India’s shooters are about to enter an unknown territory in the run-up to the Paris Olympics next year. A set of four domestic trials will confirm their places for the Olympics. That puts them in a tricky situation as the shooters will have to first prioritise getting selected for the team before they can think of stepping up for the Paris Olympics.
This is the first time that the national shooting federation (NRAI), having burnt their fingers in the previous two Olympics, has put the onus of selection completely on domestic trials that will judge a shooter on current form. It is a far cry from their previous Olympic selection policies of round-the-year assessment.
Indian shooters have so far won 13 quota places — all the eight Paris Olympic spots in rifle have been grabbed — but no one knows who will be on the flight to Paris until the selection trials, the dates of which are yet to be announced, are finished. The quota place winners will have a small advantage of bonus points, but that too has been drastically cut down from last time, throwing the competition for a prized spot in the Paris Olympics squad wide open.
That said, each shooter is approaching the season with a different mindset. For the shooters who will be challenging the quota winners, diving into preparation for the Paris Olympics at this point makes little sense.
“I don’t have a quota so I am not even sure whether I am going to Paris. My focus therefore at this point is the Olympic selection trials,” says rifle 3 position shooter Aishwary Pratap Tomar.
Tokyo Olympian Aishwary is one of the top 3P shooters in India but could not grab an Olympic quota place in the opportunities he got. The two quota places were sealed by Swapnil Kushale and Akhil Sheoran. Aishwary, however, roared back to form with a 3P silver and air rifle bronze at the Asian Games last month. He won the national title in 3P earlier this week.
“I did not perform well at the two world Championships and I needed to prove myself in a major event, learn how to handle the pressure of big competition and that’s why the medals at the Asian Games were important.”
If anything, Aishwary wants the Olympic selection trials to be held early so that he gets enough time to prepare for Paris.
“In my opinion we should have the Olympics trials as early as possible because then we can prepare for Paris with a free mind. We will need time if we need to make any technical corrections, work on physical and mental aspects of our game. I want to have a camp with (Thomas) Farnik sir before Paris. Anyways we have got all the Olympic quotas in rifle so why not have the trials early.”
Currently, the shooters are hurtling from one competition to another. After the ongoing National Championships, there will be another set of selection trials to select the national campers for the next international season.
“Where is the time for a break? We cannot skip a single trial or else we can be out of the team. I missed one selection trial and I was out of the Asian Championships team where Arjun (Babuta) won the quota in air rifle. This is as competitive as it gets. We have to find sometime in between to get our weapons and ammunition ready,” he says.
The NRAI is yet to give a date for the trials but it is unlikely to take place before May. There are two more quota competitions to go. The Asian Olympic qualification event (Jan 5-18) will be followed by the ISSF final Olympic qualification championship in Rio (April 11-19). That will leave little time to have a long focussed preparation towards Paris.
Those who have won quota places are in slightly better mindspace.
“I am preparing with the Paris Olympics in mind,” says rifle shooter and quota winner Shruyanka Sadangi. “Yes, selection in the team will all depend on how we perform in those four trials, but it should be part of my overall preparation towards Paris. We have to strike a balance or else the focus will be only on the trials,” she says.
Agrees Arjun Babuta, who won the Olympic quota in air rifle at the Asian Championships recently. “It is good if the trials happen by April but I am prepared for anytime. It is not in my hands. I can only put my best effort but I am taking it as another match. No point in putting myself in unnecessary pressure,” he says
“I am taking a two week break and then I will maintain a balance between my training and rest and recovery.”
Seasoned coach Deepali Deshpande, who has coached five trainees to quota places, says NRAI should announce dates and can even think of finishing with the trials in rifle. “We have got all the quotas in rifle and we know in every event there will be at least three shooters who are capable and very close. The competition is intense. We can have an early trial for rifle shooters because till then the shooters will be on the edge. They will hesitate to try out new things, make corrections etc. Yes, current form is important and so is consistency over a certain period of time.”