Others

Sift Kaur Samra, a rising star in Indian shooting, is preparing for the upcoming Paris Olympics with a unique blend of determination and nonchalance. Her journey to the Olympic stage has been guided by coach Deepali Deshpande, who has nurtured her talent while respecting her individuality.Samra's shooting career began with a modest goal of winning a national medal. However, her exceptional talent and unwavering focus propelled her to the world stage. In 2022, she shattered the women's 50m rifle three positions world record score at the Asian Games, securing an individual gold medal.Deshpande, a former Olympian herself, recognized Samra's potential early on. Despite her busy schedule, she took Samra under her wing after the Tokyo Olympics. Their relationship is built on mutual respect and a shared understanding of Samra's unique approach to shooting.Samra's free-spirited nature and ability to switch between focus and relaxation have been key to her success. She balances her shooting with other interests, including music and studies. Deshpande encourages this balance, believing it reduces unnecessary pressure and allows Samra to approach shooting with a clear mind.The transition from junior to senior shooting can be challenging, but Samra has navigated it seamlessly. Her consistency as a junior has laid the foundation for her success at the senior level. Deshpande has worked tirelessly to refine Samra's technique, particularly her kneeling position.Samra's determination and open-mindedness have made her a joy to coach. She is always willing to listen to suggestions and experiment with new ideas. However, she also has a stubborn streak and is not afraid to voice her opinions.Despite her success, Samra remains grounded. She credits her close friends for providing support during difficult times. Deshpande respects this boundary and only intervenes when Samra specifically requests her assistance.As Samra prepares for her Olympic debut, she is determined to approach it with the same carefree attitude that has served her well so far. She aims to enjoy the experience and shoot with a smile, just as she did at the World University Games and Asian Games.

Indian rifle shooter Sift Kaur Samra is approaching her Olympic debut with a calm and collected mindset, treating it as just another international competition. Despite the magnitude of the event, Samra remains focused on her technique and the familiar routine she has developed in previous tournaments."It's the same; it's just a normal World Cup for us, and we always give our best in the World Cup," Samra told IANS. "This is another tournament where we will give our best. Yes, because it (Olympics) comes every four years, it is much bigger than the other World Cups. But I feel like it's the same people we had in the last World Cup, so it's going to be the same."Samra, who holds the Asian Games gold medal and a World Record of 469.6, emphasizes the importance of consistency and following the same principles that have brought her success in the past. "I just have to do the same things I did in my previous tournaments and training sessions. It's just the name that changes, not the people or the technique," she added.When asked about her preparation for the Paris Olympics, Samra highlighted the importance of following a structured training schedule. "It's the same it's like when we had a camp and the schedule given to us so we just followed that," she said.Samra is part of a 21-member Indian shooting team that will compete in the Paris Games. While only two rifle shooters on the team have prior Olympic experience, Samra has sought advice from veterans in other sports, including Saina Nehwal, Mary Kom, and Sania Mirza."One of them was reaching here is not an easy job but I have done that so 'you have to be confident you have to believe in yourself and you will be doing the best'. Another one is, 'you should have that fire to do your best and get something from Paris'," she said.In terms of her individual performance, Samra aims to improve upon her previous scores. "I just want that it should not be the same as in the last tournament which I have shot, it should be like one more. I will try to shoot one more point. If it was like 593 so then I will shoot 594 if it's my day. So, let's see, let's check out yeah but this one gonna be my target."

Sift Kaur Samra and Niraj Kumar emerged victorious in the women's and men's 50m rifle 3 positions competitions, respectively, on the penultimate day of the Olympic Selection Trial (OST) 3 and 4 in Bhopal.Sift shot 461.3 in the women's 3P trial 4 final, edging out Nischal by a point. Ashi Chouksey finished third with 448.1. Shriyanka Sadangi and Anjum Moudgil placed fourth and fifth, respectively.In the men's 3P, Niraj finished on top with a score of 462.9, a significant 1.7 points ahead of second-placed Chain Singh. Aishwary Tomar secured third place with 449.8, while Swapnil Kusale and Akhil Sheoran finished fourth and fifth, respectively.These results confirmed Sift as the top finisher in women's 3P, considering the best three scores out of the four trials. Anjum Moudgil also secured her position as the second-best shooter among the five qualified shooters. In the men's 3P, Aishwary Tomar and Swapnil Kusale finished 1-2 after the completion of four trial matches.The day also witnessed the qualification rounds of the men's and women's 10m air rifle and air pistol trial 4. Sri Karthik Sabari Raj topped the men's air rifle with a score of 631.6, while Ramita Jindal shone in the women's air rifle, posting a remarkable 636.4, just 0.1 points more than the existing world record set by China's Han Jiayu.Ramita's performance propelled her to second place in the overall calculations, just 0.1 points behind Olympian Elavenil Valarivan. Mehuli Ghosh (633.1) was second, while Nancy (630.6) and Tilottama Sen (628.8) placed fourth and fifth, respectively.In the men's air rifle, the results had no impact on the standings as Sandeep Singh (fourth with 628.3) and Arjun Babuta (fifth with 624.7) maintained their top two positions.Manu Bhaker confidently topped the women's 10m air pistol standings, finishing on top of the trial 4 qualification round with a score of 581. Surbhi Rao (577) was second, while Palak (572) was third. Rhythm Sangwan and Esha Singh finished fourth and fifth, respectively.In the men's air pistol, Sarabjot Singh shot 584 to top the trial 4 qualifications, while Arjun Singh Cheema was second with 583. Varun Tomar (577), Ravinder Singh (576), and Naveen (574) finished third, fourth, and fifth, respectively.These results in air pistol indicate that Manu and Rhythm are currently ranked 1-2 in the women's air pistol, while Sarabjot and Arjun hold the top two slots in the men's event.

Asian Games champion Sift Kaur Samra and in-form Niraj Kumar emerged victorious in the first leg of the Olympic Selection Trials in the 50m 3 Position (3P) event at the Karni Singh Shooting Range.Sift, who placed second in the qualification round, showcased her prowess in the final, particularly in the prone round, where she gained a significant lead. Despite Ashi Chouksey's strong performance in the kneeling round, Sift's consistency and resilience in the prone and standing segments secured her the top spot with a cumulative score of 466.3 points.In the men's competition, Niraj Kumar outperformed overnight leader and quota holder Swapnil Kusale, who finished second. Niraj's consistent performance throughout the kneeling, prone, and standing stages, including a crucial recovery in the standing series, earned him the victory with a score of 462.2 points.The qualification rounds for the 10m air rifle and pistol events also took place on Wednesday. Sandeep Singh and Tilottama Sen emerged as the top performers in the men's and women's 10m rifle events, respectively. In the 10m air pistol, Paris quota holder Varun Tomar led the men's field, while Rhythm Sangwan topped the women's category.