India is sending 21-member contingent at Paris 2024.

Joydeep Karmakar, a pioneering figure in Indian shooting, continues to make significant contributions to the sport long after his competitive career. The Kolkata-born marksman, known for his fourth-place finish in the 50m rifle prone event at the 2012 London Olympics, now focuses on nurturing the next generation of Indian shooters.

In a recent interview, Karmakar shared his insights on India’s prospects for the Paris Olympics 2024, the national Olympic trials, and his own memorable moments in the sport.

India’s Olympic shooting prospects

Discussing India’s chances at the upcoming Paris Olympics, Karmakar expressed optimism. “For the first time ever, India is sending such a huge team of 21 shooters to the Olympics. Last time it was 15. The probability of success is very high,” he stated. “I’m definitely hopeful that shooters will do well this time, doing justice to their performance leading up to the Olympics.”

National Olympic trials

Karmakar defended the intensity of the National Olympic trials, which some shooters have described as one of the most difficult competitions they’ve faced. “That was the reason it was formulated the way it should have been,” he explained. “It’s actually an asset test for shooters to go through that growth. It was needed because every other shooting-developed country does it.”

He emphasized the need for such rigorous selection processes as India becomes a stronger nation in sports. “When you become a strong nation in sports, you need to have some unpopular decisions,” Karmakar stated. “Here, what I feel is that emotions don’t work.”

Mental health and Olympic preparation

Addressing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on shooters’ mental health, Karmakar stressed the importance of mental preparation. “In individual sports like shooting, they need a mental state where you are going to produce your best on that day, at that very moment,” he said.

While acknowledging the difficulties posed by the pandemic, Karmakar was quick to point out that it affected shooters worldwide. “It was a difficult time for the shooters, but very honestly, I believe that cannot be a situation for India only, that cannot be an excuse,” he stated.

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Karmakar’s role as a shooting expert for Paris Olympics 2024

Looking ahead to his role as a shooting expert for Viacom18’s coverage of the Paris Olympics, Karmakar expressed excitement about the opportunity to educate viewers. “I’ll be trying to simplify the jargon and everything which happens in different kinds of sports,” he said. “Shooting, as a sport, has been a mystery for many around, and they ask a lot of questions because this is not a very regular sport.”

Contributions to Indian shooting

Reflecting on his contributions to the sport, Karmakar highlighted his academy in Kolkata, which has trained nearly 1,000 athletes since 2015. He also spoke about his stint as the chief coach of the Indian rifle team in 2022, during which he focused on introducing scientific approaches and improving fundamental skills.

“What I understood is that there needs to be a lot of knowledge distribution to the shooter,” Karmakar explained. “Our shooters are very good, but what I feel is that there is still a lack of basic knowledge amongst the entire shooting community.”

He particularly emphasized his efforts to improve wind shooting, which he considered one of the biggest drawbacks of the Indian shooting team. “This time, this is the strongest 50m rifle 3 positions team, and that is one of my very happy and proud moments that I was able to contribute,” Karmakar stated.

Memorable moments

Despite the bittersweet nature of narrowly missing an Olympic medal, Karmakar cherishes the experience. “Being a shooter, going to the Olympics and realizing the rush after the rush, what you’ve given everything, but then you realize you missed a bronze medal by a narrow margin.

“It’s a mixed emotion feeling which, of course, as an athlete, I felt is one moment of my life which I would cherish,” he reflected.

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