NEW DELHI: The Tokyo 2020 Olympics will likely see mixed team events for the first time, with the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) introducing it to promote gender-equality. The decision was unanimous though a final verdict from the IOC is yet to be heard.
A demo of what is to come was witnessed in the 10m air rifle mixed event on Saturday that evoked a mixed response from those associated with the sport. For the host nation, Deepak Kumar, who finished fifth in the individual event on Friday, teamed up with Meghana Sajjanar to finish 10th in the qualifiers. Ravi Kumar and Vinita Bhardwaj were way off the mark at 18th.
The experience was like any other individual event for Deepak. “The event didn’t feel any different. It was the usual stuff. I just went there, shot and hoped our individual totals would be enough to take us through,” he said. “I couldn’t look at her scores (Meghana) and she didn’t see mine. It’s a team event, but we were doing our individual thing.”
Former world champion and five-time Olympian, Peter Sidi, who managed a second-place finish in the 10m air rifle on Friday, was not thrilled. “It’s just participation, you know, like passing time. This is not a real event,” the Hungarian reflected. “Nobody knows what is happening. We are just learning the event as it was being played. The rules could be better. It is a little bit boring.”
Australia coach Petr Kurka welcomed the move. “That’s the stuff shooting needs. People should talk about it instead of just sitting, clapping and going home,” Kurka remarked. “When you see one shooter do well and his teammate messes up, you end up comparing. For a spectator, this is good.” Former World No 1 Heena Sidhu also backed the move.
So close, yet so far for Zoravar
Trap shooter Zoravar Singh Sandhu missed out on a bronze medal in the men’s trap event. Nerves got the better of him in the closing moments of the final as he fired a few blanks at the crucial juncture, settling for fourth in the end.
Zoravar was gutted on missing out on a medal. “I had a good chance but I fluffed it. The rest of the field was also not shooting well but I couldn’t capitalise,” he said. Earlier, Neeraj Kumar put up a fine performance to finish sixth in the men’s 25m rapid fire pistol.
anmol@newindianexpress.com