CHENNAI : When the Sports Authority of India (SAI) released their latest 29-member list of athletes under the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) last week, the decision to keep ace shooter Heena Sidhu on the watchlist till the World Cup in February came as a surprise to many, including her team management.
According to SAI, the performance of the athletes have been reviewed before their inclusion. If that’s the case, the 29-year-old had a fair amount of success this year. She had won a gold and silver at the Commonwealth Games and a bronze at the Asian Games.
However, that seems to be not enough to get the support of the government. Speaking to this newspaper, a top SAI official said that Heena had been kept on the watchlist as she had not got the average score in the 10m air pistol and 25m pistol events that they consider necessary for inclusion in TOPS.
“The outlier or average score for Heena is low in both 10m air pistol and 25m pistol. In 10m, we consider the top eight scores and in 25m, we consider the top six. Our qualification score in 10m is 574 and Heena’s is 572. In 25m, our minimum score is 581 and Heena’s is 577,” the official said.
While she has won medals at international events, her performance in events such as the World Cup and World Championships are not up to the mark. According to the official, some of the young shooters who are part of the list have shot scores that they feel have the potential to win medals at the Olympics.
“The performance in the Rio Olympics, World Championships in 2014 and 2018, Asian Games 2018 and the last three World Cups are taken into account. After analysis by our researchers, we checked with the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) officials and they have also agreed with us. However, considering her experience and past performances, we have agreed to keep her on the watchlist,” the SAI official said.
However, Heena’s coach Ronak Pandit finds the whole situation amusing considering what the shooter has achieved in the last year alone.
“Heena has had a good year in terms of medals. These things are not something that you can demand or claim. The committee of people who have made the decision are experienced and credible professionals. If this is what they feel, then it is only fair,” Ronak said.
While the NRAI is keen on promoting the next generation of shooters, Ronak pointed out that at the 2012 Olympics in London, Heena was a youngster. But in the end, an experienced shooter in Gagan Narang helped India get a medal.
He also said that some of the shooters in the list barely have any international exposure and the experience could come in handy at major events such as the Olympics.
“The NRAI is doing extremely well with their young shooters. I have seen it myself. But somewhere, I believe that they are neglecting senior shooters,” Ronak said.