As the Indian contingent aspires to cross the 100-medal mark this time in the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, it will look to the women’s air rifle to fetch the first medals on September 24.
Even as all eyes will be on the much accomplished Mehuli Ghosh, there will be the 19-year-old Ramita Jindal, the World Junior Champion, who will be taking aim with a quiet resolve.
Ramita, along with Mehuli and Tilottama Sen, won the gold in the recent World Championship in Baku, Azerbaijan, Ramita has made rapid progress in recent times, especially under coach Neha Chavan at the Gun for Glory Academy.
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“Ramita is a young talent, performing well in the past year and a half, both at the national and international levels. She has been very consistent in the women’s circuit for nearly a year. She is confident and has prepared well for the Asian Games’’, said Neha.
A string of good performances in the Khelo India Games had fetched her training with GFG since last November.
“With Neha madam’s guidance, I have improved a lot”, said Ramita, quite pleased with the facilities at the Chennai centre.
A student of Hansraj College in the Capital pursuing a degree in commerce, Ramita said that even though there would be pressure, she would welcome it.
“I always take nervousness and tension of matches in a positive way. They are necessary for us to perform at our best”, said Ramita, admirably mature for her age.
Daughter of a tax advocate, Arvind Jindal, Ramita took up shooting only when she was in the eighth grade at her home in Kurukshetra.
“I initially started it as fun under coach Jagbir Singh. I found it interesting and started working hard. After winning Khelo India bronze and Junior World Championship bronze, I decided to focus better on the sport to make it as a career”, recalled Ramita.
It is not just about the Asian Games, there will also be the Asian Championship in Korea for the shooters to win the last quota places for the Paris Olympics.
“We all have been working hard. We will give our best in the upcoming competitions. I believe that we would be able to win the second quota in women’s air rifle in the Asian Championships”, said Ramita.
For the moment, with Mehuli and Ashi Chouksey for company in women’s air rifle, Ramita looks forward to giving India a vibrant start in the Asian Games.
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