Gagan Narang seems to be a relaxed man now. And why not! Getting a quota a year in advance for the 2016 Rio Olympics has given him ample time to plan and practice for the mega event. Excerpts from interview:

1. Relief...Exhilaration or just a calm acceptance of the fact that you won the coveted Olympic Quota for India

I would say it was a part of the process. There are definite goals set along a path and this was one of my milestones for 2015. Getting the quota a year an advance gives me good time to plan my peaks, iron out chinks in my armour and get ready for the big stage.

2. You came close at the World Championship again in Prone. So this was very much on the agenda wasn’t it? You had been in good nick as well.

In life and work you chart a route and see yourself trek along it. Targeting an Olympic quota had to be on my cards since shooting is what I do the best. The only slight deviation was that my injury made me change focus from Air Rifle to Prone. Luckily all the work I did paid off.

3. Not too many know the struggle you have gone through. It was your dream to win an Olympic medal and that was achieved in London. But post London your health took a tumble and as a result your career took a nosedive as well.

And not too many remember either that I was shooting very well in three position in London, when the injury got the better of me. I was sad to lose that medal. The injuries set me back and I returned home empty handed from several key competitions over the last few years, but I was also the only Indian to win two medals in Glasgow. That was my first big medal in prone. My body may have not held out but I was never short on motivation to fire. Not many would understand what it would take to come to top from in a completely new event it’s like starting from scratch and i am happy to be a multidisciplinary medallist.


4. But over the years Gagan Narang has always given his best when the chips were down. How did you prepare for this World Cup then and how much did experience help you in negotiating that tricky final where everyone starts at zero?

I was back to competitive shooting from the beginning of the year. I made it to a few finals in prone internationally and in India I also have had good scores but what I needed was consistency. I went to Switzerland and Germany for two training stints. I got my jacket adjusted, lost some weight. I went through some trial and error. Finally, settled down with my technique.

I always perform better under pressure. That showed once again. I knew that with a few 10.9s, the podium wasn't far. I was able to control nerves. Had the few 9's been more consistent, I could have had a better finish.


5. For you the aim would also be to get back to full form in your pet event the air rifle?

Sure, that is what my aim is and I am working very hard to do so. I think in the next few months I will be able to achieve my goal with air rifle as well. There are some technical changes that I have done. a New Walther Rifle Hopefully they will work for me.

6. For the last two Olympic Games you have shot all 3 events at the Olympic Games. Does this quota now give you the extra motivation to push yourself one more time?

I am 32 and this is my 4th Olympics. I would at least look to play three more and win a few more medals. I would be very keen to shoot all three events in as many Olympics I can and aim for more than one medal in at least one of the games I participate.

7. 3 quotas now for India...how do you look at the way the team is performing? The Indian shooters are always at the forefront of winning medals and laurels for India.

Indian shooting has come a long way. There are a very talented bunch of shooters. They can rule the world on their day. I would imagine that this contingent will grab many more medals than it had the last time around.


8. Indian shooting has won consecutive Olympic medals from 2004. But there has been no repeat medalist. You love challenges and does that motivate you now?

You go into an Olympic, wanting to win a medal. History does not count. what counts is your form on the day. What counts is whether your mind and body are in perfect sync. If that happens, there is no stopping an individual. Records are for academic purpose and I do not need to be bothered about what happened in the past. My focus is the future.