Ten-metre air rifle ace tells Nihal Koshie that he wants to realise the promise he has shown
Ten-metre air rifle ace tells Nihal Koshie that he wants to realise the promise he has shown
Q. Compared to Athens, how different are the preparations for Beijing and what has changed for you over the past four years?
Well, Athens was my first Olympic experince. I was the youngest in the contingent without much knowledge of what to expect at the big stage. Four years down the line, I am far more seasoned. In last two years, I have the confidence of winning competitions by competing against some of the best in business. Besides I was the last one to qualify for Athens but Beijing was just the opposite as I was the first to get a quota. So it gave me about two years to prepare
Q.How important was your gold medal at the Olympic Test event at Hannover and what did breaking the World record mean to you?
See, every record is important. You set a goal and when you reach, that becomes destination...then you set another. I set targets for myself in every competiton. The gold in France was what I had my eyes on. I am happy that it came. It only goes in to show that I am hitting the sweet spot. The next stage is to come up with yet another 600/600 performance.
Q.What aspects are you focussing on while preparing for the 10m air rifle event?
I think the most competitive event in the sport of shooting is the 10 metre air rifle. There is very little scope of error and a couple of mistakes could send you packing back home. No matter how hard you train or what scores you shoot in training, it all boils down to the given day.
I have been shooting well in the past and would like to maintain my calm and perform consistently at the Games.
Q.Do you believe that shooting could be the event in which we have a chance to win a medal?
I do believe that the nine of us who have got berths have it in us to get a medal but it all comes down to the day of the competition..the conditions and the shooter’s state of mind
Q.How important is it for you to do well at the Olympics?
See, the Olympics is a showcase event and it is not easy to get an oppostunity to represent the country in the games. Only the best in each discipline can. So from that point of view, it is important to realise the promise I have shown by making it to the games. Also because Olympics is a widely televisied, people get to know you and your sport when you do well. Rathore’s silver in Athens led to an image-makeover of shooting. Just hoping to take that process forward.
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