New Delhi, September 21 (Daily Kiran) : Rudraksh Patil, the talented rifle shooter, is gearing up for the 50m rifle three-position event at the 2026 Asian Games. After clinching two silver medals on Monday, Patil is eager to showcase his skills once again. He played a pivotal role in securing a team gold medal at the 2023 Hangzhou Games and helped the men’s team earn silver in Japan.
Looking ahead to the upcoming event on Friday, Patil expressed his excitement during a media interaction. “This is my first time participating in two events at the Games, and it’s my second year in three-position shooting. I’m very excited. I have excellent coaching and support from the Indian team, which is crucial for my performance. I just need to follow their guidance, and I believe everything will go well,” he said.
Patil recalled advice from his coach to keep things simple and focus on shooting rather than just aiming for medals. This mindset, he believes, will ultimately lead to success. “Our coaches said, ‘You have achieved a certain score, and that’s why you are here. You don’t need to do something extraordinary. Just shoot as you do every day, and that will be enough,'” he noted.
In the individual 10-meter final, Patil was in contention for the gold but ultimately settled for bronze after a shaky performance due to nerves. “I started strong in the final, which gave me confidence that the day was mine,” he reflected.
Despite his strong track record, Patil admitted that his lack of recent final appearances affected his confidence. “I had been number one for quite some time, but I hadn’t played many finals this year. This made me a bit uncertain. However, we trained hard for the final, which boosted my confidence and helped me feel comfortable in the final range,” he explained.
As he approached the gold medal position, anxiety crept in. “I think I could have handled it a bit better, but I’m happy with the bronze medal,” he concluded.
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