The battle for India’s Tokyo shooting team heats up

NEW DELHI: Skeet shooter Gurjoat Khangura was uncomfortable replying to a question regarding his chances of getting into the team for the Tokyo Olympics. The two shooters sitting beside him—Mairaj Ahmad Khan and Angad Veer Singh Bajwa—are the ones who earned India quota places for Tokyo.

Yet, of the three, Khangura was the best performer in the individual competition. He was the only Indian to qualify for the six-shooter final, edging Khan in a shoot off. Bajwa, joint world record holder with USA’s Vincent Hancock, finished 19th in the qualification.

“It is their quota and they are far more deserving. I have not won the quota,” Khangura said as the trio fielded questions after winning the skeet team men’s gold, beating a formidable Qatar at the ongoing ISSF World Cup.

Pressed further about his Olympics dream, he said, “I have a long way to go. Yes, I am looking towards, for sure, to play in an Olympics. They (Khan and Bajwa) are pushing me to get better, both in practice and competition,” said the 26-year-old.

Before the pandemic hit and the Tokyo Games were deferred by a year in 2020, 15 Indian shooters had already earned quota places for the Olympics. All 15 were on a terrific run of form back then; Bajwa and Mairaj, for example, won their quotas with a gold and silver respectively at the Asian Championships in Novermber 2019. Though the shooters who win quota places are not guaranteed a place on the Olympic team, in this case, selection would have been a mere formality.

A year later, a lot has changed, and the selectors now have a tough job on their hands. As shooting began after a long gap following the sporting hiatus, the quota earners in many disciplines have been overshadowed by other shooters.

In men’s 10m air rifle, Deepak Kumar—the second quota winner besides world No. 2 Divyansh Panwar—underwent a minor surgery recently and will still take some time to get back to shape. He finished the qualification in 12th place at the World Cup. Meanwhile, Arjun Babuta, a promising junior in 2016-18 with three medals at Junior World Cups who struggled in 2019 with back problems, is now back in contention. He qualified for the finals here in second place with a brilliant 631.8 and finished fifth.

“I hope the selection committee takes this score into account and sees current performance,” said the Chandigarh shooter. “Out of the last six competitions (including selection trials), I have shot five 630 plus scores. After a long time, I am shooting in international matches, but I am prepared for it.”

The fight for a place is perhaps toughest in women’s 10m air rifle. The two quotas were won by Apurvi Chandela and Anjum Moudgil, back at the 2018 World Championship. Chandela was brilliant throughout 2019, winning two World Cup golds and becoming world No.1, with Moudgil in second position. But now, Chandela’s form has dipped. There is a new world

No.1, also from India, Elavenil Valarivan, who is the shooter in form right now, winning three of the four domestic trials recently and the gold in the Mixed Team event here.

Of the three, only Moudgil qualified for the women’s final, where she finished fifth. Chandela missed a shot during the team event as the clock stopped on her, a rare event for a top shooter. The drop in form is a major worry for Chandela, especially since there is very little competition available to find her feet before the Olympics. The next World Cup in Korea, originally scheduled in April, has been postponed indefinitely. The one after that, in June, is too far away.

“Time is running away fast. It is important now to settle down,” said Khan.