"I have to take India to the top": Indian shooter Aishwary Tomar ahead of Asian Games
New Delhi, June 16
Two-time Olympian Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, ahead of the Asian Games, said the expectations surrounding him before the tournament motivate him to perform at his best.
He also believes that the responsibility of bringing success to India, along with the opportunities and rewards associated with strong performances, gives him positive energy and drives him to excel.
The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) on Thursday announced their 30-member Indian shooting contingent for the upcoming 20th Asian Games, scheduled to be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4.
"I have a lot of thoughts in my mind that I have to perform well; everyone has expectations. I have to take India to the top, and when you go to these big events, where the government says that they will provide you with a job or money, I have all these thoughts in my mind and with all these thoughts, you get a lot of positive energy," Tomar told ANI.
Tomar also reflected on his preparations for the Asian Games, saying it is progressing well, with a focus on both technical refinement and fitness.
Acknowledging the significance of the event, he stressed his determination to deliver his best performance and win a medal for India.
Tomar futher added that he is accustomed to handling pressure and pays close attention to factors such as wind speed and direction to ensure accuracy in the 50m rifle event.
"The training is going on very well. The Indian camp is also going on. The main focus is on the technical aspects and also on fitness. It is one of the biggest events of every Games. So, I feel that I have to give my best performance in my technique and shooting. And I have to win the medal for India," he said.
"There is definitely a lot of pressure, and we know how to shoot under that pressure. So, when I go to a 50-meter range, I see how fast the wind is and the direction of the wind," he added.
The final contingent comprises 12 shotgun shooters and 18 rifle/pistol shooters. The complete squad breakdown is as follows:
Men's 10m air rifle: Parth Rakesh Mane, Himanshu Dhillon, Rudrankksh Patil
Women's 10m air rifle: Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Uttam Maskar, Vidarsa Vinod
Men's 50m rifle 3 positions: Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Niraj Kumar, Rudrankksh Patil
Women's 50m rifle 3 positions: Ashi Chouksey, Vidarsa K Vinod, Tilottama Sen
Men's 10m air pistol: Kedarling B Uchaganve, Gaurav, Kamaljeet
Women's 10m air pistol: Suruchi Singh, Esha Singh, Manu Bhaker
Men's 25m rapid fire pistol: Anish Bhanwala
Women's 25m sport pistol: Esha Singh, Manu Bhaker, Rahi Sarnobat
10m air rifle mixed team: Parth Rakesh Mane, Elavenil Valarivan
10m air pistol mixed team: Kedarling B. Uchaganve, Suruchi Singh
Men's trap: Kynan Chenai, Ahvar Rizvi, Shapath Bharadwaj
Women's trap: Neeru, Manisha Keer, Aashima Ahlawat
Men's skeet: Anantjeet Singh Naruka, Bhavtegh Singh Gill, Mairaj Ahmad Khan
Women's skeet: Parinaaz Dhaliwal, Raiza Dhillon, Maheshwari Chauhan.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Love this positive energy! Aishwary is right—when the government and system back you with job assurances and rewards, it takes a load off the mind and lets you focus on performance. The squad looks really strong this time. Manu Bhaker, Elavenil, and the others—this is going to be a medal rush, mark my words! 🤞🏽🎯
Good intentions, but I hope he's not putting too much pressure on himself. "Taking India to the top" is a mighty responsibility. The key is to just focus on the process—technical refinement and fitness as he mentioned—the medals will follow. We saw how our shooters crumbled under home pressure in the Olympics sometimes. Hope the mental game is strong!
Is it just me, or is it amazing that we have shooters from small towns and different backgrounds all representing India? Aishwary from Madhya Pradesh, Elavenil from Tamil Nadu, Manu from Haryana... shooting has truly become a pan-India sport. All the best to the entire 30-member team! 🙌🇮🇳
Let's be honest, Indian shooters have been underperformers in the recent past at major games. The Olympics were a disappointment. I'm happy Aishwary is talking confidently, but I need to see results on the board. The Asian Games is a good stage to rebuild trust with the fans. A straightforward statement: no medals will feel like a missed opportunity.
So proud to see so many women in the squad! Elavenil
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.