Anjali Bhagwat may truly be called a trail-blazer in Indian shooting. She was the first to make it to an Olympic final – in the 10m air rifle at the 2000 Sydney Games – and though she never won an Olympic medal, she went on to win a ISSF World Cup Final and be a Commonwealth Games champion among her other achievements. She also became the world No 1.

With the shooting team at the Tokyo Olympics expected to bring in medals, Anjali said she was confident that the mixed team events (10m air pistol and 10m air rifle) will go India’s way. “But as far as individual events are concerned, I really feel that whoever can keep a cool head on that day will win,” said Anjali, who will be part of the Sony Sports Olympic special show ‘Sports Extraaa’, during a virtual interaction on Thursday.

Asked whether teen sensations Saurabh Chaudhary Manu Bhaker can win individual medals, she said: “Let’s not talk about medals, but I am confident of a good performance. It will be their first Olympic Games, but they have had great international exposure and have done extremely well.

“They have won medals consistently at World Cups, at Asian-level meets, the Commonwealth Games and Youth Olympics. They are very talented and confident. Also they have been guided and supported well and have nothing to lose.”

How will the team handle the pressure of the Olympics? “Pressure is always there, even in domestic meets. But the Olympic Games have their own aura. It is a very different atmosphere. You have a responsibility towards your nation. There are expectations of bringing home a medal. But by the time you make it to the Olympics, you should be ready for it.”

Anjali added that while the Indian shooters were dominating before the Covid-19 pandemic struck, the gap might have given others a chance to catch up. “In 2019, Indians were winning everything. If the Olympics had taken place in 2020, I would have surely said we would get four to six medals. But with the pandemic striking, the rest of the world got the time to catch up with us.

“But I am very confident about our chances in the mixed team events. Both India pairings (Divyansh Singh Panwar/Elavenil Valarivan in 10m air pistol and Saurabh Chaudhary/Manu Bhaker in 10m air rifle) are very strong.

“But in individual events you need luck, you have to be in the zone, you have to have positive thoughts. I feel Rahi (Sarnobat, 25m pistol) has a good chance. But again, it will be the shooter who performs best on that day, the one who can rise above the occasion.

“A shooter must have a positive mind set. They have invested four years for this very special day. They must wake up with the confidence that they have done their best to prepare. You need to enjoy your performance. And then, if your best is good enough for a medal it will be a bonus.”

She added: “Look at what happened to Jitu Rai in 2016. He was billed to win a medal, even a gold. But he could not match up to the expectations. It all depends on what happens on that particular day.”

Asked how dangerous can the Chinese team be, she said: “They are keeping their team a secret. They have not taken part in any major event since the pandemic struck. They also have a fantastic domestic set up. So we have no idea how good they are right now. They are generally very strong. Even the Iranians can be a challenge.”

Looking back at her performance in Sydney, she said: “I was a wild card entry. I was not prepared enough. When I made the final I had no idea how to handle it. But the team members now are not just talented but also very well prepared. They have been trained and taken care of well. They have made winning a habit.

“We hardly had anyone to look up to. But now India has medals of all three colours in our kitty. So that barrier has been broken. The new generation has started on a positive note that they can win an Olympic medal.”

The Olympics will be shown live on Sony Six, Sony Ten2 and Sony Ten3.