Mumbai, July 17: Paris Olympics is just around the corner and India is buzzing with excitement and hope, especially when it comes to shooting. Among the shooters carrying the burden of hopes is Anjum Moudgil, who has faced her share of professional setbacks, is approaching the quadrennial extravaganza with a renewed positive mindset and determination. Competing only in the 50m rifle 3 positions event this time, Anjum has evolved significantly since her last Olympic appearance in Tokyo in 2021. Bhavtegh Singh Gill Wins Silver Medal in Porpetto Junior World Cup 2024.

After missing out on 2023 World Championships and the deferred 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, Anjum has made a strong comeback. Her exclusion was a hard blow, but rather than dwelling on missed opportunities, Anjum chose to explore new experiences, taking up paragliding and enjyoing the mountains of Himachal Pradesh.

In an interaction with IANS, Anjum discussed her preparation for the Paris Olympics.

Reflecting on her journey, she said, "I'm ready for Paris; the past few weeks or months have been a solid gauge of our readiness and ability to handle pressure. The way my trials and tournaments went makes me very happy. I am therefore in a good mood, organized with my routines, and proceeding as I had intended during the previous several months."

After the disappointment at the Tokyo Olympics, where she finished 15th in the 50m 3p and 18th in the 10m air rifle, Anjum bounced back in 2022 with a silver medal at the Baku World Cup and a bronze at the Changwon World Cup. She ascended to World No.1 in the 50m 3p in July 2022.

"I don’t carry past burdens. Tokyo was disappointed but Paris surely will be the next big thing for me," she said. "To be selected for Tokyo the last time I qualified, I had to win the quota three years before the games and keep that rank for three more years. But it was tiring, and the competition changed significantly when Covid entered the picture. Being gone for so long was really difficult," Anjum added.

This time around, Moudgil peaked at the right moment, using the time away from the main team to work on herself. Her hard work paid off, as she performed exceptionally in the NRAI's revised selection trials. Despite a slow start, she topped the second and third rounds, finishing second in the fourth and final selection trial in May, securing her berth for Paris.

"I was not well mentally, those years were like very difficult for me. My focus was lost. I was not doing any training and the result that we got in the Tokyo Olympics was quite disheartening to me. Being a former World champion you carry a burden of performance and not being able to rise at the occasion was a difficult period for me. I tried painting, played guitar, roamed around in the mountains for peace did paragliding for peace that I wanted after the Tokyo Olympics," she said.

With the Olympics just a few weeks away, Anjum and the Indian team are fine-tuning their preparations in France. Anjum, alongside Sift Kaur Samra, will represent India in the Women's 50m Rifle 3 Positions event at the Paris Games, starting on July 26. NRAI Announces Indian Shotgun Squad for Paris Olympics 2024.

When asked about her current focus, Anjum highlighted the importance of mental strength and creativity. "I can really switch off from shooting, especially when things are not going so well, because painting really goes hand in hand with my shooting. One improvement I have noticed in the past two years since I have given my mental health more attention is my mental training and that is very important for athletes."

Her approach is simple yet effective: maintain the momentum and stick to the routine. "I just want to maintain the same enthusiasm heading into the games, so I'm not making any major changes right now. Just going about things the way I had planned, nothing more," she concluded.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 17, 2024 01:33 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).