Tokyo Olympics 2020: ‘If we win a medal on the first day, then it will be a chain reaction’ – Indian coach Suma Shirur confident of young shooters hitting the mark

Tokyo Olympics 2020: ‘If we win a medal on the first day, then it will be a chain reaction’ – Indian coach Suma Shirur confident of young shooters hitting the mark

Saurabh Chaudhary and Elavenil Valarivan

All eyes will be on Indian shooters as the Tokyo Olympics approaches its opening cermony. Shooting is hailed to be India’s best bet at a gold medal and are touted to bring home the most medals among other sports. Indian marksmen Saurabh Chaudhary and Abhishek Verma along with rifle shooters Apurvi Chandela and Elavenil Valarivan will be in action from the very first day.

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Apurvi and Elavenil will be featuring in India’s first medal event of the Summer Games followed by Saurabh and Abhishek. The young guns, who are also the nation’s best bets for an individual medal in the sport, are expected to be under tremendous pressure. Indian coach Suma Shirur feels that if they manage to bag a medal, it would work like a catalyst for the rest of the side.

“I think it’s very very important. It’s the first day, if we make it, it will be a chain reaction. We have a lot of juniors, it’s a very young team. So with them, they have a competitive feeling deep inside. It is like if she does it, then I will do it too. I have seen it so often, even in training, there are such high scores, they are so competitive.“

“So if one of them wins a medal on the first day, then it will be a chain reaction. And I so very much want it to happen,” Shirur told India Today.

“Attending the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony or otherwise is an individual’s decision,” Suma Shirur

India at the Tokyo Olympics
India at the Olympics opening ceremony

The Tokyo Olympics is the maiden summer Games of a majority of the shooting contingent. But Shirur feels that it wont come with extra pressure for the Indian given that they have been performing sumptously off late on some big stages. “Like they say, winning is a habit and that is what our shooters have been doing for the last three-four years consistently. I want them to go into the lane knowing that I am fully prepared and I got to go all out their because I have done my best.“

Barring the various events at the Olympics, the opening cermony is one of the biggest attractions of the sporting extravaganza. But it is not the case this time around with the deadly virus wreaking havoc all around the globe. The opening ceremony which is biggest amalgamations of the athletes at the event could prove to be a biological bomb incase the neccesary precautions are ignored.

“We know it has the potential of becoming a super spreader but then again for some it is a once in a lifetime experience. It is a beautiful feeling to witness the opening ceremony. So on the one side, I dont want my shooters to miss out on that but on their hand there is the fear of the virus. So I would like to leave it to the ahletes.“

“Some of them donot want and then some want to go ahead taking all the precautions. So I think it ireally is an individual’s decision. And whatever is collectively decided by the IOA all the athletes are going to accept it without any questions as its going to be in their best interest,” Suma Shirur signed off.

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