Chateauroux, July 29 (IANS): After Manu Bhaker clinched a historic bronze medal in 10m Air Pistol at Paris 2024, becoming the first Indian woman shooter to win an Olympic medal, National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) acting president Kalikesh Singh Deo said the achievement has generated great excitement in the team and Indian shooters will win more medals in the coming days.
With her medal, the 22-year-old Manu became the fifth Indian shooter to bag a medal in the Olympic Games, joining the list of RVS Rathore (2004), Abhinav Bindra (2008), Gagan Narang (2012) and Vijay Kumar (2012).
On Monday, Ramita Jindal will take part in the Final of Women’s 10m Air Rifle at 13:00 IST. She had qualified for the final with a good score and will be hoping to ride the momentum in the final. On the other hand, Arjun Babuta will be playing in the Men’s 10m Air Rifle Final at 15:30 IST, hoping to further swell India's tally in the sport.
After the momentous occasion when India opened its medal tally at the Paris Games with a medal in shooting, IANS spoke with NRAI acting president Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo about Manu's performance and the mood in the Indian team.
Excerpts:
IANS: Manu Bhaker won a bronze, how do you see the achievement?
Deo: This is India's first medal in Paris, and in shooting after 12 years. It has generated great excitement within the team. Our performance was commendable. The Mixed Team finished sixth with pistol shooter Sarabjot narrowly missing the final by just one point. Over the next few days, we have several more events with strong prospects for improved performances. I believe our shooting contingent will excel at the Paris Olympics this time.
IANS: How is the mood in the Indian team after Manu's bronze medal?
Deo: Our shooters are really excited. Two shooters have qualified for the finals in their respective events, and I hope they will perform well and shooting will do good in the Olympics.
IANS: What do you think, will Manu change the colour of a medal in her remaining events?
Deo: Manu narrowly missed a silver medal by 0.1 point and its a luck of the game. It happens in shooting sports, where results are often determined by fractions or decimal points. Manu demonstrated a consistent and mentally strong performance, showcasing an exceptional recovery after a disappointing campaign in the Tokyo Olympics. I am confident she will excel in her next two events.
IANS: Tokyo was tough. How tough was that period for NRAI and shooters?
Deo: The Olympics is a high-pressure arena, and shooting is a highly competitive sport. The nation has huge expectations for the sport of shooting. In Asian Games, India won the highest number of medals, raising hopes for our shooters at the Olympics. This time, the government has provided substantial support, and both the NRAI and the shooters have made every effort to create a competitive environment, leaving no stone unturned in their preparation.
Our shooters are really talented and hardworking, and there are high possibilities that Indian shooters will win more medals in shooting in coming days.