Elavenil Valarivan after mixed air rifle success: I don't focus on Divyansh Panwar's performance
Valarivan, mentored by Olympic bronze medallist Gagan Narang, won the gold medal with Divyansh in the mixed team event at the ISSF World Cup
Elavenil Valarivan and Divyansh Singh Panwar are among the finest shooters in the country and the youngsters proved their mettle by winning their maiden gold medal in the mixed 10m air rifle event at the ISSF World Cup in New Delhi on Monday.
The Indian duo shot a total of 16 in the summit clash to prevail over Hungarian World No.1 Istvan Peni and Eszter Denes who scored 10. It was the fourth gold in the mixed category at senior World Cups for the 18-year-old Divyansh.
Even though Valarivan, 21, is also happy to share the big stage with the reliable Divyansh, she believes his performance does not have any impact on her game.
"I don't think so it has any impact," Elavenil told PTI. "Because, at the end of the day, although it's the cumulative score, but I feel that at that moment you are not thinking about what the other person is shooting. For a particular shot you are focussing on yourself.
"Maybe after the shot, though, you might go into that and say 'oh he has shot that and I have shot this', but I don't think, at that particular moment, it is making any difference."
The 2019 World Cup gold medallist, however, keeps a close eye on her opponent's game to understand their tactics. She also believes that studying their game will help her improve
"I also watch what others are doing while playing in the finals, I focus on others too, while playing the finals I also see whether those standing next to me are shooting late or early," Valarivan said.
"Maybe this can help me in future, you can say that this is part of my strategy, to see how the other shooter is pulling the trigger. I believe I can learn something from everyone," she explained.
Valarivan, who is mentored by Olympic bronze medallist Gagan Narang, however believes that Monday's triumph is just another milestone in her journey.
"It is part of the preparation plan I was working on, it's just another step towards the goal. I have no pressure, having a good mentor behind you is always an added advantage," she said.
The mixed shooting events, meanwhile, are set for the Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020.