The National Trials organised by the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) are currently underway in Delhi, and RevSportz, as always, will be covering the entire event and bringing you all the details. Day one witnessed a number of exciting events, with some very fascinating results. Some standout performances have already set the stage for a fiercely competitive World Championships ahead.
However, with the Asian Games also coming up in September, the anticipation is skyrocketing, with some of the notable names from that very same squad participating in the trials. RevSportz spoke to Sonam Uttam Maskar, a 23-year-old rifle shooter who already has an ISSF World Cup final silver, two ISSF World Cup silver medals and one bronze medal to her name. Speaking about her experience at the trials, she mentioned that she wanted to try out a few experiments. “I think it worked well, the outcome was good.”
Sonam, who is currently world No. 13 in the 10m Air Rifle Women’s category, is also set to make her Asian Games debut! “Preparations are going really good; mindset is all okay and we also have the camps coming up in Bhopal for the Asian Games, so we will get some added training and preparation there as well.”
When asked about the various female athletes of the country doing extremely well in recent times, with shooting also witnessing some extraordinary talent in women’s shooting, she spoke about the sense of responsibility that she feels as a young shooter. “Definitely, it is a huge responsibility. After all, we are representing India. We all want to win and bring back medals for our country, and Asian Games is a big platform for us to showcase our talent.”
She represents the same category as Elavenil Valarivan, who has won multiple medals and has emerged as one of the most prominent talents in the circuit. Sonam was asked if she feels any pressure as a debutant. To this, she said, “No pressure as such as of now. I am just thinking about the experience — first Asian Games will always be different and special.”
Shooting, as we know, is competitive, but it is also a game of very fine margins. Speaking on what it takes to maintain maximum concentration and stay in that motivated frame of mind throughout, Sonam mentioned, “We have to just stay with ourselves for a long time there — more than an hour. No particular preparation as such — it builds gradually with more practice and more experience. At some point, we have to push ourselves and make it happen.”
The post “No Pressure, I’m Just Thinking About the Experience”: Sonam Maskar Looking Forward to Asian Games Debut appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.
