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| Edited By: |Source: DNA |Updated: Sep 21, 2019, 05:30 AM IST
After becoming the first Indian pistol shooter to win World Cup gold in 2013, Rahi Sarnobat added another gold in her kitty this year at ISSF World Cup in Munich. The shooting sensation now aims to win a medal at the 2020 Olympic Games to be held in Tokyo. She talks to Team DNA about her journey so far, goals and Olympic preparations.
This year was not as successful, but it was full of experiences and learning. This was the first year I was competing under the guidance of my coach (Munkhbayar Dorjsuren, two-time Olympic bronze medallist). I have been training under her since 2017. The year 2018 had competitions and we experimented with a lot of techniques. But 2019 was a performing year. Initially, I couldn't perform, but we later studied and analysed my competitors. For the Munich World Cup I was well-prepared and all the techniques worked. All the practise and training gave me the confidence. It took time but we got the results.
We were trying to win a medal in Delhi as it was home, and we were very used to the shooting range here. But, we faced some unexpected problems. We chose Munich especially because that was my 14th competition there. In the past I've had bad experiences in that shooting range before. For instance, I could not finish my competition one year, and another year I got disqualified. So, I assumed that this range was not lucky for me. I thought of skipping Munich and to prepare for Rio. I conveyed this to my coach. But she was positive about Munich as that is her home shooting range and she boosted my confidence.
Before Munich, we were in Germany for 15 days' camp where I underwent intense training and tried new things. That worked.
They are all very special to me. But, it also shows that somewhere we need to improve in the area of 25m shooting, we don't have enough medals to show in that category. Even in Indian history, rifle has more medals and successful faces. Anjali Bhagwat, Suma Shirur, Tejaswini Sawant inspired us to go to work hard.
When I first went to shooting range, I didn't know there is a difference between rifle and pistol, and that is how I chose pistol. For 11 years Manu (Bhaker) has given an exceptional performance at the world level. I would say, my event is still unexplored or not explored enough.
When we plan for Olympic, we first plan to qualify for the event. Of course, it's life and it doesn't always happen as per plan. I hoped to get my quota place in Delhi but it happened in Munich. The process of improvement, the process of moving towards perfection never stops. It should not stop. We continue working hard, continue improving. But what changes is the intensity of training and the techniques. But, the bigger picture is very simple – first qualify and then start preparing for the Olympic Games.
We are actually working on the approach more than the technical aspects and where to train, with whom to train. Approach is important because at the end of the day, when I go to the Olympics, the mindset should be such that, 'today I am going to perform and I will perform'. I have to work on that approach from now. I have to follow my training time, work on my weak points and keep practising in what I am good at. I think Olympic Games are more about the mental control, than technical because every competitor is ready to perform. It is just a matter of how you take it.
There is a misconception about shooters' mental preparation. Our mental preparations are overlooked by our coaches, not the psychologists. My coach is a two-time Olympic medallist. I believe, no psychologist will be able to understand the my psyche and my problems. It is easier to go to the coach, and they understand the mindset better.
This is why, after much thinking, I chose a coach. My only condition was that, the person needs to be experienced so that she has better understanding of my goals. I wanted a coach who has an Olympic medal and an experience of being there. All this so that she can share these with me.
During London Olympics, she was my competitor, we were shooting next to each other. If at that time, I had asked her for tips, she would've denied as we were competitors. But now the situation is very different and that is why it is important to discuss everything with her.
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RAHI NOW RANKED 9TH IN WORLD |
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| Rahi Sarnobat did a lot of research before zeroing in on her current coach from Mongolia-Germany, Munkhbayar Dorjsuren, in 2017 end. Rahi wanted someone who has experienced winning an Olympic medal to chase her dreams. “I should tell her everything, be honest with her like, if I am not confident, if I feel I cannot perform, if I have fear, anxiety or am afraid of performance. Otherwise, she might be on another page of the book and it will not help. I think it’s very important to be honest with my coach, whatever is on my mind, I should tell her and she has key for all my locks,” says Sarnobat. | Hailing from sports-friendly Kolhapur, it was natural for Rahi Sarnobat to take up shooting. She was inspired by Tejaswini Sawant. The two went to the same school, Rahi was in Class 1 when Tejaswini was in Class 10. Rahi had to choose between rifle and pistol, and without knowing the difference between the two, she chose pistol. Now, she is ranked 9th in the world and has many firsts to her credit. | We have the best facilities in India. I have seen more than 20 countries now and India has the of best shooting ranges. What are lacking is the electronic shooting range, those are very expensive, she said. To make shooting popular, we should have some commentary during the event. This will help the viewer engage in the sport and will get some knowledge about it too. |
It's not sudden because I have been in the (Indian) team for 10 years now. This is my 11th year in the Indian team and I have seen the changes being made to get the results. This is the process we are trying to continue. Even my seniors experimented with a few things, and we followed suit. And now our juniors are learning from our experiences.
We still have a long way to go. Of course, we are now World No. 1 but we want to be No. 1 in Olympics, not just in the world competitions. That is the aim of our life.
That is psychological, because the opponents are same. In fact, we have less competition in the Olympics as everybody can't qualify. Only 40-45 shooters can qualify from the world. When we go for the world championships, we have 6,000 shooters, whereas in Olympics we have 200 or maximum 250. So, the competition is less, but the pressure is too much. We have to work towards our dreams and goals.
Now we are treating Olympics like just another competition. But till the London Games or till Abhinav (Bindra) got the (gold) medal (in 2008), it was just a dream. The perspective was very different, but it changed after London Olympics. I believe that Tokyo is going to be most successful Olympic Games in Indian shooting because we have started believing in ourselves. We are confident that we are better than everybody else and we are going to perform. We have to believe that we are the best.
London was very different. I was just 21 at that time. When I finished my competition, I realised it was not so tough. But before that, I was unsure of making the cut. I was dedicated, I tried hard but when I finished my competition, I realised I was not far behind. It was just that I didn't believe in myself enough. Because, 583 was the score of the finalist and I shot 579. But now, I am experienced shooter and am just focussing on my performance. I am sure that I will handle the pressure. I am confident because I have had good experiences in the last seven-eight years.
Desperate means being impatient. I am looking forward to Tokyo since 2016. I wasn't part of Rio 2016 as I was injured. In November 2017, I appointed my coach and the contract will last till Tokyo 2020. So, that was when I planned that the next three years of my life will only be dedicated to Olympic Games. For me it is not just an event, it is about the journey I am going through. And I am confident it will definitely end it the way I want to.
Now, the situation is very different. I have grown as a shooter and I am going in the right direction. I have perfect coach to guide me on this path. I am very excited and am waiting for a great performance in Tokyo.
This generation is confident. Secondly, there is exposure. They are participating almost double the amount of competitions than what we used to play. Another thing is, they have many people to turn to for advice. For example, we have Samaresh Jung as our high performance coach. But when I was in London Olympics, he was my competitor. So now there is this difference as well. The former Olympians are coaches now. They have time, and they are available.
When I was a junior, I always had the fear of my seniors, and I was hesitant to approach them. But today's youngsters are friendly. They don't bother about the age and experience. Their attitude is different and that is helping. We have learnt this from them. They are fearless and that shows in their game. Your nature, your thought process, all this will reflect in your performance. We see these qualities in Manu (Bhaker) and Saurabh (Chaudhary).
When I see Manu and Saurabh, they are so confident that they don't care about the competitors. They don't know what the highest scores are. They only concentrate on their performance. I was just like them in my initial days.
Though this attitude changed with time. I forgot that I was like this at some point, that is why I performed, that is why I qualified for London Olympic Games. You look at them and they remind you of your past.
We feel the pressure because our performances decide our career. If you don't perform you are not in the team. The juniors are performing so well that we have to match up with them. Otherwise, this generation will get ahead. The competition is tough. It is important to be on top of your game. It is important to learn how the youngsters approach, how they perform. The process then becomes easier. If you see them as your competitors, then it becomes difficult for us. That is not healthy for a sportsperson. I see them as my motivators, as they inspire me to perform better. I want to beat them, not as enemy but as good fellow shooters.
I am happy India has so many good junior level shooters and they are representing the country internationally. In India, the competition is so high that we are already prepared to meet the world level pressure. The young shooters are the reasons why India is performing well at the worlds.
I was in the rehab for 10 months, and that is when Manu and Saurabh came into the team. And that's when I felt 'now my team doesn't need me anymore'. I didn't know whether I was going to perform again. After 10 months, when I lifted my pistol, it was shaking, and I missed my targets every time. So I thought it's better to play the last competition and retire.
I introspected and thought about the time when I had started off. I questioned myself the reason why I took up this sport. I was lucky enough to do what I liked. I decided to give myself another chance. I gave three to four months to myself to see where I stand.
I participated in three competitions. I was still under-confident. I was unsure if I would make it to top three. But the good part was that I was again included in the team. This boosted my confidence. I realised that I should not reach any conclusion beforehand.
Post 2016, my performance improved. My average score is above 591, and that is the best of my career.
Now, 80% of the team comprises juniors, with just 3-4 seniors. That is why the atmosphere is very lively and cheerful. Anish (Bhanwala) is very competitive. He likes to challenge everything. He pushes me to give my best. Even on days when I am bot at my best, they take it sportingly. This is why I like to be with young people. As sportspersons, we need someone to challenge us. They are bring in the positivity and competitiveness too.
Definitely, we have arrived. As part of the shooting team, I feel very proud there are no differences when I comes to gender. We train together, we compete with each other., and have never been subjected to gender bias. I have been part of this team for 11 years and I feel the safest.
Women in sports arena are growing. PV (Sindhu), Mary Kom have brought glory to our country. When we see them performing, we get inspired. That not only changes perspective of an athlete but also changes perspective of parents. More and more parents are encouraging their daughters to taken up the fields they are interested in. That is how it directly affects life of common people as well. So yes, we are in the best time.
Frankly speaking, shooting is really boring. For example, there is competition for 3-position men and women, we cannot watch for three-and-a-half hours. We cannot see it because nothing is happening. We sit and watch, but what to watch? Where are they shooting? Where are the targets? You cannot see anything, just the shooters can see. So, actually it's a boring game. But our success is able to attract some attention, not because the game is attractive. It's very difficult to make it very glamorous. In cricket at least, we can see the ball. In shooting how can you see the bullet, where it is going, where it is hitting? When I was in the London Olympics, the spectator area was free, yet nobody was there to watch. So it's very difficult for us to make it watchable.
We should not compare any sport with cricket because it is far away. It has its own money, it has its own spectators, own business. They are not grabbing our spectators or money or any credit. So, we should not compare other sports with that. Cricket is very entertaining and they have made it entertaining.
Our associations have to put in much efforts to make our sport reach that level. In India, some sports are so popular that people leave their work to watch it. It's so good and positive. I have bunked school to watch Test cricket and to see Rahul Dravid bat. For us sportspersons, it gives us much satisfaction that people are watching us perform. Even though they are fans of cricket, still they are taking out time to watch a sport. So I take this positively.
The popularity we have gained in shooting, badminton, boxing or wrestling is not any less. We should thank people for giving these sports importance and appreciating our hard work.
I don't think so. But again, if it's a matter of Commonwealth Games, Asian Games or Olympics, people do watch and make sure they know what is happening, even if they are not bunking something. I remember, after Asian Games, Twitter called me for an interview and they showed me the hashtags people used. And it was something around 86,000 for a single day. These many people were watching, I couldn't imagine. Sportspersons are very lucky that people talk about them as their family members. Because we never say, 'Sachin aapne'. We say, 'Sachin tune', because we feel they are friends, they are part of us.
Rahul Dravid. I admired his patience. I remember, I was in school and he was playing a Test series in Australia in 2003-04. He made 233 runs. That day I didn't go to school. He was batting for two days. I was losing patience watching it at home, but he wasn't a bit tired. I learnt the quality of being patient from his.
