‘Will do wonders if given enough international exposure’

The two-time Commonwealth Games silver medallist and Olympian Abdullah Hel Baki, a 10-meter air rifle shooter, talked to The Daily Star's Ashfaq Ul Mushfiq during an interview, in which he shared his views on the state of the game and the hindrances shooters face in the country. The excerpts are as follows:

The Daily Star (DS): What's the current state of Shooting?

Abdullah Hel Baki (AB): Speaking from the perspective of scores, the current condition of shooting has improved compared to the past.

DS: Are shooters able to achieve as per potential?

AB: I can't say that all shooters have achieved according to their merit, especially considering we have six-seven shooters who achieve world-class scores in practice.

DS: What's stopping them from replicating their training scores into competition?

AB: It is difficult, a problem that I myself face alongside all other shooters. But I can't pin-point an underlying reason behind it.

DS: You are yet to win a gold medal despite shooting for a long time. Does that disappoint you?

AB: I was only .3 [score] away from winning gold in the Commonwealth Games. Although I do have a mixed gold medal from the 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games, during the 10-meter mixed event alongside Disha [Syeda Hasan], plus I've won another mixed [event] gold in the SAFF games. So I can't say I haven't won any gold.

DS: Do our facilities match international standards?

AB: From the club level, I was lucky to have been given good shooting facilities [by Bangladesh Navy], which many other clubs may not provide. However, apart from maintaining regularity in training, involving training with international players more frequently would increase the local players' courage and confidence, which is something we lack, I think. Also, we need to participate in more international competitions to benefit from the experience.

DS: Could you shed some light on the main obstacles?

AB: The federation is trying very hard to minimize the limitations as much as possible. But I think the government, the Olympic Association and the other concerned authorities should all come forward in sync. Also, secured job opportunities and sponsors need to be provided for encouragement.

DS: Any talented shooters in the pipeline who caught your eye?

AB: Among many promising shooters, Rabbi Hasan Munna, Arnob, Shovon [Chowdhury], Yusuf Bhai, Robiul Islam Tomas are really good. Disha and Natasha alongside many new faces are showing a lot of promise and will do wonders if given enough international exposure.