Merang Jamir: Shooting dreams at the grand age of 60

Zhovezo Resu

Merang Jamir, aged 59, became the first Naga International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) “B” Judge in the month of April this year. Now he can be a Jury, Judge, Chief Range Officer or a Range officer in any of the national and international Shooting competitions/championships including the World Cup.
Merang passed the ISSF “B” Judge’s Course for Rifle & Pistol under the tutelage of Chief Instructor Aado Maranik from Sydney, Australia conducted by the Asansol Rifle Club, West Bengal under the aegis of the National Rifle Association of India from April 8 to 13. His scored 98% in General Aspects, 85% in Technical Rules, 95% in Rifle and 88% in Pistol.
Recalling his high school days at Mangkolemba EAC HQ, Mokokchung district (1968), Merang told Eastern Mirror that he first learned to sing with three (3) chords guitar and fired his first pellet rifle that belonged to Y. Murry, an administrative officer who gave him the privilege to handle the air weapon.But Merang took his cultivated interest in modern shooting sport in 1993 and participated in 50 meter .22 Open Sight Prone at the 4th All India GV Mavlankar Shooting Championship (1994) at Ahmedabad, Gujarat through the then Kohima Rifle Club which was affiliated to the National Rifle Association of India. During the championship he took a vow to learn modern shooting and develop the sport in Nagaland.
But without a single shooting range in Nagaland, Merang found his dream fleeting away. However he reminded himself that “a vow is not meant to be broken”. In 1998 he decided to start two projects, i.e. music and shooting and came to be known as “Aries Music & Sports Foundation”. According to Merang, he started constructing a 10 meter range at NST Colony, Dimapur and formally inaugurated the range in May 2010.
Sixshooters of the first batch – namely Merang Jamir, Hito Swu, John Dibew Yimchunger, Alezo Keditsu, Zuchanthung Ezung and Kimatsung Jamir participated at the 20th All India G.V.Mavlankar Shooting Championship in September 2010 at Kahilibara Shooting Ranges, Guwahati. Kimatsung Jamir, a junior shooter in 10 meter Air Rifle scored 362/400 (Wild Card Entry for Nationals) giving a boost and hope to all the shooters thereafter.
In 2012, Hito Swu brought the first ever Silver medal in 10meter Air Rifle for Nagaland during the 22nd All India G.V.Mavlankar Shooting Championship that was held at New Delhi. In 2013, the first Bronze medal by a woman in the youth category was bagged by Awala at the 23rd All India G.V.Mavlankar Shooting Championship held at Asansol, West Bengal.
In the same year, Kimatsung Jamir became a National shooter/Renowned Shot during the 57th National Shooting Championship Competition held at Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Ranges held at New Delhi.
When asked about how Northeast Zone Shooting Championship (NEZSC) took place, Merang told: “It was in 2010, me and some of my friends from the northeast region wanted to have a separate North East Zone Shooting Championship. And in, 2013, the Mizoram Rifle Association accepted to host the 1st North East Zone Shooting Championship and was held at Aizawl.”
The 2nd NEZSC was hosted by the Assam Rifle Shooting Association at Guwahati. The 3rd NEZSC was hosted by Manipur Rifle Association and was held at the Shooting Ranges at Khuman Lampak Sports Complex, Imphal.
The 4th North East Zone Shooting Championship will be conducted by the Aries Rifle & Pistol Shooting Academy and the Nagaland Rifle Association under the aegis of the National Rifle Association of India at the Aries Shooting Ranges at Aries Sports Complex, Bamunpukhuri-1, Dimapur from August 29 to September 3, 2016.
“I took up shooting seriously in 2010 but I was already 54 years old. At 57 years, I became a National Shooter in .22 Rifle 50 meter Prone with a common rifle which I borrowed from Bhagat Singh of Baghbad Village, Uttar Pradesh during the 58th National Shooting Championship Competition held at Balewadi Shooting Ranges, Pune in 2014,” Merang shared.
In February, 2015, Kimatsung Jamir, Hito Swu and Merang represented Nagaland at the 35th National Games held at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. When one of the journalists asked Merang why he would be participating at the age of 58, Merang replied: “If I, at my age, get selected in the qualifying round, it will be very inspiring to the younger participants”.
At the age of 60, Merang dreams of constructing the first ever fully fledged Shooting Ranges of 10meter, 25meter and 50meter, in Nagaland. “Yes, it’s a dream come true with discipline, sincerity, hard work, and most of all patience. I hope to see many Naga Shooters in the 2020 Olympics.”
The Aries Shooting Ranges is equipped with 10 lanes of 10 meter range for Air Rifle and Air Pistol, one(1)bay i.e. 10 targets of 25 meter range for Standard Pistol and Centre Fire, and 24 lanes of 50 meter range for 22 Rifle and Free Pistol.