World champion air rifle shooter Rudrankksh Patil will be aiming for “consistency” at the upcoming Asian Games and Asian Championships, which he feels will help him in achieving the bigger goal of winning gold at the Paris Olympics.

Rudrankksh, following his World Championship gold medal-winning performance in Cairo last year and his sublime form throughout the year, is a favourite to clinch the gold at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, but he said such big competitions “help us prepare and grow” as shooters for major events.

Asked if the Asian Games, commencing on Saturday and the Asian Championships in Changwon (South Korea) later this year, will be a stepping stone for winning the gold in Paris, the 19-year-old said: “Our main focus is on the consistency of process, to keep ourselves maintained and to grow. Sometimes we find new methods to grow... I think all that (Asian Games) is helping (prepare for the Olympics).”

The shooter, who was not included in the contingent for the World Championships in Baku recently as the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) wanted to give another shooter a chance to earn a Paris Olympic quota, said he just focuses on his shooting without worrying who his competitor is.

Divyansh Panwar has also emerged as a leading air rifle shooter in the country and comparisons are bound to happen with Rudrankksh, much like when Abhinav Bindra and Gagan Narang emerged on the scene in the 2000s.

However, Rudrankksh said both he and Divyansh enjoy a great relationship.

“The competition is not in the country but outside the country. We (Divyansh and Rudrankksh) mainly focus on ourselves because this is an individual game, we don’t have to make any strategies on defeating other players,” he said.

“We just have to make our own strategies to keep ourselves grounded, humble and keep working on our basics. That is something which is very important in our sport. And when we start seeing each and every shooter as a competitor, that’s the the start of our downfall,” said Rudrankksh.

“I have known him (Divyansh) since 2019. He was always a part of the World Cup team... he has also gone to the Olympics (2020 Tokyo) and he has always been a good shooter. He has always been a mentor, also a great friend and now we are just shooters.”

Huge win

In Hangzhou, Indonesia women thrashed Mongolia by 172 runs in group A as cricket competition got underway at the Asian Games on Tuesday.

Replying to Indonesia’s 187/4 in 20 overs, Mongolia were bundled out for just 15 runs in 10 overs, with seven players perishing for a duck.

In Group B, Malaysia women defeated Hong Kong by 22 runs.

PTI