Mumbai: Before the 2023 Asian Games, the previous edition from which Indian shooters returned with double-digit medals was two decades back, a haul of 14 from 2006 Doha (2018 Jakarta had only mixed team events).
In the three World Cups this year, Indians won one medal in Granada, four in Munich and four in Hangzhou.
For the past year-and-a-half, said the Olympian and former Asian Games medallist, they consciously planned to have “A” and “B” teams to give exposure to more shooters in events like the World Cup. Apart from three medals in mixed team events, the only individual medallists were Suruchi, Esha and Sainyam Vij – all in pistol. Sonam and Himanshu took the 10m air rifle mixed bronze in Hangzhou.
Hangzhou, in that sense, was a huge success, and the shooting range a big catalyst that fired India to its 100-plus medal goal. From that squad which delivered 22 medals (7 gold, 9 silver, 6 bronze), only six are part of the rifle and pistol contingents for this Asian Games that will hope to match, if not better, the shooting heights of Hangzhou.
That includes the entire men’s 10m air pistol team (Kedarling Balakrishna Uchaganve, Aakash Bharadwaj, Kamaljeet), two men and women each in the air rifle team (Parth Mane, Himanshu Dhillon, Sonam Maskar, Vidarsa K Vinod), apart from Niraj Kumar and Tilottama Sen in the rifle 3 positions. Manu and Esha will double up in 25m in the company of the 2018 Asian Games gold medallist Rahi Sarnobat.
We have a strong team overall, especially our pistol women’s and 3P men’s teams are really very strong,” said national rifle coach Deepali Deshpande. Otherwise, when everyone is as young or new as you, there’s a lot of pressure and responsibility on your shoulders,” said Deepali. And, the most exciting young talent in pistol currently, Suruchi Singh. Suruchi, the Munich World Cup gold medallist in 10m event, is part of a brilliant women’s pistol team on paper. It also features Manu Bhaker, the Paris Olympics double medallist, and Esha Singh, the country’s most in-form shooter who in Munich joined Suruchi on the 10m podium with a silver and broke the 25m world record. “This time, the number of gold should be better. “Though our sport is very individual, it matters who stands alongside you as part of the team.
