Former world champion Jitu Rai stated on Monday that teenage shooter Saurabh Chaudhary is a medal contender who has the potential to surpass South Korea’s all-time great Jin Jong-On in the 10m air pistol event.
Saurabh Chaudhary will compete in the Tokyo Olympics after dominating key competitions and is considered one of the favourites to win a medal in the 10m air pistol event.
“Saurabh Chaudhary is a unique. I’ve watched him shoot, and it’s not just that he’s winning medals; he’s winning them with really high scores. And it’s no surprise that he currently holds the world record “PTI quoted Rai, who has previously defeated Jin Jong-Oh.
Saurabh Chaudhary is heading to Tokyo with the same level of excitement that surrounded Jitu Rai prior to the Rio Olympics, but the senior marksman feels the kid will be able to continually improve his scores.
He should win it in Tokyo: Rai
“All you have to do is look at the scores he keeps track of. It’s astonishing how he manages to accomplish it on a daily basis and so well. I may have won numerous medals in international contests, but as you can see, Saurabh’s scores are significantly higher than mine. If he scores 582-583 in the qualifying, he will make the finals 99 percent of the time in Tokyo, and he can score higher. “He is without a doubt one of the most exciting prospects in the 10m air pistol event,” said the modest shooter, who is now targeting the 2024 Paris Olympics after missing out on the current Games.
“He is quiet and reserved, fully focussed on the job at hand. He should win it in Tokyo.”
Rai also warns shooters of distraction ahead of final
After his unexplained collapse at the 2016 Olympics, the pistol ace has encouraged Indian shooters competing in Tokyo to be “very vigilant” during the time between qualifications and finals, as this is when distractions are most likely to occur.
Rai became the first Indian pistol shooter to clear the men’s 10m qualification at the Rio Olympics five years ago, but he fell short of the high expectations in the eight-man final.
Despite not being a member of the present squad, the former world championship silver and Asian Games gold medalist shooter believes the job of coaches is critical during the transition period between qualifying and finals.
“At that point, the coaches must safeguard the shooters from all kinds of distractions,” Rai explained, “since even the tiniest of things can prove to be detrimental to their prospects of earning medals.”
“I’m not sure how I feel about myself in Rio; it’s difficult to explain. After a strong qualifying performance, I gave it my all in the final, but it was not enough, and it did not work out.”
