Soldier firepower at Games
The Telegraph
New Delhi, Oct 11: The Indian soldier is the biggest winner for the country in
the Commonwealth Games.
Indian Army soldiers and Indian Navy sailors have won 23 medals between them so
far. They are all havildars, subedars, petty officers and cadets — called PBOR
for “Personnel Below Officer Rank”. None of the medal winners is a commissioned
officer.
Rajyavardhan Rathore, who had brought laurels for the country in shooting, is a
colonel in the army. He has not qualified to be part of the Indian shooting
contingent in the CWG this time.
Staff of the Indian Railways has also won 17 medals between them in the CWG.
Chief Petty Officer Omkar Singh of the Navy has won three golds and a silver in
different categories of air pistol shooting. Subedar Vijay Kumar has won three
golds and a silver in different categories of rifle shooting.
The soldiers and sailors have won medals in five disciplines: shooting,
weightlifting, wrestling, archery and athletics (20km walk).
A total of 41 soldiers are part of the 600-plus strong Indian contingent at the
CWG. The Army began a “ Mission Olympics” programme in 2001 aiming at podium
finish at the world-level in select disciplines.
If soldiers must necessarily be good marksmen, India ’s armed forces have
reason to be proud. In shooting alone, the soldiers and sailors have won 15
medals — 11 golds, two silvers and two bronze.
K. Ravi Kumar, Sukhan Dey and V.S. Rao — all havildars in the Army — have won
three medals in weightlifting. Master Chief Petty Officer-II Sudhir Kumar of
the Navy took the bronze in 77kg weightlifting.
The sportsmen were trained in the Army Sports Institute, Pune, and the Army
Marksmen Unit in Mhow.
Even off the field, the armed forces are being applauded for their contribution
to the CWG. Army engineers put up a foot overbridge in four days after the one
built by a Chandigarh- based company collapsed, injuring 23 workmen 12 days
before the Games were to begin. The bridge is connected to the main venue in
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
