“Both shooters have shown tremendous growth” – Ramita Jindal and Elavenil Valarivan’s coach on their Paris 2024 Olympics performances
India’s rifle shooting duo Ramita Jindal and Elavenil Valarivan’s performances in the recently concluded Paris 2024 Olympics have shown great improvement in their abilities despite the lack of a medal, their coach Neha Chavan said.
Speaking to reporters from ANI, Chavan, who is a shooting coach at the Gun for Glory program under the Gagan Narang Sports Promotion Foundation (GNSPF), said:
“Both Elavenil and Ramita performed really well, and I am very proud of them. Elavenil started strong in the qualification round but her last three shots affected the final outcome. Ramita, on the other hand, had a good start and made a remarkable comeback in the last series, reaching the final in her debut at just 20 years old is amazing. Both the shooters have shown tremendous growth since they began training with us.”
25-year-old Valarivan, who is a former shooting world champion, narrowly failed to qualify for the final round in the women’s singles 10m air rifle event. Despite a strong start, she slipped to the 10th spot after scoring a 9.8 in her penultimate shot.
However, 20-year-old Jindal was a revelation in this year’s Summer Olympic Games, qualifying for the final round in her Olympic debut by finishing fifth in the qualification round. In the final round, she finished in a respectable seventh position on her first try, scoring 145.3.
“There’s always room to get better” – Shooting coach backs Ramita Jindal and Elavenil Valarivan to improve upon Paris 2024 Olympics showing
Despite their stellar performances in Paris, Ramita Jindal and Elavenil Valarivan will be disappointed to return empty-handed from the Olympic Games.
As a result, coach Neha Chavan said that there’s room for improvement in the shooter’s performance in the upcoming tournaments, highlighting the upward trajectory of their careers since starting their training under Gagan Narang’s foundation.
Speaking to ANI, Chavan said:
“As for improvement, there's always room to get better, even if you win a medal. I have been training Elavenil for the past two editions of Olympics, and Ramita has also been training under me for a long time now. We worked on various factors including developing skill-set and developing the Olympic mindset.”
Elavenil Valarivan and Ramita Jindal will soon be in action as the ISSF has a packed schedule ahead, culminating in the ISSF World Cup final on October 13, which will be held in New Delhi.