CHENNAI: Hugs being shared all around, distant family members and old friends reuniting, it's that time of the year when people generally take a break from the rigours of daily life and celebrate. But it's a different tale for some of the elite shooters (pistol and rifle) from the country this time around as they'll be taking part in an Olympic qualification event in the next few days. Pistol shooter Gurpreet Singh, who is currently part of a national camp in New Delhi, is one among them.
One of the few old faces in the Indian contingent for the upcoming Asian Championships in Jakarta, Indonesia, the Armyman, who has been practising the sport for over a decade at the highest level, is set for his latest challenge.
"The camp is going great. I'm returning to the team after quite a long gap. I was looking to gradually make progress and I'm on track in that regard. Seeing talented youngsters do well gives me a lot of motivation," the former Commonwealth Games gold medallist says.
One of the frontline pistol shooters in the past, Gurpreet, 36, has been occupying the backseat for a fair amount of time with youngsters from his category raising the bar in recent years. Despite the competitive nature of the sport, Gurpreet, to his credit, never faded off completely. He has been part of the national and international equation taking part in multiple pistol events, though not with much success. In a sport that has seen some renowned names like Jitu Rai, and Saurabh Chaudhary, to name a few, fade out, what has kept Gurpreet ticking?
"Now, the level of shooting is very high. The scores are high and you get the motivation to match those scores. I have enjoyed success in the past and have been part of the team regularly and it's become a habit. That habit motivates me to work hard and push on," says Gurpreet, who was part of the Rio Olympics.
The upcoming continental event, which is scheduled to be held from January 5 to 18, is a huge opportunity for Gurpreet and the rest of the squad to earn Paris Olympic quotas. Rifle shooters from the country have already secured the maximum quotas available and there are five more quotas yet to be won in the pistol category. In total, India has won 13 Olympic quotas in various events so far.
With so much to play for, it is bound to be a stiff test for Gurpreet, who will be taking part in the men's 25m rapid-fire pistol event. He's mindful of the size of the task ahead of him. "Making a comeback is never easy. I'm just hopeful of doing my best. Competition is bound to be hard."
Having missed out on the Tokyo Olympics, Gurpreet and the rest of the shooters will be hoping that their hard work and dedication will bear fruit.
