Learnt to enjoy the sport from Virat Kohli: Bhowneesh Mendiratta | More sports News – Times of India

GANDHINAGAR: Bhowneesh Mendiratta, 23, is jet-lagged after flying from Osijek (Croatia) to Delhi to Ahmedabad. Fellow shooter Shreyashi Singh tells him he has dark circles under his eyes. The heat at the Crowne shooting range in Ahmedabad is only making things difficult. But the young trap shooter is not complaining, as he has returned with a ticket to the 2024 Paris Games.
Mendiratta became India’s first athlete to qualify for the Paris Olympics after finishing fourth in the men’s trap event at the ISSF World Championships in Ojisek last week. In shooting, the quota belongs to the country and not the shooter. After winning it early, the Faridabad shooter will have to keep doing well and stay in the top form for two years to get the nod for Paris.
“I love to be in this position rather than being in a position where it is the last qualifying competition and I have one last chance. In the competition last week, I kept telling myself that I was shooting well. Reminded myself that this is the best chance to qualify for Paris. The next chance will come next year at the World Championships. Now that I know I will be in the team for next year, I will use that opportunity to prepare at that level. Now the pressure is on the guys who still don’t have a quota,” he said.
Mendiratta started shooting in the double trap event, but soon after he began, double trap was dropped from the Olympic programme by the international shooting body. This meant he had to unlearn and learn a new discipline.
“One day I decided that this (double trap) was going to be my last competition. I told my-self if I shot badly or great, I was switching either way. Olympics was the sole aim,” he added. Competition in trap events is tough and no Indian shooter has even got closer to a medal at the Olympics. The Haryana shooter said winning a medal in Paris remains his top priority. He said he has learnt a thing or two from Virat Kohli, which is making a difference to his game.
“In July this year, we had a trial in New Delhi. I realised that I was pushing too much. I was faking the intensity which was coming out. You just can’t force things in this sport. You just have to let things happen on their own. My shooting style was very monotonous. I was putting in too much effort. I happen to be a big fan of Virat Kohli. I was following this interview of his where he spoke about enjoying his sport. That’s when it clicked in my head. I asked myself why I had picked up the sport in the first place. At the start, I was not concerned about scores. I was just happy that I was breaking the targets. I liked the sport. That hit me hard. If I was not enjoying the sport, then what was the point. My attitude changed after that,” Mendiratta said.