SHOOTING

ISSF World Cup Finals: Sidhu, Rai team up in mixed team event

heena-sidhu [File] Heena Sidhu | PTI

The prestigious, season ending International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup Finals  is all set to start at the Picturesque Dr Karni Singh Range on Tuesday morning. Day 1 of shooting action will have India's pistol aces Heena Sidhu and Jitu Rai team up in the 10m Air Pistol mixed team event. For the first time, three mixed team events are being held in the World Cup finals—with all contestants finding their way  with an eye on Tokyo Olympics in 2020.

For Sidhu and Rai, suddenly, the focus and expectations of them have risen. Not only do the country's hopes for medals rest on them individually, their teaming up in Mixed Team events has given hopes for a medal more from the duo. 

They go into the competition as one of the favourite in the team events. They have in the past , won gold medal  twice in the newly introduced mixed team events – in the World Cup in New Delhi in February 2017 and then at the World Cup in Gabala, Azerbeijasn. However both of them were Test events. It is in the ISSF WCF starting on Tuesday that the mixed team events will be medal events.

Both Rai and Sidhu however don't sound too perturbed  about the added burden. They are approaching it in a structured and planned manner. The mixed team event, they realise as they proceed, needs to be strategically approached. “I feel the mixed event can only help me in my individual event. There is so much adaptability needed here, there is so much distraction that if I can perform under those demanding conditions, my performance in the individual event will only improve," said Sidhu.

Adaptability involves who takes what position—left or right and and rhythm of shooting. “Right now we are putting 85% of our energies on individual events. Before that is altered and we need to give more attention in training to mixed team events, we would like to be clear on the format—which is still changing,” said Sidhu. However she doesnt anticipate any major changes in training for this event, saying, “basics are still the same.” 

Both Rai and Sidhu are training in their respective training base at Mhou and Mumbai respectively. In the previous two events where they won medals, the duo got together, interacted only on reaching the range. However Rai disclosed that they have trained together here during the pre-tournament camp and discussed a few things. In his simple straightforward way, Rai, a former World number 1 said, “Its okay. We will manage. It shouldn't be too difficult. In matter of rhythm etc we are not finding it difficult to adjust to each other's pace.”

jitu-rai-pti [File] Jitu Rai | PTI

Given that this is a new medal event, decoding what it takes to come out on top in the mixed team event is a continuous process. “There is still no clarity on how one will qualify for the mixed event in Olympics. Want to know clearly how that will happen,” said Sidhu. 

The mixed events in 10m air rifle, 10m Air Pistol and Trap was ratified by ISSF Executive Committee and administrative Council unanimously in a bid to achieve gender equality . these mixed events came at the cost of 50m rifle prone (men) and 50-m pistol which have been axed by ISSF in a bid to retain maximum 15 competitions in Olympics for shooting.  

A total of 162 athletes from 45 countries will be participating in the WCF spread over six competition days. China with 26 competitiors has the largest squad and dozens former and reigning Olympic champions will be participating.

India will be fielding a 10-member squad which includes current world number 1 Double Trap shooter Ankur Mittal and Double Trap prodigy Shapath Bharadwaj.

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Topics : #Shooting

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