Why Indian shooters struggle to win Olympic gold?

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Small mistakes, pressure and final-round performance can make a world of difference

Chandigarh, September 20

India is doing much better now than before in the Shooting World Cup and in other major events such as the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games. Indian shooters have also been finishing among the top three in the Shooting World Cup, because of their stupendous performances in such prestigious sporting events, there are many expectations from the Indian shooters to perform well at the Olympic Games as well.

But the burning question is why are Indian shooters unable to convert their World Cup performances into gold winning performances at the Olympics?

If we analyse the performance of our Indian shooters in the Olympic Games, India has won seven medals till the 2024 Paris Olympics. Out of these seven medals, there has been only one gold medal, which was won by Abhinav Bindra in the 10-metre air rifle competition at the Beijing Olympics in China. India has also won two silver and four bronze medals in Olympic shooting.

Looking at the history of Indian shooters, their performance at the Paris Olympics was a successful outing, where they won three bronze medals in shooting. Before Paris, the previous successful outing for Indian shooters in shooting was at the London Olympics in 2012, where they won two medals, including one silver and one bronze.

At the Paris Olympics in 2024, Manu Bhaker created history by becoming the first Indian female shooter to win an Olympic shooting medal at the age of 22. She also became the first athlete from independent India to win two medals in a single edition of the Games.

But if our shooters can perform well in events such as the Shooting World Cup, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games, why do they falter at the Olympic Games? It is a very hard question to answer.

Does luck matter in the finals for the shooters? To answer the first question, I think luck plays a very important role in sports. If there is any small mistake by a shooter, he or she can miss a medal by a point difference. I have also observed that in many Olympic Games our Indian shooters have missed the final qualification by a small point difference. In the shooting finals, the top eight shooters qualify for the final because of which, even a small difference in the qualification score can decide whether a shooter reaches the final or misses the mark.

Do our shooters take pressure in the Olympic finals? According to my observation Indian shooters take immense pressure in the final rounds, and that is exactly where they miss the opportunity to win gold medals. If we consider the performance of the Indian shooters in the qualification rounds, they qualify very well. But when the final round begins, the pressure of the Olympics can be seen right on the faces of the Indian shooters.

In comparison shooters from other countries such as China and South Korea, appear calmer in such stressful situations and at such critical junctures because of which they are able to perform much better during the finals of the Olympic Games.

In many Olympic Games shooters from other countries consistently hit scores such as 10.8 or 10.9 even when under pressure. Shooters from China and South Korea remain calm and are able to consistently hit 10.8 and 10.9 while taking their final shots.

So one question which comes to my mind again and again is, why are our Indian shooters unable to hit 10.8 and 10.9 scores while taking their final shots? And how can Indian shooters overcome this situation?

I think Indian shooters have to change their mindset and train themselves to remain calm and in control under stressful situations because if the mind is not relaxed, it becomes difficult to concentrate on the target. A shooter needs to remain focused and should avoid every kind of distraction including what is being posted about them on social media.

I think if shooters are exposed to the outer environment and allowed outside exposure at such critical points in their career, events and tournaments then they can feel stressed and gather all kinds of expectations in their minds which can accordingly affect their performance at the Olympic Games.

Our shooters are doing well in the Shooting World Cup and other major events. They are capable of competing at high level events and tournaments. But performing under the pressure of the Olympic Games is a different challenge.

Small mistakes can make a huge difference and pressure can also affect the final shots. Therefore, Indian shooters need to remain relaxed, avoid the outside noise and concentrate on their target. Just like the horse with the blinkers on, only focussed on his target. What can come handy and helpful to deal with such situations is meditation and stress-managing strategies in sports which should be given a paramount importance while training the shooters for their international tournaments. Their coaches should place these stress-managing workshops and classes at the top-most rung of their prorities while planning the training schedules for the shooters. This in turn will help the shooters manage stress at its highest level while competing in the international events and games.

The ability to stay calm when under pressure is at its highest, is mandatory for not just our Indian shooters if they want to convert their strong performances into Olympic golds but also other Indian sportspersons competing and representing our country at world class tournaments and events.