Rahi Sarnobat: How domestic competition forced the Tokyo-bound shooter to reinvent the game
Once a clear winner in nationals, the pistol shooter has learnt to embrace the challenge posed by youngsters Manu Bhaker and Chinki Yadav
Rahi Sarnobat was one of the shooters who excelled at the recently concluded ISSF World Cup in New Delhi.
The Pune-based shooter won silver in the 25m pistol event and bagged gold in the team event thrashing Poland 17-7, along with domestic competitors Chinki Yadav and Manu Bhaker. And it was to compatriot Yadav that she lost the gold in the individual event.
Sarnobat has been on the domestic circuit for over a decade, and has represented India at the London Olympics.
Initially, when she started shooting there was be a yawning gap between her and the runners-up in the nationals. But with the emergence of Bhaker and Yadav, in the last few years, the competition has grown fierce. While this keeps her on her toes and has made her a better shooter, she acknowledges that initially, it was a bit unnerving.
"When I started shooting I used to be number one with a difference of 10-15 points. (In India) I had very little competition for a very long time, but now the difference is not much," stated the shooter to Olympic Channel.
"But after a year I settled down to the situation of neck-and-neck competition. They are not responsible for my good or bad shooting. It is an individual sport. If somebody is shooting good, why should I feel anything about it. I should work on myself. It took time," she added.
In 2015, she sustained a career-threatening injury which forced her to go into rehab for almost a year. At that time, Bhaker was fourth in the national standings and making the most of Sarnobat's absence, the teen shooter gained entry into the top three.
"I didn't know her at all back then. When I was trying to make a comeback it was very difficult as I was coming second or third. I had never been in that position. So now even in India, you have to shoot very well, and much better than we used to shoot."
Sarnobat heaped praise on the younger shooters and feels that India's chances of getting gold in team events have increased manifold due to the quality possessed by the likes of Yadav and Bhaker.
"Even the nationals are now like an international competition," she said.
"Full credit to the younger generation because of them everyone has pushed their limits. I am very happy with the team event (against Poland in the ISSF World Cup). It was for the first time we were playing with each other and we really enjoyed the competition. We had discussed so many things and we had a match plan. It was simply a blast. Before, there used to be only one or two shooters. That is not good actually. Now, we not only have good training partners but there is good competition in the team as well. That changes a lot. "
But the uncertainty with the competition schedule in the run-up to the Olympics has put the Arjuna awardee in a spot of bother.
"This is the most uncertain period in anyone's life. The Olympic dates are fixed. I know my competition dates for a year now. But before that which competition is going to happen, I don't know. The camp is still on. It has never been like this. We have our plans for three years. But now, you just train and train and if any competition comes along, you just participate.
"I don't know whether the Baku (World Cup) one in June will go ahead as planned. So these things are really uncertain. We need to make the most of our experience and every single day we have to be productive and train hard to deliver in the Olympics. But we do need competition," asserted Sarnobat.
She feels that in these situations it is important for a shooter to train one's mind so that an athlete can utilise its full potential.
"It's all in the mind, and the mind is everywhere. It is very difficult when you are new to the game. As normal people, we underestimate our mental strength. We do not acknowledge that we can even train our minds. We only talk about physical training. But you can do the same thing with your mind. That idea is under-rated.
"We shooters have to train our minds as well, just like our bodies. If my body knows how much muscle tone I need to get one good shot, even my mind knows how much I need to focus to get that perfect shot. Under pressure, another thought can pop up but we know how to deal with it. This is not an everyday struggle at all at this level. But initially, we had to work on it very hard. Being in the present is the most difficult thing, as our brain is very rarely in the moment," she explained.
With just 100 days to go, Sarnobat can't wait to get to Tokyo and stand in the lane with the pistol in her hand.
"That is the only time I am in control. The weapon is in my hand and I am in the position to conquer everything."
The 30-year-old has very few summits left to conquer in her illustrious career. And one of them is an Olympic medal. Is Tokyo the promised land for her? Will her search for the most coveted prize end in the land of the rising sun? A lot remains to be seen.