Quota in hand, but Sanjeev Rajput still faces an uphill climb
Sanjeev Rajput after winning a quota for Rio Olympics.
Chain Singh has been in the form of his life in the 50m rifle three position. And ranking points and raving pedigree point towards Gagan Narang taking up the second spot for Rio. Which leaves Sanjeev Rajput who won an official second quota for the country in the event facing an uphill task – soon after getting the job of fetching the quota done. “Even if I shoot 1190 in trials it won’t put me in top spot (to go to Rio). I’ll just have to maintain my form and let the National Rifle Association of India decide. It’s the first time I have all the back-up and support – mental trainers, physical trainers, etc. So it’s time to make that support count,” he says, backing himself, though not aggressively, to be picked for Rio nevertheless.
It’s his experience at the Olympics – it’ll be his third – that Rajput hopes will push his case.
His quota might’ve come on the last possible day of qualification for Asian shooters. But no one can deny the shooter has poured effort into getting himself into contention.
It’s been a rough two years for Rajput. He quit his navy job after the last Haryana government offered him a police inspector’s job (a World Cup medallist, he wouldn’t be wrong to expect a higher post), but a change of government put a legal freeze on even that below-par appointment. Shooting’s expensive, but Rajput has been nervously plodding along without a stable job.
Dreaming of his third, Rajput went on a total overhaul: he would change his jacket thrice and weapons twice over. Whether he’s lacked conviction to stick by one set of equipment or it’s just his rotten luck, but these technical changed forced upon him haven’t helped the rifle shooter who used to shoot stunning scores in the last Olympic cycle, but has fumbled along a long, dark tunnel of despair these last two years.
If all of that hadn’t tested him enough, his barrel extension would snap three days ago, and he’d be shuffling around batches of assorted ammunition while he shot kneeling and prone. That was a lot of chaos added to the already frenzied demands of the three position.
Yet after a modest qualification, Rajput would enter the finals assured that there were four quota slots available but still under pressure to make good, and keep it cautious.
His time kneeling was torrid as he shot the worst score on the range 146.7 though he would he would make ground in the prone, even shooting a highest series of 52.9. In the second of the standing series there would be a howling 7.7 but he would cling onto the 4th to earn a quota.
Rajput’s believed for a while that he’s been left to fend for himself when it comes to technical guidance from a coach. But on Tuesday, he would say coach Lapidus chipped in with inputs during the final. The coach himself was relieved a quota had been got though he confessed Rajpput’s shooting was far from smooth.
“It’s been tough for him in prone and kneeling last year and today we had to overcome the broken rifle. I’m happy we have the quota, though not satisfied,” Lapidus said.
Apart from talking about his gun struggles, Rajput believed his decision to leave navy was an additional challenge he has laboured through. “It’s different when you have the support of the navy behind you. It’s difficult doing everything as a civilian,” he would say. “You have to deal with it alone.”
Having trodden through this rough phase and securing a quota with a huff, though braced silently for whatever the federation decides, Sanjeev Rajput can only hope the worst is firmly behind him.
