From a below-average shooter to Olympic gold-winning coach: How Jelena Arunovic brought a new energy to India’s shooting camp | More sports News

In a parallel world, Jelena Arunovic could be a time traveller. One moment, the pistol coach could be seen reading a newspaper, scanning it thoroughly, making her shooters do it too. In the next, she could be sneakily taking photos to upload on her ‘insta’ stories.While reading newspapers probably make her one of the most aware persons in the Indian shooting setup, her selfies allow her to bond with the shooters, who train with her for hours, every day at the national camp in Bhopal.The shooter-turned-coach is bringing in a new energy, and it is contagious. She is breaking norms by becoming a cheerleader, friend to the shooters, while also maintaining her stature as pistol shooting coach.The Serbian has come to India after successfully coaching her sister Zorana and Damir Mikec to 10m air pistol mixed team gold at the Paris Games. After her stint with the Serbian national team, Jelena worked as the head coach of Guangdong Province in China.“I have some experience with Asian teams — last year, I was in China — but this is completely different. Everything is more intense, not just with the national team but in general, from food to everything else. So far, I like it,” Jelena, 45, told TOI.The Serbian is getting used to India’s way of over-reaction. “Everything is very emotional. The intensity is five times bigger when we are sad, when we are happy, when we celebrate. Everything is over the top. When we are happy, we are very happy. When we are sad, it’s the end of the world. I’m still adapting,” she confessed.“I’m still trying to find similarities with the Serbian national team and with Chinese athletes and trying to change myself also so I can fit in better and give better results,” she said.Jelena participated in world competitions from 1997 to 2012, she took up coaching after retiring from active shooting. On how the two experiences were different, the Serb said both her roles are incomparable. “These experiences are completely different. As an athlete, I was below average. I have only one medal, a silver from the World Championships in Olympic disciplines. I never mention that because I think it’s rude to mention my personal experience when you have such a good group of athletes. How can they relate to one medal from the World Championships?” she admitted.“But as a coach, my experience is on a completely different level. I have won everything. That is the thing that I’m the proudest of, because I know how difficult it was for me and my sister, to be patient, believe in our work and be good enough to win that Olympic gold medal,” she said.“I understood very early that I cannot compare with the best athletes. I was very honest and said ‘this will not work’ although I was very persistent. My abilities were not at the desired level. Then I said, ‘Okay, I like this sport. My sister was very talented back then. I think I will try to be a coach’,” Jelena said about her journey.While the younger sister is preparing herself for the Los Angeles Olympics, the elder sister is training her competitors in India. “We laugh about it. She would have wanted me with her, but she understands my professional commitments and is very proud of what I have been doing.”