CHENNAI : Strong will and fearlessness. These traits, in Shahzar Rizvi’s own words, are what have helped him shoot down medals with gusto. The pistol shooter from Mawana (Meerut district) had announced himself to the world in March. He showed maturity beyond his years to clinch gold at the ISSF World Cup in Mexico, also engineering a record mark in the process. That was a perfect start for an ambitious man who has “2020 Olympic gold mera hai” as his WhatsApp status. In just his second World Cup (in Changwon, South Korea), Rizvi added to his reputation with a silver on Tuesday.
The 23-year-old was pleased with the podium finish, but he was disappointed to miss out on gold by a 0.2 margin, a strong indicator of his hunger to be the best. Seasoned star and Rizvi’s senior Jitu Rai failed to get past the qualifying hurdle and finished a distant 38th. “It was good experience. However, I missed the trick in the final, with some low 9s. I did recover, but it was too late,” Rizvi told Express from Changwon. Russia’s Artem Chernousov was first, while Bulgaria’s Samuil Donkov came third. Rizvi’s reflection on his performance might be a tough one, but he can’t afford to make such slips at the highest stage, especially the Olympics.
That uncompromising attitude to always better himself has pushed him to prominence. “I have to believe in myself. If I enter a tournament with a negative attitude, I’m already a loser. My target is an Olympic gold, so I always try to enter the final and win a medal. Good scores are a must; it’s always important to keep raising the bar for yourself.” Mental exercises have helped him gain a positive outlook towards his profession and his life. For getting into the Tokyo Olympics, Rizvi has to bring out his A game during the World Championships (August 31-September 15), which will also be held in Changwon.
So, his last World Cup outing was like a dress rehearsal — a stern one — for helping him chase his dream. “It was tough. There were many good shooters. It was good to understand the conditions.” The Air Force shooter is also thankful to his coaches, employers, and Olympic Gold Quest for backing him. One among the former is Amol Pratap Singh, a SAI coach. Singh said fresh attitude in youngsters like Rizvi has lifted their game. “Our guys used to consider foreign shooters to be in a different league. Unnecessary pressure would be created. Now, our guys are mentally well prepared. They are not worried about winning or losing, they are just there to give there 100 per cent.” anmol@newindianexpress.com