Divyansh Singh Panwar plays it cool over world record: 'It does not matter much'
The world number one wants to replicate the scores in the Olympics before celebrating
Divyansh Singh Panwar did not have a great start in the T3 national shooting trials. The scores were disastrous.
He came 10th in the qualifiers and could not even make it to the final round of the T3 trials.
World number one, India's one of the Tokyo medal hopefuls bowed out in the qualifiers. It was a difficult pill to digest for him.
"I could not sleep properly. Adha need aaya, adha nehi. I did not let my friend sleep as well. I spoke to him and I learnt a lot. He supported me a lot. But I was completely down. Toot sa gaya tha. It was like I cannot even compete the next day. But he motivated me a lot. In the morning, everything was fine again. But spending the night was difficult," - Panwar to Olympic Channel.
It was important for him to get to the bottom of it and find out the reason behind his poor performance.
"I became score oriented. I was looking at the scoreboard frequently and for no reason. The targets became secondary. But honestly, I had made up my mind that I will not do that. But still, I did," he analysed.
But just like a champion, he picked himself up, dusted off the failure and was back in the lane. In the T4 qualifiers, he redeemed himself not in full measure, but very substantially. He came third with a score of 629.7. Delhi's Paarth Makhija stood first with 630.3.
In the finals, he was locked in an intense battle with fellow Tokyo bound shooter *Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar. *
After 23 shots they were tied at 242.2. On the 24th Panwar struck the bull's eye with a perfect 10.9 while Tomar could manage 10.4.
"Before the 24th shot, I told myself that you have to get a 10.9. Nothing else would do. I ran it in my mind repeatedly 10.9, 10.9. I even visualised the process in my head. The good thing is that I could execute it to perfection," said the 18-year-old.
The Rajasthan-born athlete is relishing the cut-throat competition in the 10m rifle event. He feels that it motivates him to prepare even better.
"Everyone is preparing themselves pretty well (for the Olympics). I will be trying to prepare myself better (than them) (smiles)."
Panwar finished with 253.1 breaking the record of Yu Haonan who managed to get 252.8 during the shooting World Cup in Rio in 2019. However, he has feet firmly placed in the ground. He is far from elated and has his focus firmly set on the Olympics.
"It does not matter much to me. It was like a normal training for me. If I had got this score in the Olympics, or in the World Cup or even in Commonwealth then it would have mattered. I would have been in cloud nine."
In a short span of time, he has made unbelievable progress. He has six gold, two silver and a bronze to his name and is yet to complete five years in the international circuit.
Shooters are renowned for their composure, their coolness under pressure. But if Panwar can keep performing at these levels, he will have the whole of India excited by the time the Tokyo Olympics come by.