Anjum Moudgil glad pressure off to retain 10m air rifle Tokyo Olympics quota place
Anjum Moudgil feels the pressure is off as far as retaining her 10m air rifle Tokyo Olympics quota place is concerned. Moudgil had felt the heat as world No.1 Elavenil Valarivan and Apurvi Chandela, the second quota place winner, were also among the strong field for India at the shooting World Cup in New Delhi.
Only two shooters from a country can compete in one event at the Olympics. Moudgil gave a good showing in the preliminary round, becoming the only Indian shooter to qualify for the final on Thursday. She shot an impressive 629.1 to qualify in the second place. In the final, Moudgil finished fifth. Valarivan and Chandela did not make it to the final.
“I do feel the pressure off my back. I did have a lot of pressure considering my air rifle,” Moudgil said. “Once I shot the match, I got the feeling I needed. Earlier, I didn’t have the confidence because of technical and equipment issues,” she said.
“I was happy to shoot a decent score and get into the final. I just wish a couple of shots were better in the final, I could have won a medal. I was feeling good, not because I shot better than anyone else but that I am getting back there, especially the enjoyment. I am really very motivated and excited now.”
Moudgil and Chandela were the first Indian shooters to earn Tokyo Olympics quotas, at the 2018 world championships where Moudgil won silver in 10m air rifle. Moudgil though is regarded as a specialist in the rifle three-positions event and has been under pressure to retain her quota place in 10m air rifle.
“I have worked on my air rifle and it is getting better. I like both events equally. I started them together 12 years back. You shoot good in one event and bad in the other and people are like ‘why she is in the team in this event?’ I can’t prove anything to them, I just need to focus on my shooting,” said Moudgil.
She was shooting in a final after a long time. Moudgil says the feeling was no different than the world championships in Changwon where she won silver.
“I did not shoot in any final in any of the four domestic trials. Directly shooting in a world cup final was exciting, I was focused and ready. I just felt the same way like the world championships; there was also no expectation and I just focused on my technique, rather than on getting a medal or quota.”
She will now compete in the rifle three-positions event in the World Cup. She wants to shoot in a few more competitions to prepare for the Olympics.
“Nothing is fixed right now. I will be looking to shoot in as many competitions as possible without getting into fatigue. I really need to experience more of that rush, anxiety, nervousness, pressure, everything. After the World Cup here we have the nationals, and then I have to see.”
Four medals for India
On Sunday, India bagged four medals, including gold by the men’s and women’s 10m pistol teams. The trio of Manu Bhaker, Yashaswini Deswal and Shri Nivetha beat Poland 16-8 in the final, while Saurabh Chaudhary, Abhishek Verma and Shahzar Rizvi defeated Vietnam 17-11.
Ganemat Sekhon became the first Indian woman to win an ISSF World Cup medal in women's skeet. She took bronze by shooting 40 in the six-woman final, following a career-best 117/125 in the qualifying.
In men’s 10m air rifle team event, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Deepak Kumar and Pankaj Kumar won silver after losing 14-16 to USA.
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