Nagoya, Sep 21 (IANS) National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) president Kalikesh Singh Deo believes India’s shooting campaign at the ongoing Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games is only beginning, with the country having already collected five medals in the first two days of competition and further podium finishes expected across disciplines.

Indian shooters have produced a strong start at the Games, with the country adding two medals in the men’s 10m air rifle on Monday as Himanshu Dhillon won silver and Rudrankksh Patil claimed bronze. The result came a day after Elavenil Valarivan's silver in the women’s 10m air rifle and the women’s 10m air rifle team’s silver, taking India’s shooting tally amd to five medals.

Reflecting on the opening two days, Deo told IANS that the results represented a positive beginning rather than the extent of India’s medal potential.

“You know, we’ve had a good start in Indian shooting. We had Ela (Elavenil Valarivan) with the silver yesterday in the women’s 10m and the team silver. Today, Rudrankksh got the bronze, Himanshu got the silver and the team silver again. So five medals from Indian shooting in two days with many more to come. I think this is just the start,” Deo told IANS.

The Indian shooters have had to negotiate the logistical demands of competing at a multi-sport event, including transportation and the distractions that can accompany competition away from the range. Deo, however, said the team’s mental preparation has helped the athletes deal with such challenges.

“I think our shooters are a tough bunch. They’re young and they’re driven and they’re able to overcome any obstacle with their mental resilience. I think they’re a tough bunch and they’re able to perform over and above that. So I think it’s a good start for Indian shooting. We have one of the best teams in the world,” he added.

The NRAI president also pointed to the work undertaken by the federation and the government in preparing the shooters for the pressure of major international competition.

According to Deo, Indian shooters have been exposed to simulated finals and high-pressure scenarios, with the high-performance setup using science and technology to provide feedback on different aspects of their preparation.

“So we’ve spent a lot of time working with shooters and putting them into simulation analysis of finals, into high-pressure situations. We are able to give them through science and technology and the high-performance team a lot of feedback to be able to improve themselves both mentally and physically and technically. And the government’s been a great support to us. And that’s why you can see it reflected in India’s shooting performance. We are not only one of the best shooting nations in Asia, we are one of the best shooting nations in the world. So I think that’s a good start,” Deo explained.

India’s shooting campaign still has several events to come at Aichi-Nagoya, leaving the door open for the country to add more medals to its medal haul.

Deo stopped short of putting a specific number on India’s expected returns but said medal opportunities remain across the disciplines.

“Pretty much in every discipline we have a potential of getting medals for India. And it’s just been two days and five medals. I think many more to come,” he concluded.

--IANS

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