Hyderabad: London Olympic bronze medallist Gagan Narang is brimming with confidence that it will be best-ever show by India in the Tokyo Olympics. With the quadrennial event all set to start from Friday, Narang said for the first time in Indian history, there is unprecedented enthusiasm for India’s performance in Olympics.
“There is plenty of hope this time. Most importantly, the way the Indian contingent was given a send-off to Tokyo was a very pleasing sight. All these things have created a buzz around Olympics. It is a much-needed boost. These players need that type of encouragement,’’ said Narang.
The ace shooter said that the positivity for sport is amazing. “There is tremendous coordination between the Sports Ministry and the different national federations. They are all working together for the benefit of the athletes. The athletes have become centre of attraction unlike the past when it was centered round the officials. This is a very good feel-good sport. Therefore, with good backing from the government, we expect a good haul in this Olympics,’’ he stated.
Asked about the shooters’ performance in this Olympics, Narang said the Indians are in good frame of mind. ”We had also good expectation for shooting in Rio Olympics but we couldn’t do much. This year we have some fine results from the shooters. In the last two years, our shooters have excelled in all big international tournaments. Our shooters are placed at World No.1, 2 or 3. This raises expectations and hopes. The shooters are in a much better frame of mind and the preparation going into the Tokyo Olympics has also been good. But again it depends on the performance of that particular day. We expect the shooters to perform.’’
He added the Indian shooting squad has new faces and experienced shooters. “They have the potential to win medals. If they able to sync their mind and body, they can come on top.’’
On young women shooter Elvavenil Valarivan, who is a product of Gun For Glory Academy, Narang said he has been been working with her for the last seven years. “She shot into World No.1 in 10m air rifle and today I’m happy shooting in Olympics. She is a big talent.’’
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