NEW DELHI: Vijay Kumar waved his hands towards the crowd when his name was called, just ahead of the 25 metre rapid fire men’s pistol event, at the Royal Artillery Barracks at the London Olympics in 2012. He shot 585 and finished in the top 6 and entered the final. He wasn’t the fan favourite but the focus soon shifted towards him the moment he made it to the finals of the event. Vijay, a then Subedar Major in the Dogra Regiment, shot a total of 30 in the final to clinch the silver medal.
A calm and composed Vijay, with a smile on his face, greeted the crowd, received congratulatory handshakes and left the range and walked away from all the limelight.
It was Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore‘s silver in the 2004 Athens Olympics that kickstarted India’s shooting revolution.
For decades, an individual gold medal had eluded India at the Olympics, but it was Abhinav Bindra‘s historic gold in Beijing in 2008 that changed the face of Indian shooting. Vijay’s silver at the London Olympics and Gagan Narang‘s bronze medal in the 10 m air rifle in the same Olympics (2012) took India’s tally to 4 medals for the sport of shooting at the Olympics (Rathore, Bindra, Vijay, Gagan).

Among the four Indian Olympic medallists in shooting, Abhinav, Gagan and Rathore have almost always been in the news. They share their knowledge, they guide youngsters and are by and large in the public eye. But Vijay has been living away from the limelight.
Timesofindia.com caught up with Vijay Kumar, who is now posted as a DSP in Himachal Police, for an exclusive interview to talk about Olympic glory, India’s medal chances at the Tokyo Olympics, his take on whether the Olympics should go ahead or not and also why he chooses to keep a low profile.
Excerpts…
Can you take us down memory lane and share your experience of winning the silver medal at the London Olympics?
That was a golden moment for me. That was my maiden Olympics. Winning a medal in my maiden Olympics was really special. I still get goosebumps when I recall that moment. The atmosphere was amazing. It can’t be described in words. I am really honoured and grateful that I could represent my country and win a medal and that too in my maiden Games.
The Olympics is the final stage for a sportsperson. When I went to the Olympics, a medal was never on my mind. Of course, just like every athlete, I also wanted to win a medal, but I didn’t let that medal pressure affect me. I just wanted to take one shot at a time and improve the score. If I manage to shoot a good score in comparison to other shooters across the world, then of course it will increase my chance of winning a medal. First, I trained my mind and then performed at the London Olympics. Focus and control were the two things that helped me win an Olympic medal. Olympic participation is a very big thing, but when you win a medal for your country, it is unmatchable. Nothing can describe that feeling.

You always choose to stay away from the limelight. Your take on how some feel that because of that you are becoming a ‘forgotten star’…
My focus is mainly on the game. I am a man who doesn’t like publicity or showing my presence. When you win for the country, people obviously remember you. After returning from the Army, I joined as a DSP in Himachal Police. I was in the training period. I have been busy with that particular training for the last 3 years. I will start shooting once again after that. I don’t like to be in the news. I am really grateful that I got the chance to represent my country at the biggest stage (Olympics) and I managed to make my nation proud. I loved my pistol so much that I didn’t focus on anything else (laughs). I won’t say I am an introvert but my game and sport have made me like that. I am not that familiar with the media. I just wanted to focus on my game. I didn’t want any distraction in my game. When I was in 2012 (Olympics), I was in the army and I was bound by many restrictions. This is the reason why people call me a ‘forgotten star’. But these things don’t matter to me. For me, what matters the most is that I won an Olympic medal for India.
Indian shooters are all set for the Tokyo Olympics. What is your message to them and how would you rate their medal chances?
The number of participants has increased now. When I went to the Olympics in 2012, we were 11. In 2016, I think there were 13. Now, there are 15 Indian shooters who will be going to Tokyo. The best part is that team events have also been included in the Olympics. India has done really well in the team events (in World Cups especially) so it increases our chance of winning more medals in shooting. I am sure this team will do wonders in Tokyo and I hope they will return with many medals.

What would you want to say to the Indian shooters in terms of safety protocol to remember amid the COVID crisis?
Self responsibility. This is something every athlete should keep in mind. Not just Indians, all athletes from around the world should follow safety protocols and keep themselves safe. They will have to be self-responsible. My suggestion for the Indian shooters will be not to go with the mindset of winning a medal. If they work on improving their scores by taking one shot at a time, this mantra will take them to the podium. If they follow this, I am sure they will see a lot of improvement in their performance.
Who are the favourites to win a medal in Tokyo according to you from the Indian contingent?
Honestly, this squad is quite strong. If you look at everyone’s recent performances, you will see they have been on a medal-winning spree. Everyone seems to be in good form. Every single member of the 15-member squad has the potential to win a medal for the country. These guys have performed at world-level competitions that’s why they are going to the Olympics. My eyes are on the youngsters. The way they are shooting, it’s amazing. The best part is that the scores have improved and the credit goes to these youngsters. All I want to say to these youngsters is – ‘be calm. That’s it. Be calm, go and perform’.

With the world in the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of people, including many in Japan itself feel the Olympics should be cancelled. What is your take on that?
Human life should be the priority. The Olympics was supposed to happen in 2020 but it was postponed. I think Tokyo and the IOC have done everything to keep their athletes safe. They have made proper arrangements in order to protect the sportspersons. They have been following proper safety measures. The vaccination has also started in full swing. The instructions are that there will be four RT PCR tests for athletes. Be it medical aids, safety, sanitisation etc., I am sure things will be taken care of. We still have time for the Olympics, we need to wait and watch. (International) Spectators have not been allowed at the venues. Of course, fans will be missed, but that is good for all of us (athletes, officials and fans). The Olympics should go on but, with all the safety measures in place. I think the Olympics will go off smoothly.