How Divyansh Panwar did away with his PUBG addiction to focus on his game?
The ace shooter was a huge fan of the popular online combat game in his early teens
In 2017, Divyansh Panwar was sent to New Delhi to train under national coach Deepak Kumar Dubey at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range. He was just a 14-year-old kid back then.
But his father, Ashok Panwar, had no other choice but to do so since he had to stop his son from idling away hours on his mobile phone playing PUBG. And the result was there for everyone to see.
In the same year, Panwar swept the junior and youth nationals in the 10m rifle category. He followed it up by winning in the senior men's category as well. His performances continued to soar and in the 2019 ISSF World Cup in Beijing the rifleman posted a score of 249 to win a silver and book a berth for the Tokyo Olympics.
“We used to scold him for playing online games and ironically, we saw his final in Beijing online. Like most teenagers, he wasted time playing PUBG rather than focussing on his training or studies and I would often scold him. But I tell you, after winning the medal today, he would have played a round of PUBG,” Ashok told The Indian Express after his World Cup medal.
However, Divyansh had already mended his ways. He understood that sacrifices need to be made to win a medal at the grandest stage.
"I stay away from all kinds of video games. Everything has stopped,” said Panwar to Olympics.com before leaving for Tokyo.
The teenager now likes to spend time doing things that would keep him calm and not trigger his adrenaline.
“I have got a dog and I spend my time with him. When I return from practice it is very relaxing to spend time with him. I also have a guitar. I can't play that well but still, I try. "
In his new lifestyle yoga and meditation form a crucial part. It helps him to improve his concentration in the shooting range.
"It is like 70 per cent of our game is mental. Only 30 per cent is physical. With the Olympics getting delayed I just got more time to prepare."
In fact, during the lockdown, his day would start with Yoga at 5:30 in the morning. In the day he would train for around six hours and before 10 pm, he would be in bed. In Delhi, he shares an apartment with co-shooter Vivek Singh Bhaduria with whom he shares a very close bond. After a dismal performance in the T3 trials in March 2021, he spent the entire night sharing his anguish with Bhaduria.
"I did not sleep and neither let my friend sleep. I spoke to him and I learnt a lot. He supported me a lot. But I was completely down. Toot sa gaya tha (I was broken). It was like I couldn't even compete the next day. But he motivated me a lot and helped me regain my confidence," he narrated.
In the T4 trials, Panwar shot a world record score of 253.1. He also made striking alterations in his diet in his quest for a podium finish in the Olympics. He stuck to the food prescribed by his nutritionist which was sugar-free and outside food was seldom allowed.
Now it remains to be seen whether his sacrifices earn him an Olympic medal on Tuesday when he will be in action in the Mixed Team event along with Elavenil Valarivan on July 27.