CHENNAI: Despite some noteworthy wins under his belt at the elite level in the past, rifle shooter Akhil Sheoran had been in the shadows for some time. For many, especially outside shooting, he was an unknown. He doesn't even possess a Wikipedia page and that speaks for itself.
On Sunday, Akhil's stocks would have risen massively as he displayed nerves of steel to carve out a medal-winning performance in the ongoing ISSF World Championships (an event which is considered only second to the Olympics) in Baku, Azerbaijan. In a high-quality field (men's 50m rifle 3 positions), Akhil was ice cool and generated some solid scores to finish on the podium and in the process, clinch an Olympic quota for India. That takes India's quota tally to five.
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In the final, Akhil, who had finished sixth in the qualification stage, was initially in a tricky spot. He was sixth after the kneeling stage and needed to find his range soon. And he did just that. That too in an emphatic manner. In the following prone (where shooters lie flat on their bellies) series, he accumulated the second-highest tally and that put him in podium contention. But his job was far from over. Akhil still had to maintain his run in the standing stage, a stage where shooters tend to struggle to find consistency, especially in a high-stakes battle. Akhil, who is supported by Olympic Gold Quest, hit some 9s (anything below 10 could be worrying at that stage) early on before steadying the ship to get back on track. He eventually finished behind Austria's Alexander Schmril (gold) and Petr Nymbursky (silver) of Czech Republic. Akhil also won a team gold alongside Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar and Niraj Kumar, the other Indians who were part of the event.
This is a big shot in the arm for the 28-year-old from UP, who has been associated with the Indian team since 2012. His coach, Deepali Deshpande, could not hide her emotions. Deepali has known Akhil since the time he joined the team as a junior shooter in the aforementioned year. "It's like a dream. Two shooters have earned quotas," says Deepali. The second shooter that Deepali was referring to is Swapnil Kusale, a rifle shooter who is also under watch and has already secured an Olympic quota.
Unlike many other sports, it's hard to gauge how the shooters will perform on a particular day. A shooter might have had an exceptional build-up but the future still remains a big mystery as many factors come to play in a competitive environment. But Deepali says Akhil, who is an Indian Railways employee, is built to thrive under pressure.
"Akhil does not succumb to pressure. I'm not worried about him performing well in practice and not knowing how he'll perform during competitions. I never have that doubt. I know he'll always do well under pressure."
It could be down to his mental make-up as he is kind of a perfectionist, according to Deepali. "He's very particular about certain things. Until things are according to what he thinks is perfect, he'll never be satisfied. So we call him rhondhu (crybaby), he'll always be crying. Even when he does well, he'll be crying," she says with a hearty laugh.
What seems to be amusing has been his source of strength too. When he is in his comfort zone, he just doesn't let other factors detract him. Deepali, over the years, has learnt to bring the best out of him. It has been a challenge for both but it seems to be clicking now.
"It can work both ways sometimes. It can be his weakness also at some point. It's how we handle it. He has understood it and he's doing fine. I have told him, 'if it's not working, you just have to make it work'. A match is a match, he has to adjust and figure out things. He has also realised that time is slipping away and whatever he has to do, he has to do it now itself. I'm glad that it is working for him," she notes.Akhil's ability to adapt and find answers in a pressure environment, which has yielded this bronze medal, could push him even higher in the near future.
Heartbreak for Rhythm
Pistol shooter missed out on an Olympic quota by a whisker after finishing eighth in the finals of the women's 25m pistol. As three finalists had already secured quotas before the event, Rhythm just had to avoid first elimination and finish seventh or higher. However, she was the first one to get eliminated. Manu Bhaker finished 22nd while Esha Singh finished 16th. The trio, however, won a gold medal in the team event.