Paris Olympics is my ultimate goal, says Hyderabad shooter Esha Singh]
Hyderabad: Talented shooter from Hyderabad Esha Singh had an impressive outing in her maiden World Championships. She bagged four medals, including three gold, in the recently-concluded ISSF Rifle/Pistol World Championship 2022 in Cairo, Egypt.
The 17-year-old youngster showcased her talent and nerves of steel en route to individual gold in 25m pistol. She faced a malfunction with the gun in the final of the event. But she brushed it aside and came out with flying colours.
Esha said she surprised herself with the performance given the tough competition. “It was a wonderful experience as it was my first world championship. It is one of the tournaments which saw maximum countries in fray. The competition was very tough till the last shot. I was expecting this kind of competition knowing that the Chinese teams were also coming. We prepared in such a way that we would give our best irrespective of the competition and win medals,” said the youngster.
Esha said her preparations for the big event were as usual. Speaking of her performance, she said, “This is one of my best performances. I surprised myself. I didn’t have any special training for this event. It is always the experience and you learn from playing tournaments. You learn a lot especially from the matches you lose. You know your shortcomings and you go back and work on them. My routine doesn’t really change depending on what kind of tournaments I play. if I find certain technicalities, I work on it.”
She credited her father Sachin Singh for her success. “My father played a big role in my success. He was always there with me. He left his own sport to support me. He always tells me to believe in myself ahead.” When asked about the impact of the performance, she said, “This probably leaves a big mark in my career. Winning a world championship is a big leap. I feel grateful for this.”
Esha revealed that her ultimate goal is the Paris Olympics. “The Paris Olympics is the ultimate goal but there are so many other tournaments before that. All these matches add points to my game. The more you play the more experience you gain and add value to your game.”
She further added that being part of the Indian core team for the Tokyo Games was a game changer in her career. “Being part of the Tokyo Games core team was a big achievement. The kind of training I got there was different. I learnt a lot and picked up many things there and I continue to work like that,” she divulged.
