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Indian shooter Ashi Chouksey is aiming to turn her Asian Games experience into a gold medal-winning performance, saying that her previous campaign has given her the confidence and clarity needed to perform at the upcoming edition.
Indian shooters will look to deliver a record-breaking performance at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, scheduled from September 19 to October 4. Ashi will compete in two events at the upcoming Asian Games women's 50m rifle 3 positions and women's 50m rifle 3 positions team events. Having already gained experience from her previous Asian Games appearance, Ashi is aiming to use that exposure to deliver a stronger performance this time and convert her past success into a gold medal. Speaking to ANI, Ashi said this will be her second Asian Games appearance and the experience gained from her previous outing will help her approach the competition with a clear goal. "This will be my second Asian Games, and I have performed at that stage, and now I have the experience of what it takes. In this Asian Games, I think it will be a benefit for me because I will be going with a lot of experience and with a clear view and clear goal," she said. At the Hangzhou Asian Games 2022 (held in 2023), she won three medals silver medals in the women's 10m air rifle team event and the women's 50m rifle 3 positions team event, along with a bronze medal in the women's 50m rifle 3 positions individual event. Recalling her performance at the previous Asian Games, where she narrowly missed out on a silver medal in the 50m event, Ashi said she wants to convert her past success into gold this time. "I narrowly missed out on silver, actually, in the 50 meters. My last shot was 8.9, and before that I was in a very good position, but just because of that last shot I won bronze. But it was my first individual medal in the Asian Games, so it was special for me," she said. "Those three medals mean a lot to me, and I consider it my personal best till now, but I really want to convert that into gold because I have two silvers and one bronze and no gold medal. So I think I really want a gold medal in these Asian Games," she added. Talking about handling pressure during competitions, Ashi said every athlete faces nerves before major events, whether it is the Olympics, Asian Games or even trials, but managing pressure positively is what matters. "I never actually thought about it, but of course there is pressure whether it is an Olympic match, an Asian Games match, or even a trial match. There is always pressure before every single competition. But how we take that pressure, how we face it, and how we turn it into something positive matters a lot," she said. "The most important thing is not forgetting your process and continuing with the same process in your shooting despite the pressure," Ashi added. The shooter said experience does not completely remove pressure, but learning to control nerves is an important part of the sport. "No matter how many competitions someone has played or how much experience they have, there will always be pressure in every match. I think it is really difficult for people to control their nerves, but I feel I am doing quite well in that aspect," she said. Reflecting on emotions after winning, Ashi said she prefers to enjoy the moment after the hard work is completed. "Initially there are a lot of emotions, but once you win, then I get into a full fun mode thinking that it is done, it is over. After that, I forget everything else going on in my life and just enjoy that moment," she added. Looking ahead to her long-term goals, Ashi said she dreams of winning Olympic medals in both the 10m and 50m events and wants to create history for India in the women's 50m category. "I see myself on the Olympic podium with medals in both the 10m and 50m events. India is yet to win a women's 50m Olympic medal, and I want to be the one who changes that. My dream is to win gold for India at the Los Angeles Olympics," she said. Ashi also spoke about the pride and responsibility of representing India on the international stage, saying wearing the national jersey motivates her to perform better. "Representing India is an honour and a matter of pride for me. When we travel to another country carrying our national flag, it comes with a huge responsibility because millions of people's expectations are attached to us," she said. She added that seeing the Indian flag rise and hearing the national anthem after winning a medal is a feeling beyond words. "The feeling of standing on the podium, seeing the Indian flag rise because of your performance, and hearing the national anthem in another country is something that cannot be explained in words. That moment makes you feel that all your hard work has contributed to your country," Ashi concluded. (ANI)
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