Focused Apurvi sets sights on Olympics
The Tokyo Olympics have been pushed back by a year, but ace shooter Apurvi Chandela is all focussed and ready to give her best shot whenever it takes place. Recently Apurvi has been nominated by her state Rajasthan for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award.
One of the medal prospects for India at the Olympics, the world No. 5 shooter is utilising the break to hone her skills even better.
“I’m preparing myself for any kind of situation that can arise, as conditions are a bit uncertain at the moment. But I am focused on my training and preparations and I hope for the best,” Apurvi told this paper from Jaipur.
The 27-year-old 10m air rifle shooter, who won two gold medals at the ISSF
World Cup in 2019, was not disappointed with the postponement of the Olympics, but was worried about the possible future effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
She has donated `3 lakh towards the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund) and `2 lakh to Rajasthan relief fund set up to support the battle against COVID-19.
“I have a shooting range at home, so I’ve been training at home. So there’s not much change in my preparations apart from the fact that our international competitions like World Cups have been cancelled, but that’s the need of the hour as it’s important for everyone to just stay at home and avoid going out anywhere,” she said.
“I shoot for about three hours in the morning and I exercise in the evenings.
My days at home are quite packed. I practice yoga regularly and it helps me stay calm and also fresh. I’ve been working on specific exercises to strengthen certain muscles,” she added.
Apurvi, who trains under former national champion and mentor Rakesh Manpet in Bengaluru, had a disappointing outing at the Rio Olympics, but this time she was determined to come up with better results.
“A lot has changed over the last four years, I have more experience now, and I have learnt to handle situations better. There has been some growth in the kind of results I have achieved in the last two years. So I’m putting in all my effort.
“I think the experience at the Rio Games is already coming in handy, as there are a lot of changes in my lead up to Tokyo, compared to Rio. So any kind of experience is good as it prepares you for what can come your way,” added 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games gold medallist.
So what are the grey areas that she is working upon? “Well as a sportsperson I have to work upon all kinds of elements like the technical and mental aspect, along with my nutrition and physio therapy. I have a support team who’s working with me very closely,” Apurvi said.
Asked on the pressure of expectations as a record number of shooters qualified for the Olympics? She said, “Expectations have always been there, that’s what makes us think that we are capable of achieving greater heights and that we also have the faith of people with us. We have a strong Indian shooting team, and each and every shooter is preparing to perform well on the given day. We all want to make the country proud.”