NRAI name 2012 Olympics finalist Joydeep Karmakar as new rifle coach
Joydeep Karmakar, an Arjun Awardee and 2012 London Olympics finalist in the 50m Rifle Prone event, has been named chief coach of the Rifle Shooting squad by the NRAI. This comes in the wake of India's dismal performance in the 2020 Olympics shooting competition, where team didn't win any medal.
"It feels like my life has come a full circle. I finished fourth at the 2012 London Games, and ten years later, I am appointed as a national coach. It is a great honor to be a part of this journey," In a telephonic conversation with Bridge, Karmakar said.
The 42-year-old Karmakar, who runs his own coaching academy and mentors young players like Mehuli Ghosh, is expected to lead the Indian team until 2025.
The NRAI has retained over 30 coaches from the previous setup, in addition to appointing Karmakar as the chief coach for Rifle Shooting. This comes after their president, Raninder Singh, promised a "complete coaching overhaul" during the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.
According to reports, the NRAI fired a total of 28 coaches in December 2021, and all but Jaspal Rana have since been reinstated. This means that Suma Shirur, Ronak Pandit, Samresh Jung, Deepali Deshpande, and others will all be welcomed back into the fold.
Jaspal Rana, 45, had a public spat with his top ward Manu Bhaker shortly after the Tokyo Games and was dubbed the "negative factor" in the Indian contingent by NRAI Chief Raninder Singh.
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