SPORTS
Though this event may not hold any relevance for Olympic qualification, it is a perfect platform for our shooters to prepare themselves for the Asian Games, which start barely a month after the CWG.
As always, we should expect a lot of medals from our shooters at the Commonwealth Games next month. Though this event may not hold any relevance for Olympic qualification, it is a perfect platform for our shooters to prepare themselves for the Asian Games, which start barely a month after the CWG. So, doing well in CWG will be a good motivating factor ahead of the Asiad, which I feel is tougher than the Olympics.
But more than anything, competing at the CWG is a valuable experience, especially for the youngsters who have not had enough international exposure. A lot is said about the lack of competitiveness at the CWG, particularly in shooting, but you still have to win. The level of pressure to win a medal is always the same, be it the Olympics or the CWG. This time the expectations will be higher than ever because we are the hosts.
So, all these factors act as a perfect learning experience for the youngsters and also prepare them well for the tougher tests in the future. And we should also consider that more than 70 countries participate in this event. The standard too is improving, so it won’t be all that easy for our shooters. They cannot afford to be complacent. But if you win a medal here, it boosts your confidence, and then you can always improve your performance. Also, for shooters, it is not just about winning medals. The aim is to better the individual performance. The medals will come along.
Even I made a mark internationally by doing well in the CWG. I participated in three the Commonwealth Games — 1998 in Kuala Lumpur, 2002 in Manchester and 2006 in Melbourne. I still remember during my three-position rifle shooting final in the 2002 Games. I was taking my final shot and when I just glanced over my shoulder, I saw Uma Bharti sitting in the stands. I had already won three gold medals and she had flown down especially to watch me win the fourth. Thankfully, I did win.
Moments like these make competing at such events once-in-a-lifetime experience. A lot of youngsters are a part of the Indian shooting squad this time and they should make most of this opportunity. Watch out for Kavitha Venugopal, who will participate in the 10m rifle event. She is just 24-years-old and has started competing internationally very recently. Also Samresh (Jung) I guess is there for just one event. So for other events, the youngsters will get a chance to have a shot at the medals.
Last CWG, our shooters won around 27 medals and I expect the tally to go up this time. And I expect the entire Indian contingent to make the most of the home advantage and do well. A lot has been written and said in the run up to the Games and mostly, it has been negative. Let’s forget all that. The time has come to back our athletes.
—As told to Mihir Vasavda
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