ISSF Jr WC: Coach Rajput's aim to help young guns prosper

New Indian Express

14-05-2025

CHENNAI: Indian shooting has largely been in the pink of health for the last decade or so. One of the primary reasons behind that is the junior programme. Most of the present-day senior shooters, including double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker, evolved through the junior programme. Sanjeev Rajput, a former champion shooter in the rifle discipline, is one of the key persons involved in the said programme as he's the coach of the junior national rifle team.
Rajput and some 60-odd shooters across disciplines are currently making last-minute preparations in New Delhi ahead of their first World Cup assignment of the season. They generally practice in the morning and have a physical training session in the afternoon and a session with the sports psychologist.
The team is expected to depart on May 17 for the ISSF Junior World Cup in Suhl, Germany. The event is scheduled to begin on May 19 and go on until May 26. Rajput, who is fairly a new face in the coaching setup at the national level, is encouraged by the talent in store. "It's been going really well. Two, three kids have been doing quite good. Adriyan Karmakar has been doing well. Apart from him, there's Anushka Thokur who has been doing quite well and there's Prachi. Depending on the day, Prachi can deliver a strong performance. I think they'll do well," he said.
As per entry list, there are 57 Indians (across disciplines) who'll be competing for medals at Suhl. Besides, there will be a few more shooters who'll be competing for just the ranking points. The level of performance of junior shooters could determine India's future in the sport. These shooters could potentially be following Bhaker's path in future Olympic editions. Rajput and the rest of the coaching staff are hoping to maintain their rich history.
"This is my fourth assignment. I couldn't go for the first assignment. In my second assignment, I had travelled with the team for the Deaf World Championship and we finished first. I had also gone for the junior World Championships in Peru last year. Even there we finished first. I hope I'll be able to prove myself and we can deliver as a team," he said.
Rajput is a former shooter who thrived for well over a decade, garnering medals across competitions and he also featured in as many as three Olympics. It has been a different form of test for the coach from Haryana. "It's really enjoyable. I can sense what's going on in their minds, their struggles and most of the shooters are very receptive and able to accept what I'm saying and make the necessary tweaks in their game to get the results.
"The only thing I can say is I feel if I had been shooting, it would have been much easier for me. Sometimes it's quite difficult but I'm a coach and I should stay calm."
Eye on Mahit Sandhu
Shooter Mahit Sandhu has hearing issues and she had been one of the standout shooters during the World Deaf Shooting Championships 2024 in Hanover, Germany. Part of the Suhl World Cup, she'll be shooting alongside regular shooters now. And Rajput is hoping that she can replicate her Worlds performance.
"She uses a hearing aid and was with me at the Hanover World Championships for Deaf and she was outstanding then, putting up some record scores. Right now, she is with this team and I'm trying to guide her as much as possible so that she can once again come up with good shooting. Let's see how she does," Rajput said.
"But I have to say that the standard over here (junior national camp) is a little different. The standard of World Cups is a little higher. But as far as the India team is concerned, she did really well and she got into the team. Let's hope for the best. She is quite confident also."