life lessons. “The first thing he taught us was humility. Despite being a huge star, he treated us as equals. More importantly, he made us believe we could achieve big things in life. He was there for us when nobody gave us a chance,” she said.Shirur echoed the sentiment. “In the hindsight, when I see the support, I see a humble man putting his faith in women athletes, when nobody expected them to win anything. He used to talk to us and get updates of our shooting. That meant a lot to us,” she said.Patekar’s relationship with shooting did not end with sponsorship. An avid marksman himself, he competed in national championships and remained closely connected to the sport. London Olympics bronze medallist Gagan Narang remembered him as a shooter with deep technical understanding.“He was technically very sound. We used to shoot together and train before the Nationals. He used to tell me a lot about my shooting that helped me improve as a shooter. I met him in Ahmedabad only last month and he had planned to meet again at his Pune farm soon. He has an immense impact on Indian shooting, and he will be missed a lot,” Narang told TOI.
