After Four Years, Olympic Silver Medallist Kumar In India Squad

Four years after his last international tournament, London Olympics silver medallist pistol shooter Vijay Kumar returned to the national squad on Thursday. Kumar, who was second in 25m rapid fire pistol in the 2012 Olympics, had taken a break.

Having retired from the Army in 2017, Kumar joined the Himachal Pradesh state police service in the sports quota and focused on completing his police training. It was only at the senior national championships last November that Kumar resurfaced and impressed with his performance. He was also consistent in the two recently-held selection trials in Bhopal leading to his return.

“I was completely off shooting all these years. I love the sport but there are other priorities in life. After the 2018 World Championships in Changwon, I took a break because of my job and training,” said Kumar, who is now Deputy Superintendent of Police and posted in Bilaspur.

“It is not easy to come back after such a long gap. The moment you are far away from competitive training, it takes time to get that control back. Of course, experience helps. I trained for two months before the nationals and it is a good sign that in four-five months I have made it to the national squad. I am feeling good,” said the 36-year-old.

Kumar made it to both rapid fire pistol, an Olympic event, and 25m centre fire pistol squads. The next step for him would be to compete in international tournaments but the goal is to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“The ultimate target is to qualify for the 2024 Olympics and that is why I am here. But I am thinking about one step at a time. I have to work hard and do well in selection trials and make it to the team for international competitions. There are World Cups, Asian Games and World Championships this year, and then there are also Olympic quota places to be won.”

The format has changed since he last played, but Kumar feels it is all about adaptability. “Even before the London Olympics a new format was introduced,” he said.

The Indian team will skip the World Cup in Brazil this month and only rifle shooters will compete in the year's third World Cup in Baku next month. It means Kumar could return in July at the World Cup in Changwon – exactly where he left the sport.