Refreshed Rudrankksh ready for Asian challenge

World champion Rudrankksh Patil had been thinking of hitting the reset button for some time but the back-to-back competitions left the rifle shooter with little wiggle room. Eventually, his performances at the World Cup in Baku in May presented a bleak picture. Fatigue had hit him hard and he knew it was time to take a step back and recharge his batteries.

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In Baku, Rudrankksh finished a disappointing 23rd in qualification with a score of 628.8. It was the 19-year-old's fifth competition this year and quite a turnaround from his two world cup performances earlier this year. Rudrankksh was at his best in Cairo and Bhopal, winning gold and bronze respectively.

"In Baku, I could not shoot at all. I was feeling fatigued, completely drained out. I felt that I am not able to push myself anymore. I had been thinking of taking a break but it had been a hectic six to eight months since winning the world championships and a lot of travelling was involved," said Rudrankksh.

Last year, he emerged as the breakout star that Indian shooting was looking for after the dismal performance at the Tokyo Olympics. A silver medallist in the junior world championships in 2021, he surprised everyone when he won the senior world championships title in October with a world record score in qualification (633.9).

He became only the sixth world champion from the country and the second rifle shooter after Beijing Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra (2006) to achieve the feat. At home, he was at the top of the domestic rankings but after winning the world title last year his priorities changed. He shifted his focus to bigger targets and the Paris Olympics was at the top of his mind.

"I am still young to the sport and to keep performing at the senior international level, with the expectations around, it comes with an amount of pressure. I am learning to cope with it. You have to keep improving to remain at the top at the international level," Rudrankksh said.

He added: "I spoke to my coaches and it was decided that I take a break and recharge my energies after the Baku World Cup. The Asian Games are important and next year, I have to be in my best shape for the Paris Olympics and before that, there will be selection trials for the Olympics. I don't want to be spent out now."

However, with two important selection trials (which were scheduled in June) for the Asian Games, he was still not among the top three shooters in the domestic rankings. A top-three ranking would have ensured a direct place.

"I know I lagged behind but I was not preparing for every trial, rather I was focussed on improving my game, working on my technique. I am satisfied that I was able to shoot consistent scores despite that and that's why I am in the team. I was taken into the team as per the selection policy. I know the association has trust in me."

Rudrankksh went for a vacation with his family to Kashmir and spent quality time with his parents and friends at home in Mumbai before taking guard for the two selection trials for Asian Games. Mentally, he wanted to start from scratch. He admits that going into the two trials last month he was nervous.

"I wanted to rebuild. I stripped my mind of the image of a world champion and thought of myself as a new shooter. It helps in bringing down the expectations that come with being a world champion. But during the first trials, I felt scared. During my break, I did not even touch my rifle and just had a few sessions before trials. We made some technical changes and things started falling into place. At least, I was still able to shoot good scores."

Tokyo Olympians Divyansh Panwar and Aishwary Pratap Tomar, Hriday Hazarika and Arjun Babuta are ahead of him in the selection rankings at home (average of four of the five best scores). Rudrannkksh got the nod on the basis of the selection criteria for Paris Olympics quota winners. Panwar and Tomar are the other two shooters.

"I am really excited about the Asian Games. I am just waiting to get the Team India blazer. I missed out on the Youth Olympics, then Commonwealth Games there was no shooting and then Asian Games was postponed last year, so I was thinking about how unfortunate I can be. I have really waited for this opportunity. I think I am in a good space, I have to believe in my performances."

The Asian Games will be his first multi-disciplinary event and it will be a good preparation for Paris Olympics. Rudrankksh, however, is backing himself to fire in Hangzhou.

"The scores are really going high these days because you see every shooter in the world not just wants to win but they want to dominate and do it again and again. Everyone is trying to catch each other. Going ahead I think stress management is very important. I believe I have put in the hard work and I will back myself to do well."

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