Jitu Rai seeks Commonwealth, Asiad glory

NEW DELHI: With the Commonwealth Games approaching fast, Army marksman Jitu Rai would once again become the cynosure of all eyes. He will be Indian shooting’s biggest medal hope, carrying the burden of expectations since he’s one of the most talented and experienced shooters around. But talent alone does not guarantee success. And Jitu knows that.
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The 30-year-old has been paying special attention to small little things which can help him in fine-tuning his shooting skills ahead of a long, gruelling season headlined by the CWG, Asian Games, World Championships and a series of World Cups.Jitu has turned to meditation, yoga and swimming to be in the right shape, physically and mentally.
“This is my way of easing mental tension. Before every big tournament, I tend to get overburdened by the mounting expectations to perform. This sometimes takes a toll on your mind, body and overall performance. I experienced it (during the 2016 Rio Olympics). Of late, I have totally immersed myself in meditation, yoga and other sports activities. Getting up early and performing the routine has become a habit. It has helped me in developing better concentration levels,” Jitu told TOI.
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The pain of missing out on a medal in Rio has stayed with Jitu. He was expected to win a medal - riding high on his success at the World Cups - but he could manage to finish eighth in the 10m air pistol and a disappointing 14th in the 50m air pistol events. He does not want a repeat of that.
“The preparations are on the right track. I am practising at the Army Marksman Unit in Mhow and not at the national camp. The target is to win medals at the CWG, Asian Games and ISSF World Championships in South Korea. I am leaving for Mexico to compete at the first World Cup of the season in Guadalajara in March. There are no injury concerns and I am confident of delivering results,” said Jitu.
Jitu isn’t also losing his sleep over the National Rifle Association of India’s (NRAI) decision to split up his successful pairing with Heena Sidhu in the mixed gender events due to the federation’s strict selection policy. Jitu and Heena had won three gold in World Cups and World Cup Final last season but they won’t be paired up again at World Cups this year since Jitu has slipped to third place in the selection merit list.
“First my favourite 50m pistol event was scrapped by the ISSF and now I won’t be competing with Heena. But my job is to perform and I am focusing on my pet 10m pistol event,” the 50m air pistol gold medallist at the Glasgow CWG said confidently.