ISSF World Cup top priority ahead of Asian Games, says Rudrankksh Patil
By Jagdish Yadav
New Delhi [India], July 18 (ANI): India's shooting sensation and former World Champion Rudrankksh Patil says the upcoming ISSF World Cup in Hangzhou, China, is his immediate focus, with the global sports event serving as a key stepping stone towards the 20th Asian Games later this year.
The remarks came on Friday during the Media Day organised by the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) at the national preparatory camp in Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range, New Delhi, just hours before India's rifle and pistol squad departed for Hangzhou, China. The trap team is scheduled to leave on Monday.
The 22-year-old Patil, who has been named in the men's 10m Air Rifle and 50m Rifle 3 Positions events for both the ISSF World Cup and the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, said the team intends to use the World Cup to fine-tune its preparations for the continental showpiece.
"Training is going quite well. Right now, we have a World Cup in China. For that, the whole team is quite prepared," Patil told ANI.
Speaking about balancing the two major competitions, the 22-year-old said, "This upcoming ISSF World Cup in China is our first priority ahead of the Asian Games. So our effort is to reflect on what's happening in this competition, what we can work on, and we'll implement that during the Asian Games. For the Asian Games preparation, everyone already has a goal of how and when they will peak for that match. So, everyone is working towards it."
The ISSF World Cup in Hangzhou is expected to provide another valuable platform for India's young rifle shooters as they build towards the Asian Games, where the shooting competitions will be held from September 17 to October 3 at the Aichi Prefectural General Shooting Gallery in Japan.
Patil, who created history by winning the men's 10m Air Rifle gold medal at the 2022 ISSF World Championships to become only the second Indian after Abhinav Bindra to claim the world title in the event, also reflected on how an unexpected move eventually led him to shooting.
Born in Thane, Maharashtra, Patil initially played chess and football before discovering shooting after his family settled in the city.
Talking about his shift to shooting, Patil said, "My mom and dad used to get transferred a lot within the state due to their jobs. Every district had a different speciality. So I used to play the sport that was the speciality of that district. When we almost permanently shifted to Thane, a shooting range had opened there. I tried shooting there, and that's where I found my first coach, Snehal Kadam ma'am."
He credited his first coach and his parents for keeping him motivated during the early years.
"She was the first coach who called me back, saying, 'Hey, you're doing well, come back.' Until then, no coach had ever called me; I used to go on my own. When that encouragement came, my parents got even more encouraged than me. They forced me to go every day, and when I started winning medals, I got encouraged too," he added.
Asked about the events he will contest in the coming months, Patil confirmed, "In both the World Cup and Asian Games, I'm participating in 50m rifle 3P and 10m Air Rifle events."
The youngster also shed light on the routines that help him stay sharp mentally and physically.
"For vision, we do 'Tratak' (gazing). Most athletes do. We start with a mental warm-up here; our support staff guides us through a series of exercises for the eyes and mind. For physicality, we have Strength and Conditioning (S&C) through Team India. They take our workout every evening, and we are in a good routine," Patil concluded.
India has sent a strong rifle and pistol contingent to Hangzhou, with several experienced names and emerging talents looking to build momentum ahead of the Asian Games later this year.
India's Rifle & Pistol Team
* Men: Parth Rakesh Mane, Himanshu Dhillon, Shahu Tushar Mane, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Niraj Kumar, Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil, Kedarling Balakrishna Uchaganve, Kamaljeet, Anish, Omkar Singh, Bhavesh Shekhawat.
* Women: Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Uttam Maskar, Sakshi Sunil Padekar, Ashi Chouksey, Vidarsa K Vinod, Tilottama Sen, Suruchi, Sainyam, Esha Singh, Manu Bhaker, Rahi Sarnobat.
India's Trap Team
* Men: Udaiveer Singh Jaijee, Bhowneesh Mendiratta, Vivaan Kapoor.
* Women: Pragati Dubey, Kirti Gupta, Rajeshwari Kumari. (ANI)
