Manvi Jain: Non-Cricket Sports Need More Spotlight.

Tahir Kamal Siddiqui. Indore.

            Medal winner in Junior World Championship, Manvi Jain expressed regret that in our country cricket is given preference at every level as compared to other sports. She said that in the changing times players of many sports are making India proud in international competitions.

            In the Samvad program of State Press Club, M.P., Indore's young shooter Manvi Jain, who won bronze medal in 25 meter shooting event and gold medal in team game in Junior World Championship held in Peru, told that players from 51 countries participated in this championship. 60 players from India participated in this championship and also established a new world record in the championship by winning about 30 medals. After many years, India pushed China from first position to fourth position.

            After passing 12th class from Satyasai School recently, Manvi Jain has taken admission in Journalism and Mass Communication course of DAVV. She told that for shooting she has to travel for 100 days a year for various competitions for the last several years. She told that she got a lot of encouragement in the family because her father Vivek Jain and later sister Suryani Jain were national level shooting players. Captain Kamal Singh Chauhan and Pushpendra Sengar honed her talent in an impeccable manner.

            Manvi Jain told that shooting is a very expensive sport. For events of different distances, she has more than ten pistols from countries like Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Austria. She practices hard with these pistols throughout the year. As per the rules, she is allowed to fire one lakh cartridges in a year. These cartridges have to be ordered from different countries apart from India as per the pistol.

           Manvi told that availability of shooting range is an important issue for practice of shooting. Her father made arrangements for regular practice by building shooting range first at home and then in the godown of Musakhedi. Recently, after winning gold medal in Khelo India Games, which is liked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she has got special permission to practice in the shooting range of Army Marksman Unit, AMU Mhow. She also goes to Mhow for practice three-four times a week where she shoots at 10, 20, 50 meter distance. She told that to participate in international level competitions, apart from selection competitions, one has to remain in the top five players in national competitions and other five trials.

            Manvi Jain's ideal player is Abhinav Bindra and her goal is to win a medal in the 2028 Olympics. In response to a question, she told that the Sports Ministry does not provide financial support in the sport of shooting. The expenses of travelling to various competitions, staying, pistol and cartridges, all this has to be borne by the family. Manvi Jain appealed to the government and big industrial houses to give proper encouragement to other sports as well.

           In the beginning, State Press Club, MP President Praveen Khariwal threw light on the achievements of Manvi Jain. In the program, BJP co-media in-charge Deepak Jain 'Tinu' and social worker Ashok Mehta felicitated Manvi Jain for achieving this golden achievement. On this occasion, Mr. Jain said that Manvi Jain has not only brought laurels to Indore but also to Madhya Pradesh. He said that he will discuss with Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav for the promotion of shooting and felicitation of Manvi Jain.