New Delhi: Great Britain’s Peter Wilson, who is widely regarded as a double trap shooting legend, has shown interest in the coaching job of the Indian team and wants to train the Indian shooters for the Los Angeles Olympics 2028. He recently guided compatriot Nathan Hales to a gold medal in trap shooting at the Paris Olympics 2024 and is looking forward to taking up the next challenge.
37-year-old Wilson competed in the men’s double trap event at the 2012 London Olympics and clinched a gold medal. He also holds the world record in double trap shooting and notably took up the sport after a snowboarding accident left him unable to play cricket. As soon as the double trap category was removed from the Olympic curriculum, Wilson started coaching the Great Britain team in trap. The glory arrived in Paris as his ward Nathan won gold with an Olympic record and also broke the nation’s 12-year-long wait for a medal in the event.
“I have e-mailed my CV to the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) and am waiting to hear from them. I want to work with the senior team to prepare them for the LA Games and the juniors to prepare them for the next 8-12 years,” Wilson told PTI from the UK and added that he only aims for “success” and nothing less.
Opportunity for Wilson?
He was further asked if it would be a challenge adapting to the Indian setup, for which he categorically said “There shouldn’t be any problem.” “Asian Games, the World Cups, and World Championships among others are a stepping stone towards the ultimate aim of winning an Olympic medal,” Wilson said.
Wilson has been honoured with the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) and was coached by the legendary Ahmad Al Maktoum, who is a 2004 Athens Olympics gold medallist in double trap and a member of Dubai’s ruling family. India’s Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore had finished second in the same event.
India are currently without a foreign trap coach for quite some time now as most shooters at the Paris Olympics took the help of personal coaches. The Sports Authority of India (SAI) and NRAI had last hired Italy’s Marcello Dradi as trap coach.
Peter Wilson, who won a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics, was the youngest competitor in men’s double trap event. He currently holds the world record in double trap and took up coaching after the category was removed from the Olympic curriculum. Other Sports Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
