Paris Olympics: At selection trials, rookie Sandeep Singh gives world champion a scare, showcasing India’s depth in rifle shooting

As the first half of the Indian pistol/rifle shooting trials for the Paris Olympics drew to a close on Saturday, the men’s 10m air rifle category is seeing an intriguing battle. But few would have imagined that a shooter with little international experience would push other more established stars, who won Olympic quotas, for a spot in Paris-bound team.

Patil has been unexpectedly upstaged in the first two of four trials in New Delhi this week. Tokyo Olympian Divyansh Panwar, Sri Karthik Sabari and Arjun Babuta finished top three in the final of the second trial on Saturday. But 28-year-old Army shooter Sandeep’s high qualification scores of 634.4 and 632.6 (he finished on top in both qualification rounds) leave him in good stead to contend for an Olympic berth.

Averages of the best three out of four qualification scores, with bonuses for podium finishes in the final and winning India the quota, will determine the two-member Indian contingent for each category.

Despite being less internationally experienced and well-drilled as some of his opponents, Sandeep is not afraid to admit he isn’t lacking in belief at the moment.

“There’s a long way to go, but the confidence I have in my shooting at the moment is making me feel like, if I do make the Olympics, there is no reason I can’t go there and shoot the way I have been in these trials,” he says.

Born in Faridkot, Punjab, Sandeep picked up shooting when he was stationed with the army in Mhow, Madhya Pradesh, the site of the Army Marksmanship Unit (AMU), where he would practice at night after his duty in the day.

His army background and support gave him the right tools to fine-tune his technique, he says, but it was only after he left and got exposure to the country’s best shooters that he began vastly improving.

“As soon as I started moving out of AMU for competitions and training, went to places like Bhopal and Delhi, my mind opened up and my shooting began to improve. The exposure improved me a lot, I was training and competing with shooters who have represented India, and doing just as well as them. I realised what I am capable of in those experiences,” he says.

Self-belief, according to Sandeep, has been key to his success as an athlete so far and has manifested itself in the lack of intimidation he has shown this week while competing with former Olympians and world champions for a spot to play in his sport’s premier event.

“I’ve gone abroad for World Cups, trained and competed with some of the best in India and in the world, why would I (feel intimidated),” he says.

After a slow rise, Sandeep even made the reserve team for Tokyo, but after he moved out of Mhow in 2021, a few years went by without much intense practice or competition.

He returned to his best in early 2023, representing India at the World Cup in Rio – his only international event that he participated outside the RPO (ranking points only) series.

But the lack of experience has not only seen him fall down the national pecking order but also limited his exposure to the high-pressure environment of the finals of big-ticket shooting competitions.

That limitation showed in his less-than-impressive showings in the finals of the trials after he topped qualification, finishing fifth and fourth respectively.

Even though it remains far from a foregone conclusion as the trial moves to Bhopal next month to finalise the Olympic spots, Sandeep’s performances despite those limitations not only shows the depth of the field of India’s top shooters, but also how the selection process may affect its medal chances.

Sandeep recognises the need to improve the mental side of his game. “The changes I have tried to make to improve over the last few years are simple. My technique is still the same, I haven’t changed my rifle, the kit is the same, the routine is the same. What’s making a difference is working on the mental side of things, and I’m still working on that,” he says.