With lessons from 50m pistol, Ravinder’s aim on 10m air pistol for 2028 LA Olympics

Ravinder Singh was willing to give up his world title defence in 50m pistol if he had made the 10m air pistol team for the ISSF World Championships in Doha, where LA Olympics quotas are at stake in the event. He came close, too. Ravinder finished fifth in the selection trial rankings, but only the top three make the team.

Ravinder then shifted focus to defending the 50m pistol title. Though he missed gold on Tuesday and finished with silver in Doha, he was satisfied that he gave his best (559 pts-11x) in the close final against Russian Anton Aristarkhov, who won gold scoring 561-9x.

"It was just about one card (series) where I fell short. But I was following my process all through and was very patient in dealing with the pressure situation. That's more important," Ravinder told HT from Doha.

The 29-year-old became 50m pistol world champion at Cairo last year, after his bronze in 2023. As much as he loves the event that has fulfilled his dream of becoming a world champion, his eyes are fixed on 10m air pistol — the Olympic discipline which is his pet event since he was introduced to the sport in the Army in 2017.

He was part of the Indian team in 2019 before a dip in form during Covid put him out of contention. It made him take up 50m pistol and compete in both events. With an eye on LA Olympics, Ravinder’s focus is back on 10m air pistol.

"I was back on the 10m air pistol team and last year competed in two World Cups, making it to the final in one. This year I did well in the trials and was very close to selection. If I had made the 10m team I would have competed in an Olympic event. Eventually my target is to qualify for LA. But I am happy with my scores in the trials.

“I shot a 586 in the fifth trial and it is a score I was shooting after a long time in air pistol. So, I know I am very close and it’s a matter of time before I get into the 10m team again," says Ravinder.

The Senior National Championships will be his next focus. The 50m pistol team that won gold in Doha also included Tokyo Olympian Saurabh Chaudhary, another 10m shooter who is looking to get back into the side, and Amanpreet Singh.

"I was talking to Saurabh about our performance and we both felt this will boost our confidence for the Nationals. We will be preparing for 10m and try and get back into the team before the next Olympic quota event early next year."

The switch to 50m pistol has helped Ravinder be more patient and build a good technique. Since 2021, he has competed in both events in domestic events. "I was going through a bad patch in 2021 and went out of the Indian team in 10m for two years. That's when I started 50m. My coach in Army (Manoj Kumar) told me that a new event will help me polish my skills in 10m as well," says the 29-year-old Subedar in the Army, who hails from Bishnah in J&K.

In his first National Championships in 50m in 2021, he came second. In training, he switches to 50m two weeks before a major competition.

The 10m air pistol is an indoor event that uses pellets, while the 50m event uses .22-calibre cartridges and tests a shooter's precision, patience and ability to deal with changing weather conditions. The most important part, besides the difference, is triggering.

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“The trigger in 50m is lighter, so you need to have a lot of patience to follow the process and then fire. You have to be in good control of your shots. You also need to adjust to the external conditions. I do lot of holding, take my time before firing. It has helped in 10m as well. There is more focus and control. My scores have improved and the experience of competing in two events has made me learn so much.”

On the second day of the World Championships too, India failed to win any quota place, in 25m rapid fire pistol. Bhavesh Shekhawat was 12th with a score of 582, Gurpreet Singh was 18th (579) and Suraj Sharma 35th (571).

In the air rifle mixed team event, India’s Sonam Uttam Maskar and Himanshu Dhillon finished seventh in qualification. The second team of Shambhavi Kshirsagar and Parth Mane was disqualified after Shambhavi failed her kit test during a random check.

The stiffness of Shambhavi’s jacket exceeded the prescribed limit. Though her apparel was cleared during the weapon control on the opening day, random tests are also done after matches. India coaches said the ISSF has been very strict as the new rules have been followed since the start of the season.

"Sometimes, too much cold conditions in the AC hall make the jackets stiffer," a coach said. Shambhavi had failed a similar test in a junior world championships too.