Anjum Moudgil and Abhishe Verma showed they are not just good with their weapons — rifle and pistol — but also know a thing or two about dodging loaded questions.
During the course of two separate media interactions facilitated by the Sports Authority of India on Friday, the two marksmen based in Chandigarh threw light on a lot of topics. Of course, like skilled forwards, they ensured whenever an off-side trap was being set up by way of questions, they were not going to fall for it.
Anjum, a pro rifle shooter who is an officer with the Punjab Police, is a multi-faceted person. At 27, she is a good painter, has studied psychology and shows immense maturity. Last year, her paintings which were embossed on face masks became a huge hit. After all the rifle and pistol drawings on masks immediately catch the eye.
What stood out on Friday was how Anjum reflected confidence and poise. Anyone who follows shooting knows very well the wise men (no woman) in the NRAI selection committee bowled a googly over six weeks ago when they named the final 15 shooters for the Tokyo Olympics. The juggling (or jugad) act to get Elavanil Valarivan into the squad was executed with cunning. And that, as Elavenil had not won a quota place.
Any selection committee has the right to make choices. In the case of the NRAI, they went through a huge matrix of data (scores), took out the best combinations and so on. The end result was, Anjum who IS essentially a 10-metre air rifle shooter was pushed into the 50-metre 3position event. Of course, she will also shoot the mixed pairs event.
Anjum was questioned in various ways on this topic. The top shooter that she is and a student of psychology, she did not let her guard down. Anjum spoke of how her whole training plan had changed after the squad was announced. Ask any rifle shooter how it is to overnight make a shift from air rifle as a pet event to 3P.
From the 10-metre range where you shoot in one position and fire at the target to the 50-metre three position event is a huge shift. Obviously, Anjum could have complained about it. As the NRAI wise men felt she is the best bet in 3P, she decided to accept it.
To be sure, this is not like Rahul Dravid being forced to don the wicket-keeper gloves by Sourav Ganguly nor is it like KL Rahul also being forced into the gloveman’s job behind wickets in cricket.
The whole body dynamics, mental approach, and way one trains and competes in air and 3P are different. Of course, we have had, in the past, champions like Abhinav Bindra and Gagan Narang going neck and neck in air rifle. Gagan, of course, adapted to 3P well despite his bigger body frame.
A three-month period for Anjum to shift, primarily to 3P, become a medal prospect at the Tokyo Olympics, is a challenge. But the 27-year-old loves the challenge, she says. She was nuanced she spoke of her selection for3P.
And when it came to being emphatic, she minced no words on how New Delhi as a city to train for Tokyo 2020 is now a nightmare, despite the Karni Singh ranges having hosted the ISSF World Cup not long back. The good thing is Anjum is not complaining. Another good thing is her positivity and looking at Croatia as a stress-free training ground right till the Olympics is an affirmation the shooters are happy at shifting base.
On her two vaccination shots being completed, Anjum was forthright. “I took my first shot as I am in the Punjab Police. I took the second one at the hotel in Delhi (on Thursday). I am happy the vaccines are done (with proper gap) and I do not have to worry about taking it in Croatia,” she said.
At a time when some athletes around the world are still sceptical about the vaccine, Anjum has shown the way for Indian athletes. Mentally, it is a big plus for her as vaccination data suggests how beneficial it is. She also expressed happiness the shooters will be flying out in a chartered plane, wherein the shooters, coaches and support staff would have been tested under RTPCR and the chance of infection gets minimised.
“I could not have trained in Chandigarh for 3P as there is no 50-metre range there. I would have had to go to Pune or Bhopal or Delhi. And my parents were very anxious about it,” she said.
The bottom line is training and competing in Croatia will offer more for the shooters. They should be hopefully shooting in the European Championship (not for medals). There is also a possibility an ISSF World Cup will also take place in Croatia in June.
Meanwhile, Abhishek Verma, the quiet pistol shooter who took to the sport at 27 and has blossomed, spoke on his preparation and what the Olympics means. There are people who are still sceptical about whether the Olympics will take place.
“I am not even thinking about whether the Olympics will be held or not. I am training with the belief that it will go ahead. Whatever is the next competition, I am focussing on that,” said Abhishek at the media interaction held online.
Abhishek is a role model for many. He began late as a hobby shooter, improved slowly and began winning medals. From a computer science background to getting a degree in law later, he is all brains. Perhaps, it is that cerebral touch which marks him out as a different shooter.
Some banal questions were thrown to Abhishek on selection matters where he was asked to comment as a lawyer! Well, being the son of a sitting judge, the 30-year-old bespectacled shooter knew how to deal with it.