Ahmedabad’s shooting star Komal Barot targets Munich glory

Ahmedabad’s shooting star Komal Barot has her eyes set on a medal at the forthcoming World Shooting Championships in Munich next month. The HLIC student has made it to the India team in the 10m air pistol event in the junior category.

Komal will become the first Amdavadi and second girl from Gujarat after Lajja Gauswami of Vidyanagar to represent the country in the shooting extravaganza in Germany.  "This is very big moment for me. I have been working hard for this," an elated Komal said. This will be the second expedition for the shooter who will turn 20 next month. Two years ago she had participated in the Czech Republic competition.

At the conclusion of the trials held in Pune, the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) announced a 49-member contingent including 23 in the junior section, to represent the country in the rifle and pistol events of the global competition beginning in the last week of July.  Ace rifle shooter Gagan Narang, Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra and Sanjeev Rajput will also be showcasing their skills in Munich.

The selection was done on the basis of performances in two-round affairs in each event. Komal participated in the 25m sports pistol and 10m air pistol. "I had two bad matches in 25m event. However, I overcame my nerves and managed to give my best in the 10m event to secure the berth," said Komal, while recalling the 15-day gruelling trials. The Amdavadi will be joined by Lovleen Kaur and Rahi Sarnobat in her event.

According to Komal, the Munich meet carries lot of weight in view of the Commonwealth Games selection. "The good performance at Munich will definitely give a shooter the edge during the selection for the CWG," she said while promising a good show in Munich.