After four years, Kumar in national fold

NEW DELHI: Four years after his last international tournament, London Olympics silver medallist pistol shooter Vijay Kumar returned to the national squad on Thursday. Kumar, who was second in 25m rapid fire pistol in the 2012 Olympics, had taken a break. Having retired from the Army in 2017, Kumar joined the Himachal Pradesh state police and focused on completing his training. It was only at the senior national championships last November that Kumar resurfaced with an impressive show. He was also consistent in the two recently-held selection trials in Bhopal leading to his return.

“I was completely off shooting all these years. I love the sport but there were other priorities. After the 2018 Worlds, I took a break because of my job and training,” said Kumar, who is now DSP and posted in Bilaspur.

“It is not easy to come back after a long gap. The moment* you are away from competitive training, it takes time to get that control back. Of course, experience helps. I trained for two months before the nationals and it is a good sign that in four-five months I have made it to the squad,” said the 36-year-old.

Kumar made it to both rapid fire, an Olympic event, and 25m centre fire squads. The next step is to compete at international events but the goal is to make the 2024 Paris Olympics cut.

“The ultimate target is to qualify for the 2024 Olympics and that is why I am here. But I am thinking about one step at a time. I have to work hard and do well in selection trials and make it to the team for international competitions. There are World Cups, Asian Games and World Championships this year, and then there are also Olympic quota places to be won.”

The format has changed since he last played, but Kumar feels it is all about adaptability. “Even before the London Olympics a new format was introduced,” he said.