Fresh crop of champions emerging: Anjali

Indian shooting is getting a shot in the arm from juniors, many have a medal in their sights at international competitions, including the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.

Ace markswoman Anjali Bhagwat, now into coaching, says juniors outscoring seniors in competitions showcases the depth of talent.

The junior shooters’ excellence is the outcome of sustained work by coaches Jaspal Rana, Deepali Deshpande, to name a couple, she said. “The seniors are always under pressure to perform, whereas the newcomers have nothing to lose; just go out there, shoot and support the team cause,” she says.

Anjali, a Khel Ratna awardee and Asian Games medallist, highlighted the high scores by juniors and their winning habit as positive signs of a fresh crop of champions emerging.

“The juniors have produced consistent scores at world level, have a good mindset and are confident of performing well against the Australians and the English. Indian shooters are now seen as a threat by other nations,” she said.

The change

The change came about following the Rio Olympics. “We messed it up in Rio,” asserted Anjali, adding: “Our policies were not in place, federation (NRAI) plans were not followed, there were no national camps.

“Now, owing to good competition and the right kind of exposure, juniors and seniors have peaked at the right time.”

Indian coaches working with juniors is another catalyst for change. “The federation has shown faith in local coaches, which helped a lot in the development of junior talent. Mental rapport between shooters and coaches is very critical, something we could not establish with foreign coaches.

Former internationals-turned-coaches were familiar with the set-up, she said.

Anjali is one of the experts on the Sony Pictures Network panel for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.