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Samaresh Jung: India’s Goldfinger stirred not shaken

Never say never again: the unflappable Samaresh 'Goldfinger' Jung is confident of repeating his past glories

As a new James Bond film blasts on to our cinema screens this month, India’s own sharp shooting hero is ready for action at the 15th Asian Games – and says he isn’t intimated by the competition.

Move over Bond actor Daniel Craig, Goldfinger is reporting for duty.

Nicknamed Goldfinger – the title of an earlier James Bond film – by the Australian media when honoured as Athlete of the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne this year, Samaresh Jung is hoping to gun down the Chinese challenge and that of the rest of the favourites in Doha.

He spies more medals. Jung conspicuously exited Melbourne with five gold, but he knows his next assignment will be much tougher.

China are expected to knock the living daylights out of the rest at the Asian Games as the country uses Doha 2006 as a sighter for the Beijing Olympics in 2008. However, pistol king Jung only has eyes for gold and is hoping he’ll have a licence to thrill in Doha.

“Asian standards are much higher,” the 34 year-old told the Oman Times on Saturday 25 November. “But I am not going to waste time thinking about it, there is no pressure because you don’t shoot against your rivals, it is how you perform yourself that really counts.”

Jung has done well recently. He surpassed the Asian Games record in the centre fire event in the selection trials in Indore. Jung also scored 691.6 in the 10m air pistol event which equalled the Olympic record. However, the performances will not be registered as records because they did not take place at an official event of the International Shooting Sport Federation.

It has not all been good news though. The World No 21 failed to qualify for the World Cup in Spain in October where China’s Tan Zonghang and Wei Pang finished 5th and 8th respectively in the 10m air pistol event.

Four years ago India took two silver medals at the 14th Asian Games in Busan, Korea – a pittance compared to their 16 gold at the Commonwealth Games earlier this year. In contrast, China won 27 out 42 gold on offer in Busan and a similar number of success are likely in the Qatari capital when the shooting starts at Lusail Shooting Complex on 2 December.

But Jung never gives up and thinks that by the end of the Games, he will be the man with the golden gun.