A former world number one in 10m air rifle, bestowed with many prestigious national and international awards in the early 2000 – Arjuna award 2000, Khel Ratna award 2002, Munich World Cup 2002 (ISSF)… multiple medals, multiple times at the Commonwealth Games – three-time Olympics sharpshooter Anjali Bhagwat talks straight about hygiene in places visited, both on international and domestic venues. Nandakumar Marar, Consulting Editor, Clean India Journal on World Women’s Day engages in candid talks with the successful sports star and cleanliness-conscious woman.
Anjali, besides being a world class rifle shooter, is one of those who switched to expert television commentary smoothly on private channels. Broadcasting and coaching keep her in touch with the game and emerging talents. Steeped into yoga and meditation from sporting days, she is invited for motivational talks and well-versed in dipping into career experiences to deal professionally with subjects like the power of visualisation and utility of meditation in sport and life.
With women excelling across the world, do we really need a women’s day? “Why not? Every day is women’s day so there is no need to celebrate as such. We celebrate birthdays, which is one day in a year; likewise, Women’s Day is an excuse to meet school friends/old friends. We feel special.”
Speaking of gender-neutrality in competitive sports, at the highest levels in shooting and athletics, she said: “Women are doing better than men at the international level. However, this is not about proving anything. It is just about acceptance that women are talented and capable. It is exciting to watch a Mixed Pairs Shooting (man-woman), standing alongside each other. In the relay race (Mixed Team Relay 4x400m), it is thrilling to see women and men running alongside (two women and two men runners form one team, passing the baton among themselves from start to the finish).”
Environment-friendly activities
“Across the world wherever visited, I can see that people are conscious about hygiene and re-use of water. First time in my life, I learnt about rainwater harvesting in Atlanta. The concept to conserve water made me realise how people valued it. “In Europe, anywhere you go roads are so clean that you can sit down and have meals. Cleanliness is in their blood, their thinking… but here we have no civic sense. There is freedom to do anything, without self-control to actions things against the environment.”
Cultural Behaviour and Discipline
“People’s intentions to make a difference is admirable in Europe and other countries.” Children learn from watching elders. “Mothers in India, dropping their kids to school on bikes, are in a hurry and can be seen riding on footpaths, jumping signals, coming from wrong directions, ignoring seniors using the footpath or crossing…. These kids watch their mothers. I understand that everybody has work to do, is busy managing multiple tasks, but by breaking traffic rules are mothers teaching their kids anything? When educated people do such things, what do you expect from others? Without discipline in our system, civic sense is not going to happen.”
Unclean washrooms!
“I dealt with this all my sports life… we had no option. Situation of course is a different now. I recall when we were based at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium (New Delhi), we complained about fixing doors to our washrooms. Even washrooms at any government offices, government hospitals were difficult to use. I recall an international shooting competition in Delhi decades ago, no water in the washrooms available for shooters, but the plants were getting watered at the same venue. International shooters participating noticed and commented. It was shameful how strange our priorities were then, as organisers.”
Irresponsible citizens
Anjali, besides being a successful sportsperson, is Brand Ambassador of the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, attempting to convey the value of cleanliness, hygiene, civic sense. “Three times we went to a particular area in Hinjewadi (Pune) as part of the cleaning initiative, where vendors were selling breakfast on carts, the whole area was dirty. School kids were walking through this. We cleaned the area on the first weekend and the next weekend it was as dirty as before. The food vendors were convinced to place dustbins which they did. On the third weekend, we noticed people throwing leftover food on the road. The shocking aspect was when we asked a few buyers randomly, about ignoring dust bins kept for public use, they were not bothered and commented that Swachh Bharat people will do the cleaning anyway!”
She added: “Expecting hygiene and cleanliness from the public is ‘optimism, but, if I follow hygienic methods, then my children will follow too. If I can take the time to segregate wet and dry garbage, then others can also do. No wet garbage goes out of my home, it goes for composting and is used in my garden. For those residing in flats, if there are space constraints, one can segregate the garbage at home before handing over dry waste to the municipal corporation karmachari.” Hygiene begins at Home.
Viewpoint
“In my experience I have found India’s southern parts better, as they understand cleanliness and hygiene. You go to the smallest eatery or to somebody’s home, it is kept clean. Roads are clean and no garbage dumps either. I have been to Kerala, Tamil Nadu for competitions… one can feel cleanliness. Pondicherry is clean and beautiful. When it comes to a place abroad, it is tough to pick one from among the countries visited – Turkey to USA to Japan – everything is so clean. My favourite place is Austria, I have been there twice, in 2003 and 2014.”
Making India Proud
Anjali Bhagwat is the first Indian shooter to win the Champion of Champions award at the Munich World Cup 2002, organised by the sport’s world body, International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF). Entry at this World Cup was limited to elite international shooters, she shot for gold in the Mixed 10m AR event, a novel competition featuring men and women participants assembled there.
The first Indian to win gold in an ISSF World Cup (Fort Benning USA 2003) and a gold in ISSF World Cup Final 2003 (Milan, Italy), both her favourite 10m AR, she was chosen as flag-bearer of the entire Indian contingent taking part in the Commonwealth Games 2002 Manchester, marching at the head of the pack, holding the ‘tirangaa’.
The first Indian to qualify for an Olympics shooting final (Sydney Ganes 2000), restricted to first eight in the qualifying rounds, marked a sensational Olympic debut in 10m AR. Two more Olympics appearances followed, Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 where she also competed in 50m 3-Positions rifle, like at Sydney.
The second Indian to qualify for an Olympics Games individual final in national history at Sydney 2000 (after PT Usha in women’s 400m hurdles at Los Angeles 1984), Anjali’s special shooting show on Olympics debut in 10m AR was only confirmation of natural talent in handling the air rifle as an NCC cadet in Mumbai, an amateur performer for Maharashtra at National Shooting Championship 1988.
Between Sydney 2000 final by Anjali Bhagwat to the GOLD MEDAL won by Abhinav Bindra in men’s 10m AR at Beijing 2008, shooting sport gained so many followers that TV coverage of the Olympics, Asian Games, CWG Games, especially Indians in shooting events, got prime time. Paris 2024 Olympic medallists, double medallist-Manu Bhaker, Sarabjot Singh (both in pistol shooting), Swapnil Kusale (rifle) earned TV headlines, front page coverage for the sport by holding the national flag high.
