How did you feel after breaking the world record to win the Asian Games title last year? Was it a surprise or were you expecting something like that? Can you talk us through that competition?
It was a surprise for me because when I won the medal I did not know it was the world record. So after winning the medal and after the medal ceremony we had the media session, and they were the ones who told me I had broken the world record.
And I thought ‘Oh! I had no clue that it was a world record!’ So it was very, very surprising for me – and you can say that it was a very good feeling because I hadn’t even thought about it but I was quite happy for that.
Because I feel that final was totally different for me. After about the first five shots I was in a different zone. I was able to see that before the last shot I had a good lead, so I was just trying to keep the same rhythm so I could keep it. The difference was 7.2, so I was able to win the gold medal and I was not worrying about a world record.
So I think it really helped me that I was focusing on the process.
At the Hangzhou Games India won 22 medals – only seven fewer than the hosts – including seven golds. How aware are you that you are part of what looks like being the strongest Indian shooting sport team ever to assemble at an Olympics? Is there a feeling among you that Paris 2024 could turn out to be special, maybe historic?
I really hope that Paris 2024 may be historic for India. Because we have a really good team, and after the Asian Games India has won many medals in shooting, and I think it is because we have really good competition in our country. We always say that winning the national championships is more difficult than winning an international event because we have a lot of young shooters and young athletes that are competing at their best in domestic events.
So you really need to perform so well in the trials to qualify. But that also gives you confidence, if we are talking about the Olympic Games. We had four trials in India in May and June because in all events the top five athletes were really strong. They did not know who to send and that’s why we had to prove ourselves and show we were doing our best.
How confident did you feel that your world record performance would earn you a place at the Paris 2024 Games? With so many talented Indian athletes around did you still feel uncertain? Can you talk a bit about the process – and your feelings now?
Even though I was the world record holder I didn’t take it for granted I would be in the team for Paris. Because it was the policy that if you won an Olympic Quota there would be no special favour. Whoever ended up filling that place would be decided only by trials.
So that was a high pressure situation for all of us but I think that really helped because now we know how to handle that kind of pressure. So I think it will help us in Paris.
There were four trials in the space of two months. The last of the trials was best for me because I shot 593. Because I knew I really wanted to go to the Olympics and I had to do my best. I learned how to handle the pressure and keep myself calm and I shot really well and that really helped me.
You won silver in January at the Asian Championships in Jakarta and bronze at the Munich World Cup last month. What does this tell you about your form going into the Games?
Yes it was good because when I won the Asian Championship in Jakarta it was a totally different experience because in India we have winters in January but in Jakarta it was really hot, so for me it was an experience of a totally different climate and for that competition was so important because of all the challenges I had.
As for Munich, I went there knowing that it was the last competition of this year before the Games, and all of the strongest performers would be there. So going there and doing your best and seeing how the other top athletes were performing was really useful and it went well for me.
How are your preparations going now for Paris 2024? What are your ambitions there?
The Indian team training base in Luxembourg because in India its really hot right now so we have come to Europe so we can stay in same weather conditions. The preparations are going really well for us. The training is very good and hopefully the results will match it.
Does Abhinav Bindra winning India’s first ever individual Olympic gold at the Beijing 2008 Games – in the 10m air rifle – resonate with you? How influential do you think it was in the development of India’s shooting sport?
I have competed at the World Championships, I have an Asian Games medal and an Asian Championships medal, I have World Cup medals but I have never competed at the Olympics.
And yes all of us in Indian shooting sport know that Abhinav won the gold in Beijing, and since then India hasn’t won any gold in shooting. When he did that in 2008 he was more on his own but now we have a really good, strong team and we have chances to match him. But we all have to work hard because now the scores are all so high.
What started you in shooting sport?
It began for me when I saw the son of a family friend on television competing in shooting sport at the World University Games. I asked my father if I could take up the sport, and even though there were no facilities near where we lived he found a pathway for me. I remember at my first state competition I won three gold medals, so I began to believe I could do well in the sport at that point.
What has been the biggest challenge so far in your career?
I don’t generally think in terms of challenges – just things I have managed. But I suppose I would say qualifying at this year’s Olympic trials in India represented a big challenge because of the depth of talent available in our country.
You are still only 22. Do you see yourself being involved in elite shooting sport for a long time to come? How good is it that this sport features competitors at the top level from ages 15 to 50 and beyond?
Yes. If I can keep learning and working hard I hope to have a long and successful career in shooting sport.