Indian shooters have produced a strong start at the Games, with the country adding two medals in the men\u2019s 10m air rifle on Monday as Himanshu Dhillon won silver and Rudrankksh Patil claimed bronze. The result came a day after Elavenil Valarivan's silver in the women\u2019s 10m air rifle and the women\u2019s 10m air rifle team\u2019s silver, taking India\u2019s shooting tally amd to five medals.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Reflecting on the opening two days, Deo told IANS that the results represented a positive beginning rather than the extent of India\u2019s medal potential.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cYou know, we\u2019ve had a good start in Indian shooting. We had Ela (Elavenil Valarivan) with the silver yesterday in the women\u2019s 10m and the team silver. Today, Rudrankksh got the bronze, Himanshu got the silver and the team silver again. So five medals from Indian shooting in two days with many more to come. I think this is just the start,\u201d Deo told IANS.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The Indian shooters have had to negotiate the logistical demands of competing at a multi-sport event, including transportation and the distractions that can accompany competition away from the range. Deo, however, said the team\u2019s mental preparation has helped the athletes deal with such challenges.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI think our shooters are a tough bunch. They\u2019re young and they\u2019re driven and they\u2019re able to overcome any obstacle with their mental resilience. I think they\u2019re a tough bunch and they\u2019re able to perform over and above that. So I think it\u2019s a good start for Indian shooting. We have one of the best teams in the world,\u201d he added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The NRAI president also pointed to the work undertaken by the federation and the government in preparing the shooters for the pressure of major international competition.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
According to Deo, Indian shooters have been exposed to simulated finals and high-pressure scenarios, with the high-performance setup using science and technology to provide feedback on different aspects of their preparation.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cSo we\u2019ve spent a lot of time working with shooters and putting them into simulation analysis of finals, into high-pressure situations. We are able to give them through science and technology and the high-performance team a lot of feedback to be able to improve themselves both mentally and physically and technically. And the government\u2019s been a great support to us. And that\u2019s why you can see it reflected in India\u2019s shooting performance. We are not only one of the best shooting nations in Asia, we are one of the best shooting nations in the world. So I think that\u2019s a good start,\u201d Deo explained.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
India\u2019s shooting campaign still has several events to come at Aichi-Nagoya, leaving the door open for the country to add more medals to its medal haul.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cSo we\u2019ve spent a lot of time working with shooters and putting them into simulation analysis of finals, into high-pressure situations. We are able to give them through science and technology and the high-performance team a lot of feedback to be able to improve themselves both mentally and physically and technically. And the government\u2019s been a great support to us. And that\u2019s why you can see it reflected in India\u2019s shooting performance. We are not only one of the best shooting nations in Asia, we are one of the best shooting nations in the world. So I think that\u2019s a good start,\u201d Deo explained.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cPretty much in every discipline we have a potential of getting medals for India. And it\u2019s just been two days and five medals. I think many more to come,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\r\n\r\n