CHENNAI: Divya Deshmukh's World Cup exploits. The Indian women boxers' scintillating ring prowess during the World Championships in Liverpool. Harmanpreet & Co's pathbreaking World Cup victory in Mumbai. The recent months have been prosperous in the Indian sporting landscape. Now, the rifle and pistol shooters from the country are aiming to join the bandwagon as they'll be featuring in the ISSF World Championships in Cairo, Egypt.
Having finally put an end to Olympic hoodoo last year through Manu Bhaker, Swapnil Kusale and Sarabjot Singh, the shooters have been an elevated bunch this season. They were no slouches in the past too, having made a habit of being regular challengers for medals at World Cups and other key events. In a year where the Indian team think-tank largely focussed on training and building a strong base ahead of next Olympics, the shooters have ticked all the right boxes so far. With medals at World Cups and Asian Championships, they have continued to be a medal threat.
"This year we focussed on training and building a larger base so that we can get a good pool of shooters heading to the Olympics and other key events like the Asian Games. We now don't rely on just the elite shooters, any individual," India rifle head coach Deepali Deshpande said.
However, their latest assignment is going to be a different beast to tame. Considered just a shade behind Olympics (a fair few regard it to be tougher than Olympics), the cream of the sport will be gunning for medals. For instance, in the last edition (2023) of the event in Baku, Azerbaijan, the Indian shooters had returned with just three medals in Olympic events. A year before that, Rudrankksh Patil had stamped his class to bag a rare gold for India. However, the other shooters had mostly been in the background due to the size of the competition. Deepali is brimming with high hopes but is also mindful of the size of the task in front of the team.
"Technically, it is tougher than the Olympics because the participation is huge. Every country puts their complete strength," Deepali noted.
"This entire year was about building the base and we tried to give exposure to as many shooters as possible. Now, we have come to the end of this year. We have seen the shooters do really well in the World Cups but this is the real test. We'll get a glimpse of where we actually stand at the world level," the Dronacharya award winner added.
Which is why this edition is a welcome challenge for the likes of Manu and the rest of the bunch. After the Asian Championships, the shooters had taken a much-needed breather before returning to competition mode for this event. Most Indians are familiar with the range — the Egypt International Olympic City — having competed there in the past. For instance, Rudrankksh will be competing at the venue for the sixth time. For coaches like Deepali, it's all about how the shooters cope with different forms of tests.
"We see them (shooters) everyday. We know how they handle things. When faced with real competition, how they respond is very important. Even if they win, there could be gaps in their game and we need to work on those things," Deepali said
One shooter who'll be hoping to respond to this latest test is Sift Kaur Samra. Sift, who competes in 50m rifle 3 positions, is undoubtedly one of the brightest talents in the country but when she had faced a challenge somewhat similar to this, she flattered to deceive. Moreover, Sift is sort of gradually getting back to competition after a slight back issue. "For the last two months, she focussed more on recovery than training. So we need to check how that is working. Her recovery and rehab has been going very well. In controlled matches, she shot really well. She looks good," Deepali said.
Similarly, the equally-talented Suruchi Singh will be looking to bounce back after a subdued outing during the Asian Championships. Manu, the double Olympic medallist, has also been far from her best but she has all the tools to leave a strong footprint. Elavenil Valarivan, who has a penchant for big scores, will be another shooter from rifle section who'll be hoping to rise to the occasion.
With key events like Asian Games lined up next year, the Indians will be hoping to make the next 10 days count and finish the season on a good note.
