Shooter Joydeep Karmakar wants to start afresh for Rio Olympics
Kolkata, Aug 18 (UNI)
Joydeep Karmakar, who missed the bronze medal in the 50m Rifle Prone at the London Olympics by a whisker, today said he would start afresh with national championship in December for preparation for next Olympics.
"I'm overwhelmed with the support you have given so far after London Olympics and it would pave my way to carry on my dream of gold for next Olympics, " Joydeep Karmakar told a packed audience at the felicitation organised by PC Chandra Group and North Calcutta Rifle Club, where the shooter trains.
Thirty-three-year-old shooter was presented a 22 carat gold medal, created by PC Chandra group, for his London accomplishment.
"This medal satisfies a bit of my quench you know the pain for a sportsperson missing a medal in the Olympics by a whisker, " Karmakar told the audience after posing for photgraph with gold medal, very similar to Olympic medal.
Father of an eight-year-old-son, Joydeep, first shooter from Bengal joining at the olympics after 28 years, said Olympics was a tough area, greater than any sort of competition even the World Cup shooting.
National Rifle Association of India vice-president Virendra Kumar Dhal today said the Centre would fork out Rs ten lakh to him for his London Olympic accomplishment the formal announcement of which would be made soon.
The Centre would extend all possible help to Karmakar in Inida and abroad for his training and related things.
State Sports Minister Madan Mitra also said the state government would also extend all possible help to the son of the soil.
But he said the land sought by the North 24 Parganas Rifle Association was not to be given, adding if possible the land could be given to him beyond Barasat.
He also said the state government would also hold a separate felicitation programme.