The 21 medals at the Asian Games last year, including seven golds, were a sign that Indian shooting was on a steep upward climb after a lull of a few years.
And it wasn’t a one-off. As many as 21 Olympic quotas, the highest that India has managed, has raised hopes. With the shooters doing consistently well in international competitions, the optimism isn’t unfounded. Yes, many will say shooting was built up in a big way ahead of Rio and Tokyo, and it all came crashing down as the pressure mounted on the young shooters. They are right to be a touch apprehensive. And yet, things are different.
Mentally, the shooters are in a very good space, and with the introduction of sports science, things seem very different this time round. Pressure situations are being simulated in back rooms, and there is every reason to believe the team will be ready. Hopes have soared and the country is now expecting a really good showing at the Olympics in Paris in July. And if the shooters are mentored and nurtured well, there is no reason why this hope will remain unfulfilled.
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From not winning a medal at the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games to winning 21 medals at the Asian Games, the transformation in Indian shooting has been a fascinating story.
While much can still be done, it is now a structured system, which has its heart in the right place. It allows for an able mix of experience and youth, and hence, a Manu Bhaker or an Esha Singh is accompanied by a team of coaches, sports-science and mental-health experts and other support staff. While the system isn’t perfect yet, it is good enough to empower India’s shooters to try and be perfect on an imperfect day, as Abhinav Bindra had always aspired to be.
As part of our Paris 2024 build-up, we spoke to Esha Singh, one of the brightest shooters on the horizon. We talked to her and to Ronak Pandit, her coach, in our endeavour to understand how the preparations are going on. It is part of a series of exclusive interviews supported by Tata Steel, and plenty more such shows will follow in the coming weeks.
The show will be aired on all RevSportz platforms at 12 noon.
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