India pins its hopes on Indian shooters

New Delhi: The eyes of the entire nation will be on the Indian shooting contingent at Beijing. Out of the nine shooters, two are reigning world champions while the rest have beaten the best in the world on their day.

So, will this Olympics be Indian shootings crowning glory?

It was on August 17, 2004, that Indian shooting came of age. Lt Colonel Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore's silver medal at the Athens Olympics got the sport into the headlines. And the spotlight has remained ever since.

Samresh Jung's exploits at the Melbourne Commenwealth Games in 2006 earned him the nickname Gold Finger. After a hectic training schedule abroad his fingers are twitching again.

“The pressure is there and will always be there. It does not matter how many medals I have won. The show depends on today,” says Samresh.

The Athens Olympics was heartbreaking for sharpshooter Anjali Bhagwat. She went in as a main contender but could not make it to the finals.

So distraught was she, that she gave up shooting. However, a lifetime in shooting saw her get back and win a spot for her third Olympics.

“When one picks up the rifle, one has to shoot with concentration. While shooting, one does not really remember, if one is shooting for Olympics or the Nationals,” says Anjali.

In Anjali's absence the baton was passed on to the promising Avneet Kaur Sidhu. Medals in the Commonwealth and Asian Games have established her credentials. And now, she will be shooting with her childhood idol Anjali.

”I have prepared well and if everything goes well on the main day, I should perform well,” says Avneet.

And then, there's Rathore. He may be going through a bad run of form but has always been a big-match performer.

He's already in Beijing and is aiming to be the first Indian to win two back-to-back individual Olympic medals.

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