Others

Manu Bhaker's Olympic Triumph and KBC AppearanceIndian shooting sensation Manu Bhaker has added another feather to her cap by appearing on the popular television show Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC). The Olympian, who recently returned from the Paris Olympics 2024 with two bronze medals, shared her experiences and insights on the show.During her conversation with host Amitabh Bachchan, Bhaker shed light on the intricate techniques involved in shooting at the highest level. She explained that shooters take extended pauses between shots to control their breathing and heart rate. This allows them to maintain composure and focus amidst the intense pressure of competition.Bhaker emphasized the importance of a strong foundation in shooting, which involves not only physical skills but also mental and emotional preparation. She revealed that she relies heavily on yoga, Surya Namaskar, and meditation to calm her nerves and improve her concentration."Controlling anxiousness or nervousness takes time and practice," Bhaker said. "To maintain focus, I rely heavily on yoga, Surya Namaskar, and meditation. I follow this routine with strict discipline."She also shared a specific breathing technique that she uses to regulate her heart rate. "I use a breathing technique with a 4:8 ratio: inhaling for four seconds and exhaling for eight seconds," Bhaker explained. "Mastering this through practice helps normalize my heart rate."Bhaker's appearance on KBC has garnered widespread attention and appreciation. It has not only highlighted her achievements but also provided a glimpse into the challenges and techniques involved in the sport of shooting.

India's Paralympic Contingent Aims for Record-Breaking Performance in ParisIndia's Paralympic contingent is poised to make history at the Paris Paralympics 2024, aiming to surpass their previous best tally of 25 medals. With several promising athletes in contention, the Indian team is confident of achieving their ambitious goal.On Thursday, September 5, India will have a busy schedule with athletes competing in shooting, archery, athletics, power-lifting, and judo. In shooting, Sidhartha Basu and Mona Agarwal will participate in the Mixed 50m Rifle Prone SH1 event, while Pooja and Harvinder Singh will represent India in the Mixed Team Recurve Open (Pre Quarterfinals).Athletics holds another medal opportunity for India, with Arvind competing in the Men's Shot Put F35. In archery, Pooja and Harvinder Singh will face Amanda Jennings and Taymon Kenton-Smith of Australia in the Mixed Team Recurve Open (Pre Quarterfinals). If they qualify, they will advance to the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and potentially the medal matches.Power-lifter Ashok will compete in the Men's up to 65kg final, while judokas Kokila and Kapil Parmar will participate in the Women's 48kg J2 and Men's 60kg J1 events, respectively.India's Paralympic contingent has already made a strong start to the Games, with several athletes securing medals in various events. The team's determination and resilience are evident, and they are eager to continue their success in Paris.The Indian government and sports authorities have provided significant support to the Paralympic contingent, ensuring that athletes have access to world-class training facilities and resources. The team's performance at the Paris Paralympics is a testament to their hard work and dedication, and they are determined to make India proud.

India's Nihal Singh and Rudransh Khandelwal narrowly missed out on qualifying for the Mixed 50m Pistol SH1 final at the ongoing Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. Singh finished 19th with a score of 522, while Khandelwal placed 22nd with 517 points in the 60-shot qualification round.This setback comes after Singh's failure to reach the Mixed 25m Pistol (SH1) final, where he finished 10th in the qualification. Both Singh and Khandelwal had previously secured silver and bronze medals, respectively, in the Mixed 50m Pistol (SH1) at the Para-Shooting World Cup in March 2023.Despite their individual disappointments, the duo, along with Tokyo Paralympics medalist Singhraj Adhana, contributed to India's silver medal in the Mixed 50m Pistol team event.Khandelwal's journey to the Paralympics has been marked by resilience. After losing his left leg in a fireworks blast in 2015, he spent months recuperating at home. His parents encouraged him to try shooting, and he began training at a local range in Bharatpur, Rajasthan.India's Paralympic contingent has so far amassed 21 medals in Paris, surpassing its tally of 19 at the Tokyo Games in 2021. The current medal count stands at three gold, eight silver, and ten bronze.

India's ace shooter Avani Lekhara, who made history by winning a gold medal in the women's 10m air rifle SH1 event at the Tokyo Paralympics, has once again entered the final of a shooting event at the ongoing Games. On Tuesday, Lekhara finished seventh in the qualification round of the women's 50m rifle 3 positions SH1 competition, securing a spot in the final.Lekhara shot a total of 1159 across the three stages of kneeling, prone, and standing. She started strongly in the kneeling stage, scoring 392, but faced some challenges in the prone stage, scoring 382. However, she recovered in the standing stage, shooting 385, including a series of 96 and 97, to move up to seventh place.Mona Agarwal, the other Indian shooter in the field, finished 13th in the qualification round with a total score of 1147. She shot 386 in the kneeling stage, 380 in the prone stage, and 381 in the standing stage.The top eight shooters from the qualification round advanced to the final, which will be held on Wednesday. Lekhara will be aiming to add another medal to her tally after her historic gold medal in the 10m air rifle SH1 event.Lekhara's success in shooting is a testament to her determination and resilience. She was paralyzed waist-down in a car accident at the age of 11, but she did not let that setback define her. She took up shooting as a hobby and quickly discovered her talent for the sport.Lekhara's achievements have inspired countless people around the world. She is a role model for athletes with disabilities and a symbol of hope and possibility.

Indian shooters Nihal Singh and Amir Ahmad Bhat narrowly missed out on qualifying for the final of the mixed 25m pistol (SH1) competition at the Paralympics in Tokyo on Monday. Singh finished 10th with a score of 569, while Bhat placed 11th with 568, falling short of the top eight who advanced to the medal round.In the precision stage, Singh impressed with a score of 287, placing him fourth. Bhat also performed well, scoring 286 to hold the eighth and final qualifying spot. However, both shooters struggled in the rapid stage, managing only 282 each. This resulted in aggregate scores that were insufficient to secure a place in the final.The SH1 classification in shooting allows athletes to hold their gun without difficulty and shoot from a standing or sitting position. They can use either a pistol or a rifle.This was the second consecutive day without a medal for the Indian shooting team at the Paralympics. In the first three days of competition, the team had secured four podium finishes, including a gold medal.Despite the disappointment, Singh and Bhat displayed commendable consistency in the qualification round. They will be hoping to improve their performance in future events and contribute to India's medal tally at the Paralympics.

Indian shooters Avani Lekhara and Sidhartha Babu faced a setback at the Paralympic Games in Chateauroux on Sunday, failing to qualify for the final of the mixed 10m air rifle prone (SH1) event.Lekhara, who had made history by winning a gold medal in the 10m air rifle standing SH1 event, struggled to replicate her form in this unfamiliar event. Despite a strong start, she finished with a total score of 632.8, placing 11th overall. Babu, on the other hand, ended in 28th position with a score of 628.3.Lekhara's sequence of scores included 105.7, 106.0, 104.1, 106.0, 104.8, and 106.2. Babu's scores were 104.6, 103.8, 105.7, 104.9, 103.6, and 105.7.The SH1 classification allows athletes to hold their gun without difficulty and shoot from a standing or sitting position. Lekhara, who had become the first Indian woman to win two Paralympic gold medals, had defended her title in the women's 10m air rifle (SH1) event with a world record score on Friday.Despite their disappointment in the mixed 10m air rifle prone event, Lekhara and Babu remain hopeful for success in their upcoming events. Lekhara will compete in the women's 50m rifle 3 positions SH1 event, while Babu will participate in the men's 10m air rifle standing SH1 event.

Mona Agarwal, a mother of two, has overcome immense challenges to achieve her dream of winning a Paralympic medal. Despite being away from her children and facing financial difficulties, she persevered and clinched the bronze medal in women's 10m air rifle at the Tokyo Paralympics.Mona's journey to the Paralympics was filled with obstacles. She left home in 2010 to pursue a career in sports, but it wasn't until 2016 that she discovered the Paralympics. She experimented with various sports before settling on shooting, where she found her niche.The financial burden of training and competing was another hurdle Mona had to overcome. However, she remained determined and sought support from her family and friends. Their encouragement and belief in her abilities gave her the strength to push through the tough times.Mona's children were a constant source of motivation for her. Despite being away from them, she made regular video calls to stay connected. However, the children's innocent remarks about her forgetting her way home would often bring tears to her eyes."I used to cry every evening when I would speak with my kids," Mona said. "I then started calling them once a week."Mona's perseverance and resilience paid off when she secured a spot on the Indian Paralympic team. She entered the competition with the goal of winning a medal, and she delivered. Her bronze medal is a testament to her hard work, dedication, and unwavering spirit."This is my first Paralympics, I just started shooting two-and-a-half years back and within this period I reached this platform and performed my best and achieved my (goal of winning a) medal," Mona said.Mona's victory is an inspiration to all who face adversity. It shows that with determination and support, anything is possible. Her story is a reminder that dreams can come true, no matter the obstacles that stand in our way.

Rudransh Khandelwal, a 17-year-old pistol marksman, is determined to bring glory to India at the upcoming Paris Paralympics. Despite losing his left leg in a freak accident at the age of eight, Rudransh has overcome adversity to become the world No. 1 in 50m pistol (SH1).To ensure his success, Rudransh leaves nothing to chance. He carries a spare pistol and a tool-kit for his prosthetic leg, anticipating any potential malfunctions or setbacks. This meticulous preparation stems from witnessing ace shooter Manu Bhaker's pistol malfunction during the Tokyo Olympics."I prepare myself for every eventuality in competition, including a delayed match, a shot getting canceled, or any other eventuality," said Rudransh. "So, if at all an adverse situation arises, I will be ready to handle it."Another lesson Rudransh learned was the importance of being prepared for prosthetic leg issues. Just 15 minutes before a domestic competition, his prosthetic leg broke. "Now I keep a tool-kit to quickly repair it," he said.Rudransh's journey to the top has been marked by perseverance and support. After his accident, his mother sought ways to prevent him from falling into depression. She introduced him to shooting, and with the guidance of his coach, Sumit Rathi, Rudransh gradually increased his training time from 2-3 hours to 7-8 hours.Despite initial setbacks, Rudransh's determination paid off. In 2022, he switched to 50m pistol and achieved remarkable success. He won four gold medals with three world records at his second World Cup, followed by a Paralympic Games quota at the World Championship and two silver medals at the Asian Para Games.As he prepares for the Paralympics, Rudransh remains confident in his abilities. "There is no pressure on me as I have full confidence in the process and I know that I will do our best," he said.

Indian shooting contingent is poised to surpass its Tokyo Paralympics medal tally at the upcoming Paris Games, according to pistol marksman Manish Narwal. The team's intense training regimen has prepared them for success, he said.A 10-member shooting contingent, including rifle exponent Avani Lekhara, Mona Agarwal, and Narwal, will compete at the Chateauroux Centre near Paris from August 30. India had won two gold, a silver, and two bronze medals at the Tokyo Paralympics."Our preparations have been intense, and we are eager to give our best shot in Paris. We aim to surpass our previous performance and bring more medals home," said Narwal, who won the 50m pistol (SH1) gold in Tokyo and will be competing in 10m air pistol at the Paris Games.Besides Narwal, Avani, and Mona, the other members of the shooting contingent are Amir Ahmad Bhat, Rudransh Khandelwal, Rubina Francis, Swaroop Unahalkar, Sidhartha Babu, Shriharsha Devaraddi, and Nihal Singh.The spotlight will be on reigning Paralympic champion Avani, who made history by becoming the first woman shooter from India to win two medals in Tokyo. The Jaipur shooter, then 19, had clinched gold in 10m air rifle and 50m rifle 3-positions (SH1). She will look to replicate her gold medal-winning performances in Paris.The Paralympic Committee is expecting a record-breaking 25-plus medals in Paris, and the performance of the shooting team will have a great impact on the overall tally.