Will focus on nationals, says Asian Games shooting star Rudrankksh Patil

Mumbai, Asian Games shooting star Rudrankksh Patil has said his next target is the nationals, on his road to qualifying for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.The Indian shooting sensation told PTI that his three-medal haul at the recent Asian Games in Japan is a key step in boosting confidence for future competitions.

"My parents' goal was that I should try as many sports as I can. I started with gymnastics and then tried table tennis, badminton, skating, cricket and football, but none of the coaches called me back.

"I then took up shooting. One summer camp, I did well and my coach called my mom saying that I have some talent," said the 22-year-old, who bagged a bronze medal in the men's 10m Air Rifle Individual event and clinched silver medals in the team events of the men's 10m Air Rifle and men's 50m Rifle 3 positions in the 2026 Asian Games.

Asked what facilities and infrastructure the government needs to provide to encourage shooting, the 2022 World Champion said this was a cumulative effort.

"For example, all our weapons are manufactured in Germany and ammunition pellets are also manufactured in Europe. China was lacking those good quality pellets, so they started investing heavily in their own ammunition and pellets factory. Now they have a monopoly in pellets industry," he said.

"I feel the country can invest in small startup ideas required for sports infrastructure. Developing Olympic-focused ranges is another idea.

"We have a concept called national centre of excellence where the top 10-20 athletes train together. But I feel an Olympic range, where only top five or top six can go and train can create a much more focused branch," he said.

Rudrankksh, whose father Balasaheb is an Indian Police Service officer, said we need to develop overall interest at grassroots-level for everyone to participate in such sports.

"Why would a middle-class person send his child in a career where it is very difficult to afford the equipment? The cash rewards also vary in various states. We also lack a central job recruitment system," he said.

Asked about his plans, Rudrankksh said, "My main goal right now is the nationals, so that I can aim for qualifying for the Olympics."

He welcomed Maharashtra Government's revised sports policy that provides for reservation in government and semi-government jobs for sportspersons who have won medals in Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, world championship and Olympics.

"Maharashtra Government now has one of the best policies for sportspersons," he said.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.