The worth of an athlete comes to the fore when he/she turns up in national colours on the world biggest sporting arenas. At stake is pride and the opportunity to enter the annals of sporting history.
The Asian Games offer such an opportunity, and when the shooting competition commences at the 19th edition of the Games at Hangzhou, China, Indian shooters will be under intense scrutiny, and it remains to be seen if they measure up to the hype around the contingent.
Starting Sunday, September 24, the 33-member squad, including six of the seven Indian shooters who have obtained Paris 2024 Olympic quotas, will attempt to emerge top of their trade over the next eight days.
Going with the sentiment of stepping up, Manu Bhakar has unfinished business and will be on a trip to redemption. A former World No 1, Manu was the biggest disappointment in the last edition at Jakarta. She set a Games record in the 25m pistol qualifying round, but failed to get a medal in the final. This time, Manu will look forward to bagging a podium finish.
Another pistol shooter to watch out for will be teen sensation Esha Singh, the only Indian to compete in 10m air pistol, 25m pistol and 10m air pistol mixed with Shiva Narwal. The duo is fresh from their gold-winning performance in 10m air pistol mixed team event at the Baku World Championship last month, and will look to emulate the show in China.
India lineup in the rifle events makes for impressive reading with names like Rudrankksh Patil, Swapnil Kusale, Akhil Sheoran, Mehuli Ghosh and Sift Kaur Samra turning out this time.
Mehuli won a Paris Olympic Games quota spot, courtesy her bronze in the women 10m air rifle in Baku, while Sift missed a medal at the Baku Shooting Range but her fifth spot was enough to hand the country spot in 50-m rifle 3 positions in the World Championship.
Like Mehuli, Akhil too is a bronze medallist from the Baku Worlds and a Paris quota spot winner in 50m 3-positions men.
In shotgun, Rajeshwari Kumari, who obtained an Olympic quota at the Baku World Championship last month, is the daughter of shooting icon and Asian Games gold medallist Randhir Singh. The endeavor will be to add to her family legacy by spearheading medal hopes in women’s trap.
In men trap, Bhowneesh Mendiratta has not found a place in the team in China. Talking of disappointments, none of the 10 medallists from the Jakarta Games, including gold medallists Saurabh Chaudhary and Rahi Sarnobat, have made the cut this time.
With hours to go for the action to commence, a nation of billion plus will be praying fervently for success in Asia biggest sporting extravaganza.