Indian shooters made a huge statement at the Asian Games, scripting a trail of success and returning home with an unprecedented 22 medals, the country’s best ever showing in the continental showpiece.
There was a feeling of invincibility every time Indian shooters took their designated spots on the ranges and matched their Chinese counterparts shot for shot.
With a tally like that — six gold, nine silver and six bronze — everyone can be proud of the achievements of the band of young shooters such as Rudrankksh Patil, Esha Singh, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, to name a few.
Following the bumper harvest at the Asian Games, expectations of stellar performances at the 2024 Paris Olympics will grow, given that medals at the quadrennial global showpiece are the only ones that remain etched in the collective memory of the nation.
To achieve those goals, and also to erase the memories of Indian marksmen returning empty-handed from the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Games, a lot still needs to be done Rifle marksman Abhinav Bindra’s top-podium finish at the 2008 Beijing Olympics still remains the only gold in shooting so far, and the Hangzhou showing would have fanned the country’s desire for a few heroic efforts in Paris.
But unlike the Asian Games, where contingents are selected by the respective sports federations, at the Olympics every athlete has to qualify — and that is where the biggest challenge lies.
DISCONCERTING NEWS
While 15 Indian shooters qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, only seven have earned Paris quota places, none in pistol events. Despite creditable performances in Hangzhou, there’s much work to do for Olympic preparations. Notably, of the six golds won, five were in non-Olympic team events. The Asian Championships in Changwon, South Korea, will determine the final count of Indian shooters heading to Paris.
RIFLE SHOOTERS TO THE FORE
Pistol shooters performed creditably, while rifle shooters, led by Sift Kaur Samra’s gold in women’s 50m rifle 3 positions, excelled with world record scores. Five of seven Olympic quota places earned were by rifle shooters, reducing pressure for Changwon, where pistol shooters aim for Paris quota places.
