"The thought that I wouldn't qualify never crossed my mind" - Sift Kaur Samra upbeat about Paris Olympic prospects following stellar run
Sift Kaur Samra was never in doubt with regard to securing an Olympic spot despite the intensely competitive and suspenseful selection process ahead of the Paris Games.
Approaching the Olympics on the back of a medal-winning performance in the ISSF World Cup, Sift was confident that the consistency she displayed over the last two years would stand her in good stead for the qualifications.
Over the course of an exclusive interaction with Sportskeeda, the 23-year-old shed light on what prompted her to travel to Munich and why the World Cup was a vital preparatory step ahead of the all-important Olympic Games.
Sift Kaur Samra, who ended up as the top finisher in the women's 50m rifle 3 positions event in the selection trials in May, revealed that she has been upbeat ever since. NRAI officially announced the 15-member Rifle and Pistol team on June 11.
"I was confident that I would make it following my performance in the trials considering that I was ahead of the rest by a sizeable margin in terms of points. Also, I have been consistently at the top for the last couple of years as well so the thought that I wouldn't qualify never crossed my mind," Sift stated.
"That said, I was always looking forward to my name featuring on the final list. I was quite happy immediately after the trials and have been so since," she added.
A bronze medal in the 50m 3 positions event at the ISSF World Cup 2024 was the icing on the cake for Sift who narrowly missed out on a silver.
"I needed to know where I stand" - Sift Kaur Samra on decision to take part in Munich World Cup
The presence of all the top Olympic medal contenders at the Munich World Cup prompted the 2022 Asian Games silver medalist to participate in the event. Taking part in a major competition before the Olympic Games was on Sift's mind but the decision to fly to Munich did involve a great deal of thought.
"There are some athletes who prefer not to participate in tournaments ahead of big events like the Olympic Games. As far as I am concerned, I needed to know where I stand as compared to the rest of the field. As such, taking part in the World Cup was really important for me as compared to training," she opined.
"Also, the fact that the nations and athletes competing in the World Cup are the same ones who will take part in the Olympic Games was another big reason for me to participate in the Munich tournament," Sift asserted.
While explaining that different shooters approach big events like the Olympic Games differently, Sift Kaur Samra stressed that she did indeed make the right call.
"I had put in a lot of thought into the decision and I feel it was the right one. There are some athletes, who would however prefer to train before a big event like the Olympics rather than take part in tournaments. So different athletes choose to approach events like the Olympics differently," the girl from Faridkot stated.
"The Munich World Cup went pretty well. I did really well in the qualification rounds and the elimination as well. In the finals, I could have won a silver with my last shot but it was a great experience," Sift Kaur Samra declared.
After having taken part in the Asian Olympic Qualifiers in Jakarta in January, Sift opted to use the Munich World Cup to get back into a competitive frame of mind before the Olympics.
"All the major countries were at the World Cup and I see the World Cup result in a very positive light ahead of the Olympic Games. I had taken part in an international competition in January and therefore I needed the experience of the World Cup to assess the level that I am at before the Paris Games," she stated.
Sift Kaur Samra, who discontinued an MBBS course to pursue her passion for shooting, has been picked for the women's 50m rifle 3 positions event at the upcoming Paris Olympics as has Anjum Moudgil.