Shooting and archery are not dangerous sports. They can help you relax. Hear it from the experts.
His gaze was dead straight and his mind focused on hitting the target. I noticed he held his gun as if it were part of him.
Tightening his grip on the gun, he brought it slowly up to his chin. He gave the go-ahead to release the target and with one precise shot, brought it crashing down to pieces.
Olympic shooting champion Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore was at the Jebel Ali International Shooting Club, training for the Beijing Olympics.
The Indian national, who was hailed as a hero after he won the silver medal in Double Trap at the Athens Olympics, told Unwind that the sport actually helped him become a much calmer person.
Tough competition
Rathore, a lieutenant colonel in the Indian Army, is not a person to be messed with.
His competitor at this year’s Olympics will be Shaikh Ahmad Mohammad Hasher Al Maktoum, who won the first gold medal for the UAE in the 2004 Summer Olympics.
With the games just a few days away, Rathore expects his training to pay off in Beijing.
“Some people look at sports such as shooting in a negative way, thinking they make one more aggressive.
It is, in fact, quite the opposite — it’s a great sport and has made me a much calmer person,” Rathore said.
Although he is based in Delhi, he often comes to Dubai to train.
“Shaikh Saeed and Shaikh Ahmad are good friends and this is one of the main reasons I keep coming back to Dubai. Of course, the city itself has great facilities and makes for a good stop before heading off to Europe,” he said.
Rathore developed a liking for guns from an early age and from 1988, began to practise shooting regularly.
The Olympic medallist says the learning never stops because it is all about “internal thinking”, which is when you discover your strengths and weaknesses. You also find out how to keep your emotions in check.
Friendly rapport
So does Rathore share shooting tips with his fellow competitors?
“Both Shaikhs are experienced shooters and yes, we do advise each other,” Rathore said. “Your performance serves as a reflection of who you are, that is how I look at it.”
Just up ahead was Larry Kay, another shooting enthusiast who had come to the Jebel Ali International Shooting Club for a relaxing afternoon.
What is it about shooting that people find so soothing? I have never held a gun before, probably because I am wary of its power to cause serious damage.
As evening approached, the heat of the afternoon sun slowly began to fade. Kay seemed to have been there for a while.
After taking one final shot and being satisfied with his performance, he told us why he has kept coming back to the club, since 1995.
“This right here is my therapy,” he said with a strong Texan accent.
It seems shooting has been around as a harmless sport for a long time and instead of seeing it as a dangerous hobby, many now look at it as a way to unwind.
As we reached the pistol shooting range, the sound of shots being fired could be heard even though we were wearing protective earmuffs.
Guns, whether loaded or otherwise, should always be pointing upwards if you are not shooting — a necessary precaution in the shooting range.
“The sport is not just about taking aim and firing,” said Amine Makarem, manager of the Jebel Ali Shooting Club.
“You have to keep many things in mind and understand that what you are holding is dangerous. If you abuse it, it will abuse you,” he added.
Different guns need to be handled in different ways. Once the magazine (which holds the bullets) is in place, look at the paper target, take a shooting stance, put your finger on the trigger and with one or both hands, aim at the target and fire.
There will always be an instructor with you to advise you and make sure everything runs smoothly.
Not only a man’s game
“Once you know the safety rules, it’s actually very simple,” Makarem said.
However, it is not only men who are fond of this sport.
When we visited the Sharjah Shooting Club a few days earlier, there were at least three girls practising. A woman instructor was also present.
It was early on a Friday afternoon and the club was packed. Some people were waiting for their chance at a few shots and every now and then, an instructor would let in the next lot of shooters.
In the meantime, those who had already had their chance with the gun were coming out, holding paper targets and bragging about their aim to friends and family.
I, for one, am yet to have a go at shooting. However, I decided to stick to slightly less scary activities such as archery, offered both at the Jebel Ali and the Sharjah Shooting clubs.
I have to admit, those men in tights made archery look far easier than it actually is. It is a sport that requires skill and intense concentration.
Archery has been traced as far back as 50,000BC in Africa, when bows and arrows were used primarily for hunting.
But as time wore on, they became deadly weapons, used in wars. But those days are over and people now enjoy archery as a leisure activity.
Mubashir Mian, senior shooting instructor at the Jebel Ali International Shooting Club, says it is a very popular sport, especially during winter, when the club records maximum visitors.
People head to the clubs to try out their skill with a bow and arrow.
Surge of visitors
At the moment, an average of 70 people come during the weekends especially.
“The main reason people keep coming to practise archery is that it is a great activity that can also be practised indoors. It is safe and lots of fun. After every session of practise, you will notice how much your skills have improved,” Mian said.
Rules are the name of the shooting game
The Jebel Ali Shooting Club sees people from a variety of nationalities. The majority is European, followed by Emiratis.
To use a shotgun, you must be at least 16, to use a .22 calibre, you must be at least 13 and to use a 9mm, you need to be at least 21 — and yes, you also need to be a VIP to handle one.
But all that comes later. First, you have to go through a strict application process to become a Jebel Ali Shooting Club member, says Amine Makarem, manager of the club.
“We use live ammunition and hence, need to ensure that when people come here, they are confident they are in safe hands,” Makarem said.
This means everyone who applies for membership at the club has his record checked by the Dubai Police and the CID.
“If there seems to be any problem, the police and the CID inform us. They also send us updated lists on whom not to accept as a member,” Makarem said.
“We have to make sure we follow the rules that have been put in place for the safety of the club members as well as that of the country.”
The minimum age to take up archery is 10. The tips to ensure safety are similar to those of shooting.
It is important to keep in mind that you always keep your bow and arrow pointing away from others when not practising.
Also, never run to the target to see whether the arrow has hit the bull’s eye — you might enter someone else’s line of fire. Again, to avoid any injury, make sure you wear the arm band provided by the club.
