On a comeback trail after a long hiatus due to injury and poor form, two-time Commonwealth Games champion Rahi Sarnobat is targeting a podium finish at the Asian Games later this month.
“The Asian Games are to commence in just 15 days and later there are the World Championships [in Korea]. Even if they [the Asian Games] are challenging for me, my preparation is very good,” the 27-year-old pistol shooter told PTI.
Sarnobat had clinched back-to-back gold medals at the 2010 Delhi and 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games in the 25m pistol event.
But fate willed otherwise as the pistol shooter, who trains in Pune, was forced to take a nearly year-long break from the range due to an elbow injury and her form dipped subsequently. But she has now climbed her way back into the top two in the event.
The 27-year-old recounted how 2017 was a mixed bag year after an injury-forced break in 2016.
“These Games are very important (for me). In 2016, I did not shoot the entire year, as I took a break owing to an injury. From December 2016/January 2017, I again started playing in competitions. I had a mixed 2017, at the international events and I could not give a high-level performance.
“In 2018, two World Cups happened and in one of them I stood fourth and in the other I had an average performance,” she said.
She also felt that the Indian woman shooters will do better at the upcoming Asian Games in Indonesia than they had done four years ago.
“The competition is tough, but I think now the Indian women are very ready for that, because in the last Asian Games [in 2014 in Incheon], I was in the final and we bagged a team bronze in 25m. The entire Indian team is hopeful of a good performance and even I am ready for that,” she said.