“Everyone is young and everyone wants to perform well” - Sift Kaur Samra dissects pressure on shooters ahead of Paris Olympics
India has had a bit of a dry spell in shooting at the Olympic Games, and Sift Kaur Samra is likely to face the most pressure in Paris.
Back in 2008, Abhinav Bindra scripted history when he became the first person from the country to clinch an individual Olympic gold. 2012 London was another good show for the country's shooters, but a string of disappointments has followed. The sport's athletes returned empty-handed from Rio as well as Tokyo, despite having been medal favorites going into the competitions.
Now, as the 2024 Games are fast approaching, Sift Kaur Samra isn't feeling the pressure of bygones, even as expectations weigh heavy.
“Everyone is young, and everyone wants to perform well. Shooters did an excellent job at the Asian Games, and everyone has family support. Unlike before, we also have enough equipment. I don’t think we have pressure. Everyone knows they have to work on their technique, and we will do it. Pressure shows that we are humans, but we also know how to control it,” she said at the Sportstar 'Focus Punjab’ sports conclave.
Samra went on to share how she deals with nerves when they hit, acknowledging the difficulty of staying in the present when so much is at stake. She said:
“Everyone has a different style (to handle pressure). For me, if there are thoughts coming, I allow them. I know that I am playing a match, and I have to focus on what I have practiced. Many times, you think that you might miss the shot, but here is when you have to be mentally strong and come back to the present. We are working on focusing on every single shot rather than thinking about the 60-shot match. It is difficult, but we are trying.”
Sift Kaur Samra on the camaraderie in the Indian shooting squad
Shooting is a staunchly individual sport, and with thriving competition on the national scene, one would assume that rivalries amongst compatriots are commonplace.
However, Sift Kaur Samra assured fans that there's no bad blood between any of the country's shooters, and while they may be competitors on the field, they're all friends off it.
“We’re friends. When we are in the lane, we are competitors, but after that, everyone congratulates the person who does well. If someone goes through a bad day, everyone discusses what went wrong and what could be done better,” she said at the ‘Focus Punjab' conclave.
For Samra and her compatriots, while representing and winning medals for India is the ultimate dream, they're just as happy when it's a fellow shooter who gets the opportunity to bring glory to the country on the international stage.
“It is an individual sport, but there is also a team spirit where we all want to go together and everyone can win a medal. Because two people are selected, we can win that gold.”